In 2019, Dunkin’ Donuts stepped out of the changing room with a new look.
With an intent to outshine its competitors in the coffee and bakery industry, the American chain underwent a rebranding that pivoted its position in the market. Now called Dunkin’, the brand successfully portrayed itself to be more beverage and lifestyle-focused with a revamped identity (Source).
This move didn’t come cheap. Dunkin’ invested over $100 million dollars in modernising their stores and upgrading their equipment, supporting their new beverage-led strategy and brand messaging (Source).
Rebranding can seem like a daunting task. One wrong move and your brand’s resources, recognition, and reputation might just go down the drain.
So, understanding the impact of changing your identity is crucial to pulling off a successful rebrand. It’s more than just altering your brand’s visual appearance – it has the power to transform the perceptions toward your business. A well-planned rebranding can completely revolutionise the way your company operates and how it communicates with its stakeholders.
But before you start ripping off all your brand elements and picking out new brand colours, here are 3 things you should do before pulling the lever.
1. Recognise your ‘why’
As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Take a step back and reflect on why a rebrand may be necessary. Outlining the ‘why’ will spearhead the entire process and prevent you from wasting any resources. Here are a few reasons it may be the right move (Source):
- You want to stand out from the crowd
- You want to target a new audience
- You no longer resonate with your current values
- You’re going through a merger or acquisition
- Your business model has changed
- You’re receiving negative publicity
- Your look is outdated
- You want to amplify your brand’s message
- You want to establish consistency across touch points
- You’re launching a new product or service
Your reason is a cornerstone to developing and executing your rebranding strategy. Funan was once known as the go-to mall for tech and IT products. But due to the growth of e-commerce sites and online shopping experiences, consumer behaviours began evolving. Funan could not rely on simply being a mall, it had to transform into an experiential space.
Funan underwent a massive rebranding that repositioned itself as a creative hub. It was no longer just a tech mall people frequented with an agenda in mind, but a place in the heart of the Civic District where people could play, eat, craft, and more.
This was where 8traordinary stepped in. We developed content and campaign ideas from the ground up to strengthen this new identity across all its online-to-offline touchpoints. To support this refreshed positioning, we adopted a ‘hypebeast’ style creative direction that strongly resonated with Funan’s new target visitors – the PMET Millennials and students in the vicinity.
2. Lean on your community
The last thing you’d want a rebranding exercise to do is to lose the appeal of both potential and existing customers altogether.
Conduct thorough research on your brand’s community. Garner the opinions of your customers, partners, investors, and employees. Without their voices, your rebrand may operate from an internal perspective, putting you at risk of missing the mark with key stakeholders (Source).
This was true for Twitter’s rebrand into X, a move that was universally criticised by its users. After Elon Musk bought Twitter in October 2022, the new CEO switched the iconic blue and white bird logo to a plain black X. Users scrutinised the change all over the platform (Source).
Seeking input from your community will aid the rebranding process, strengthen the trust between you and your stakeholders, and ensure you stick to the right track when it comes to putting on that fresh coat of paint (Source).
3. Establish your core
Once you have clarity over your “why” and have rallied sentiments on the ground, establishing (or re-establishing) what your brand is fundamentally about is the next crucial step. Without this, it is easy to get caught up in the flurry of a rebranding exercise.
So before reprinting new marketing materials and deciding between 5 different logo variations, take some time to form a strong understanding of what your brand is at its very core. Everything else will flow out of this.
At 8traordinary, we partnered with home-grown skincare brand Suu Balm to elevate them in an increasingly competitive market and to speak to their target audience at a deeper level. While everyone else was shouting out about the physical benefits of their products – “soothing”, “itch relief”, “moisturising” – we took it a step further to touch on the emotional benefits of Suu Balm’s products.
To accomplish this, we conceptualised a new overarching brand message, “I can be me again”, which showed Suu Balm’s commitment in improving lives and alleviating the daily struggles of those with eczema and dry sensitive skin through their products. This new messaging was then translated across all their touchpoints, including social media posts, brochures, web banners, eDMs, and out-of-home media.
Outline your unique selling proposition, values, mission, and vision. What does your brand offer and what makes it unique? Who can benefit from your brand and resonate with it? What values does your brand abide by? A firm understanding of what your brand stands for supports your revamp strategy and will propel your brand to where you want it to be (Source). It will guide your overall brand strategy and identity, including the crafting of elements like your logo, slogan, messaging, and visual components.
At the end of the day, good rebranding is never an easy feat. It requires careful deliberation and thoughtful planning to transform your brand’s identity and take it beyond what it currently is, ultimately reworking perceptions about your brand for the better.
If you’re considering rebranding, drop us a message today!