rebrandings

Rebranding refers to a strategic effort to change how a brand is perceived in the market. It can involve updates to a company name, logo, color palette, typography, messaging, and overall positioning, or a restructuring of a brand portfolio. Rebranding may target the corporate brand, a product line, or multiple brands within an organization.

Reasons for rebranding include mergers and acquisitions, market repositioning, entering new audiences, addressing negative associations, shedding an outdated image, or aligning with new business strategy or values. Rebranding can reflect identity shifts at corporate level or product-level changes, and may accompany changes in positioning, distribution, or customer experience.

Key elements of a rebrand include defining a clear strategy, stakeholder research, competitive analysis, creating or updating the visual identity and verbal brand voice, and aligning internal and external communications. The rollout typically involves an internal launch to employees, a communications plan for customers and partners, and phased public introductions, followed by measurement of brand equity and performance.

Risks include confusing customers, costly implementation, eroding brand equity, or failing to achieve the intended repositioning. Successful rebrands tend to be well-justified, consistent across touchpoints, and supported by credible actions that deliver on the new promise.

Notable examples include Google's 2015 creation of Alphabet as the parent company; Dunkin' dropping "Donuts" in 2018 to emphasize beverage-led offerings; Uber's 2016 brand redesign; and Tropicana's 2009 packaging overhaul, which faced criticism and was rolled back to some extent. Airbnb's 2014–2015 brand update is another commonly cited case.