Why marketers keep refreshing brands instead of betting on splashy ads

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the recent trend of marketers focusing on rebrands, refreshes, and repositionings rather than major creative campaigns. This approach has been embraced by various industries, including CPG companies, QSRs, digital-first brands, and even agencies. The article explores the reasons behind this trend, such as the need for agility, brand building after years of performance marketing, and adapting to changing consumer behavior. It also highlights the differences between rebrands, refreshes, repositionings, and redesigns, and the importance of carefully executing these strategies to ensure brand relevance and growth.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Reasons for the Rebrand Trend

1. What are the key reasons driving the recent focus on rebrands, refreshes, and repositionings among marketers?

• The need for agility and fluidity to meet changing consumer needs and priorities in a rapidly evolving landscape
• The desire to invest in brand building after years of focusing on performance marketing
• The need to find a holistic strategy across channels and better utilize insights about consumer behavior changes

2. How has the pandemic and the rise of the Gen Z cohort as a priority for marketers influenced this trend?

• The pandemic has moved further into the rearview, and marketers are now looking to stay modern, relevant, and quickly adapt to consumer needs
• The growing importance of the Gen Z cohort as a top priority for many marketers has contributed to the focus on rebranding as a key marketing strategy

[02] Rebranding Strategies and Considerations

1. What are the different approaches to rebranding that marketers are taking?

• Direct-to-consumer brands are making the jump to brick-and-mortar, requiring a different look-and-feel or a better, insight-driven brand story
• Legacy brands are applying a more modern filter to their brand story or working to find new audiences with an extension, rather than a total overhaul that endangers equity

2. How are marketers justifying the investment in wide-ranging rebranding efforts that span multiple channels?

• Marketers are increasingly asking branding agencies to work on a whole ecosystem of brand elements, which can be easier to justify as providing overall value for a brand than more limited design work
• The "utility" of these holistic rebranding efforts makes the investment more palatable for budget-conscious marketers

3. What are the key considerations for marketers when refreshing or rebranding their brands?

• Historically, core brand identity elements were seen as fixed, while creative campaigns were a flexible tool to stay relevant; today, the strongest marketers use both to deliver purpose and experience
• Marketers must be clear on whether they are rebranding their offerings for a new audience or simply redesigning them, as a packaging redesign alone does not necessarily constitute a true rebrand