If we agree that Branding is the strategy we use to ensure that what we want our brand to reflect is exactly what the user perceives, then Rebranding is nothing more than an update of that message — usually aimed at shifting or expanding the target audience, though it can also respond to many other factors.
In general, we can talk about several types of rebranding:
1. The purely aesthetic rebrand
Which, in turn, can be motivated by different reasons:
In the case of many startups, branding is often overlooked during the early stages, but once a certain level of success is achieved, they decide to invest in proper branding.
A good example of this is Airbnb.
The aesthetic redesign may also be driven by a company’s desire to stay on-trend with current design styles.
In fact, most strong brands refresh their image periodically to avoid becoming outdated. Examples include Instagram and Google.
(Fun fact: Instagram’s redesign wasn’t exactly well-received by its long-time users… but did it resonate with a younger audience? We believe it did.)
2. Rebranding to expand or shift the target audience
Take Google again — their redesign wasn’t just about staying on-trend, but also likely aimed at solidifying their place as the go-to option for younger users.
Another example that comes to mind is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
That rebrand stirred up a lot of controversy… but hey, what do they say?
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” So, there you go.
3. Rebranding to change brand perception
As we mentioned in our earlier post, What Do We Mean When We Talk About Branding?, a good example of this is McDonald’s in Europe.
The fast-food chain decided to shake off its “junk food” label, and did so by simply changing its corporate colors and interior design across its locations.
