A couple of weeks back, someone wrote me to ask the difference between a brand refresh and a wholesale rebrand? She wanted to know how an organization can know which, of the two, is needed. So, today, I have decided to throw more light on the two approaches, with a view to demystifying the difference and give tips for determining which approach is right for your brand.
A tricky distinction
If you ask around, most people will say that a brand refresh is a surface-level makeover, one that updates visual elements such as logo, signage, design language, and web design, amongst others. A rebrand, on the other hand, is commonly thought to involve a fundamental shift in strategy: reassessing or re-articulating a company’s value, purpose, positioning, and messaging, as well as a design language. It practically involves everything.
But what if a brand needs something between those two extremes? What if the organization wants to retain the logo and name but feels its brand needs a new positioning, messaging, potentially even an appeal to a new audience — what do you call that; a refresh or a rebrand? A project like the one I described is definitely not any superficial tinkering, but the brand’s existing foundation will remain relatively intact. This case illustrates how confusing this terminology can be. What at first glance seems black and white is actually a blurry continuum. To determine how broad a project’s scope should be, it’s important to take the time to figure out where on that spectrum the company’s needs lie.
The crux of the matter
There are, of course, plenty of times when the traditional ‘refresh’ is appropriate, especially in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) world, where standing out on the shelf is critical. On the business-to-business (B2B) side, a refresh might be most visible when a company re-designs its website or tweaks a logo. For example, think of the buzz around an update to a popular app’s icon.
However, a ‘makeover’ doesn’t necessarily have to be visual. Perhaps your communications need some spark. Or you’re reaching out to a new audience. In cases like these, reevaluating the brand voice or messaging strategy could be just as, or more, impactful than updating the design. Service providers such as banks and telcos do these very well. MTN, Airtel, and even Glo often do these with their new market thrusts reflected in their communication messages and strategies.
Read also: Stretching Brands with Product Line or Brand Extensions
Additional or tweaked messaging is also helpful when a company is entering a new market or introducing a new product. For years, Wema Bank, despite rebranding and management changes, struggled to get market acceptance, but its introduction of ALAT, Nigeria’s first fully digital banking platform, broke the ice for Nigeria’s longest surviving indigenous bank. The introduction of ALAT driven by new communication messages and strategies did the magic for the bank. Today, the bank is enjoying an increased share of patronage because of its entry into a new market, a move robustly amplified by good communications.
But will an update — visual or verbal —be enough? Sometimes the answer is easy. If your brand doesn’t feel authentic anymore, or if it’s actively hindering performance, it’s time to rethink the whole thing. However, in cases that are more difficult to determine, you don’t have to rely on your gut. Instead, you can turn to research.
Data-driven process
Quite often, I have brand managers and custodians say to me that their brands need a refresh. They think because they want to retain their name and because they want to make a change in a quick and agile way, that a rebrand is not for them. However, although financial and time constraints are important, they should not lead companies to undertake misguided refreshes that will not provide the solution that is needed; a rebrand.
Research can play an important role in determining if a rebrand is necessary, and if so, providing brand and marketing managers with a powerful case they can present to leadership when requesting resources — and later, when proving return on investment (ROI). Surveys play a powerful role here — external polls about the brand’s equity, reputation, and level of recognition can signal whether the brand is still resounding with the market. Internal surveys are useful for gauging whether a brand is helping or hurting company culture and whether employees feel empowered to channel the brand in their work and communications.
If the data shows the brand is still packing a punch — great! A simple refresh, or no refresh at all, may suffice. But if the research tells a different story, it offers a powerful argument to take to the boardroom. It also provides baseline data to compare to (anticipated) improvements post rebrand.
Don’t fear the rebrand
There’s no need to be afraid of a rebrand if that is where the data points. While the upfront investment may be greater, the ROI will be greater as well, since a rebrand fully addresses the problem instead of wasting resources on a short-term fix. The right agency will listen to your initial concerns, help you conduct the necessary research, and then recommend a plan that suits your needs and your budget.
A rebrand might also seem scary because of the fear that it will throw away the baby with the bathwater. But an effective rebrand need not abandon everything. Instead, a savvy agency partner will leverage the best of what you already have, complement it with what you need, and pull it all together in a way that stands out in the market, energizes employees, and stays true to the company’s core purpose and values.
Keep moving forward
Once a rebrand or your refresh is complete, that’s not the end of the brand evolution. Successful brands are dynamic and responsive, making frequent small, iterative changes. Of course, this does not mean constant rebrands or even constant refreshes. But it means that a branding project should never be considered ‘over.’ Markets change every day, bringing new trends, competitor developments, and customer challenges. The most effective brands have an eye on these shifts, at all times, and are nimble enough to respond to, or even drive, those conversations.
Last line: All branding changes are most successful when they grow from a solid foundation of research and authenticity — the very foundation that helps to drive the decision to refresh or rebrand in the first place. By staying true to corporate goals and core ideals, the choice will be clear.
