In a world where your website and social media accounts can either bring you a customer or scare them away, your brand, personal or professional, needs to leave a lasting impression. 48 percent of consumers report that they are more likely to become loyal to a brand during the first purchase or experience, so you need to be bringing your A-game from the moment the consumer begins interacting with you. Your website should point your audience in the direction of finding what they need from you, and your social media should be an active point of communication between you and the potential customer. This whole “branding” phenomenon is time-consuming and costly, but even with all of the effort and elbow grease put in, there comes a time where rebranding may do you some good. Sometimes rebranding works, but unfortunately, sometimes it ends up doing more damage.
Rebranding works when you have a clear vision of where you want to take your brand, and who you want to reach, but there are also some crucial rules to follow when rebranding. Something as simple as even a minor logo redesign may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but the fact is your customers trust you and have certain expectations, and when they’re not met, the backlash can be detrimental.
Not even major companies like Starbucks are immune to this kind of problem--let us all look back on the infamous Starbucks “Christmas Cup Controversy” of 2015. Every November since 1997, Starbucks debuts their new “Christmas cups” that replace the standard cups for the remainder of the holiday season; however, 2015’s debut of plain, red cups saw not only lackluster reviews, but outrage on social media. Millions of people took to Twitter alleging that Starbucks was waging a “war on Christmas” with the removal of snowflakes, trees and ornaments seen on cups in years prior; some celebrities even called for boycotts. Of course, the story did die down in time, but one can’t help but notice that 2016’s cups returned to featuring reindeer and other whimsical images depictive of Christmas. Don’t fix what isn’t broken, you know?
That said, rebranding works when you want to introduce a new aspect of your brand, and can be your way of re-introducing yourself to new, younger generations. Before 2010, Old Spice was known to millennials as a brand for their grandparents--if they had even heard of it. To capture the attention of that missing audience, Old Spice launched a campaign of strange, yet highly-entertaining videos, that led to not only sales skyrocketing, but a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial. Suddenly Old Spice was no longer reserved for the geriatric crowd, but the number one brand of body wash for men.
Old Spice had a specific goal in mind--reach a new audience. Starbucks simply changed something on a whim. Having clear aims is essential to a successful rebranding; customers need to understand why you’re changing something on them. Over time, pages can become outdated; an old webpage or an unkept Instagram feed can yield negative results that rebranding can fix just by providing your consumers with an up-to-date experience. Not only does rebranding allow your brand to level up, but it also allows the consumer to feel as though they are moving forward with you.
More money, a different audience, an insane desire to keep your brand fresh--whatever your reason for wanting to rebrand, with the proper team and strategy, you will be able to accomplish your goal. If you are struggling with the decision to rebrand yourself or your business, take some time to reflect on the scenarios listed above. Know that you are not alone in this marketing frenzy and we at Enrich My Brand are here to help you sort through the confusion and ultimately help you acquire the brand you deserve!
Pro Tip: Check out 25 Insightful Branding Statistics to Help Your Business Flourish
