Rebranding any brand is a delicate balancing act. A brand identity carries not just visual elements but a journey of the brand’s trust, loyalty, and emotional connection with its customers. While staying up to date with trends is often necessary to stay relevant, any step in the wrong direction can easily make long-time supporters to withdraw their support for the brand and tarnish the brand’s value & credibility, that took years to build.

While we acknowledge that the decision to rebrand itself is a difficult one, we believe that navigating through the process of rebranding is also equally complex & critical. So, here’s a detailed guide on how brands, businesses or big companies should approach rebranding their identity, in order to ensure they retain their audience while paving the way for a modern, forward-thinking future for their Brand.

1. Understand the “Why” Behind the Rebrand

By defining the “why,” companies can craft a narrative that resonates with both internal teams and external stakeholders.

Before embarking on a rebrand, companies need to have a clear purpose.

Whether the goal is to modernize, reflect a shift in strategy, or expand into new markets, the intent should guide the rebranding process.

Every brand must consider these aspects when it comes the intent of the rebranding –

• Is the rebrand addressing a disconnect between the current identity and the evolving audience?

• Does the change align with the company’s vision for the next century?

• How will the rebrand enhance the brand’s position in the market?

If this aspects are not looked into correctly, there is a huge chance that the brand would be misinterpreted by audience or they feel disconnected, and this is exactly what Jaguar’s rebranding has put them into, exposing them to face severe backlash .

In November 2024, Jaguar unveiled its new logo and branding as part of its transition to an all-electric future. The rebranding aimed to reflect a modern and forward-thinking essence while honoring Jaguar’s rich heritage. However, the campaign faced severe criticism for not effectively communicating the intent behind the changes and for not including traditional car imagery, leading to confusion among customers.

This gap in storytelling and inclusivity highlighted how crucial it is to thoughtfully align branding changes with audience expectations and perceptions.

2. Preserving Core Brand Elements

A rebrand doesn’t mean erasing history. Retaining iconic elements of the existing identity helps maintain continuity and recognition while allowing for modernization.

So, it’s really important to understand what do we need to preserve of retain when going ahead in re-branding.

Here are a few things that you may retain even while considering a rebrand:

Logo Symbolism: It is really important to update rather than just replacing the key motifs or elements that audiences associate with the brand.

Colour Palette: When it comes to colour palette, doing a modification or expanding existing colors instead of abandoning them completely is highly suggestable.

Typography: Finally, with respect to typography it is good approach that we evolve fonts to suit modern tastes but it is really important to keep recognizable traits of the originality

For Example, Coca-Cola has updated its logo multiple times during its 100+ year legacy but has always preserved its iconic script font (typography) and red-and-white color palette scheme.

Coca-Cola has been successful with its rebranding efforts because they stay relevant with their industry and create an emotional connection with consumers. But this wouldn’t have been possible for them or any other Brand to convey their re-branding with this much impact without considering our next point which is …

3. Prioritizing Audience Research

A complete understanding of how the existing audience perceives the brand is very critical.

Usually when a company who rebrands and that ignores customer sentiment risks alienating loyal supporters.

If your brand is considering to rebrand, you must include the following metrics as part of Brand tracks to get insights on the audiences’ perception of the Brand –

• Conducting surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gauge customer preferences.

• Identifying the emotional and functional aspects of your brand that resonate with customers.

Tata Sky in its rebranding to completely new name – Tata Play, understood customer sentiments of not being to identify it easily with a new name, so they introduced themselves with 2 most common mediums in their single ad – A retail outlet and a newspaper. This easily brought about the transition and was well registered among audiences.

Using data to make informed design decisions shall ensure that the rebrand aligns with customer expectations and help us to communicate properly, which is precisely the next point.

4. Communicating the Purpose for Rebranding effectively

Whenever someone talk about how a brand is communicating with their audience, It is very natural for people to resist change, when they don’t understand its rationale/purpose. Our audiences usually doesn’t have a clear and compelling narrative about why the rebrand is necessary and can help bring audiences on board better.

We believe adopting these methods to communicate the purpose behind our rebranding can help align our audience more effectively with the change –

• Firstly, launching a campaign explaining the intent behind the rebranding, emphasizing how it benefits customers.

• Secondly, sharing the snippets of the rebranding process through BTS content, logo process, making the audience feel included during the transition.

• And finally, highlight the legacy aspects being preserved and how the change honors the brand’s history.

Let’s understand this with Pepsi’s example: Pepsi’s rebranding in 2023, is a great case study to understanding the balancing of both legacy and modernization tactfully.

Pepsi’s new logo isn’t just a cosmetic change, but rather a reflection of the company’s efforts to connect with consumers through its heritage and past. By connecting with consumers through nostalgia and a sense of shared history, Pepsi has created a sense of community and loyalty that transcends the product itself. In this way, the new logo and branding are not just a reflection of Pepsi’s past, but also a way to connect with consumers in the present and future.

But, as we’re talking about effective communication, it’s also a really good idea to consider the next step at a much earlier stage while rebranding, which is …

5. Testing of Designs with Key Stakeholders from the Initial Phase of Rebranding Design

It is highly advised that, as a brand, we need to involve our customers, employees, and partners in this process of testing the designs right from the initial phases of rebranding. Early feedback ensures the new identity resonates with core audiences and minimizes the risk of backlash. A quick glance on 3 things a brand could do –

• Developing multiple prototypes and test them with focus groups.

• Iterating based on feedback to address concerns or areas of disconnect.

• Ensuring the rebrand reflects the company’s values and resonates across demographics.

A great example for testing of designs is Digilocker. Despite having over 35 million users, the app (UI / UX) was being misinterpreted as a storage platform where users could upload official documents. That is when the team at Parallel improved user adoption by simplifying onboarding, making the product clearer and easier to understand, and improving the overall experience for the users.

6. Rolling out the Rebrand in small Phases

A structured phased rollout allows customers to adjust to the new identity without feeling overwhelmed. It also provides an opportunity to address potential issues early on.

Your rebranding strategy could include the following –

• Start with digital platforms such as websites and social media.

• Then use of transitional branding elements that bridge the old and new designs during the rollout.

• And finally, gradual updates of the physical assets like packaging, signage, and marketing materials.

This approach not only help us to structure of re-branding journey better but it also plays a huge role in (our next point, which is) upholding the Heritage and Legacy of the brand.

7. Emphasizing the Heritage and Legacy

It is very important to note, for every brand, to reaffirm the brand’s historical significance while rebranding its identity. Celebrating the legacy alongside the rebrand builds trust and reinforces the emotional connection with long-time customers.

Let’s take a look into few tips that could help emphasize the brand’s legacy and unfurl the journey that the brand is set the embark upon –

• First is to create a timeline showcasing the brand’s evolution over the years.

• And then sharing stories or anecdotes from customers and employees about what the brand means to them.

This video of nickelodeon’s rebranding holds a sense of nostalgia and pieces of iconic shows of the channel, it leaves the audience feeling connected. The rebranding although new, brings a feeling of familiarity.

As, human psychology often leans toward familiarity, when a logo remains unchanged for years, it becomes a symbol of stability. Altering it can leave customers feeling abandoned, as they equate the logo with the company’s values and reliability. So as we opt-in to rebranding, we must …

8. Get Ready for Feedback—Positive and Negative

Even the most well-planned rebrand could potentially attract criticism. Companies should view this feedback as an opportunity to listen, refine, and reaffirm their commitment to their audience. Some of the best practices you could consider to handle feedback effectively –

• Responding to concerns with empathy and highlighting the thought process behind the rebrand.

• Using constructive criticism to fine-tune aspects of the rebrand post-launch.

9. Celebrating the Rebrand as a Milestone

As brand you have walked on up and down curve of emotions, feedbacks, critics, love, hate and so much more. Hence, it is very important to position the rebrand as a pivotal moment in the company’s journey rather than just a design update. Celebrating it with customers and stakeholders can foster excitement and goodwill and there are few ways how it can be done,

• Hosting an event or an online launch party to unveil the new identity.

• Creating campaigns that highlight customer contributions to the brand’s success.

• Offering promotions or exclusive products tied to the rebranding celebration.

In this example of Western union’s rebranding, the Brand positions its rebranding as an opportunity for itself to transform, adapt and evolve just like its customers which is really symbolic and aspirational.

This is not all, there is more, but as we mentioned in the beginning of this blog,

While we acknowledge that the decision to rebrand itself is a difficult one, we believe that navigating through the process of rebranding is also equally complex & critical.

Conclusion

Rebranding is a monumental task. And we believe companies must tread carefully to ensure they retain the trust and loyalty of their existing audience while appealing to new trends and/or future generations. By understanding their audience, preserving key elements, communicating effectively, and embracing feedback, brands can successfully navigate the rebranding process and emerge stronger, more relevant, and ready for the next century.

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