Do you need a rebrand, or just a stronger signal?
I love developing brands. There is something magical about watching a company's values manifest into design, wordmarks, typefaces, and hex codes. Maybe my passion comes from working inside one of the most iconic House of Brands, believing in the beauty of the most mundane b2b software companies, or from watching an outdated fortress get repositioned from walled off to welcoming. It's the transformative power of brand, to take something that isn't and imbue it with value that looks luxe.
Yet even as someone who has done more rebrands than I can count (and is building a business on helping companies do just this), I will be the first person to tell you to stop before you spend those dollars and brain trust.
Because here's the truth: every organization faces shifts. But not every shift needs a rebrand. What it needs is the right signal.
Before you hire a fancy branding agency that's gonna pull in a naming agency that's gonna pull in trademark lawyers to test for validity in 45 different languages and set your leadership team fighting over whether metallic is the right hue to signal investment in AI — causing a stalemate that forces said branding agency into a change order on their six-week sprint and delays you back to the twelve weeks they originally proposed — pause.
Many think a rebrand is the silver bullet to reinvention. Inheriting a new company? Let's invest in a new logo and all the swag. Culture is fragmented? How about a mousepad with a colorful wheel of values for all the employees (who only use trackpads)?
The real work starts internally. It's painfully slow, not glamorous, shiny, or new. The opposite of sexy, actually. You can't just put lipstick on a pig. The market doesn't care that you unveiled a new brand if your product is faulty or your team is fractious. And let's track how many Patagonia vests with your logo on it end up in a landfill while you talk about "sustainability."
Top things I hear from people who want to rebrand — and why I push back:
"People don't know who we are." Brand recognition. Have you really taken a pulse check of the market to understand what customers think of you? Akin to looking in a magnifying mirror when you're two kids in and over forty, but absolutely necessary before you sign a SOW.
"Our brand is tarnished." Brand perception. Sentiment analysis. Is this something a new image can fix, or is there a customer service problem at the root of it?
"I hate our logo". Logo is a component of the brand. It doesn't encapsulate the package. Have you examined your position in the market? Are you saying the same things across channels, and to your stakeholders?
"The board wants a new brand." It's hard when the wallets call the strategic shots. But worth showing them that their investment dollars may be better spent elsewhere.
"We need to attract investors." A fresh coat of paint won't fix a weak value proposition. Investors care about traction, not typography.
"Our competitors just rolled out a new brand". An old boss of mine HATED competitive analysis. Said it stifled innovation and creativity, and while you were looking over your shoulder, you ended up looking like everyone else. Maybe try asking your top customers what they think of your product before you ask them whether they care about a new website.
"The employees need something exciting to rally behind." Maybe start with defining values or vision work. Those are the foundations of a great brand.
"Our website looks dated." That's a refresh, not a rebrand. And if your messaging is unclear, a prettier site won't fix it.
"We're pivoting our business model." Now we're getting somewhere. But even this requires foundation work first - is your strategy clear? Does leadership agree on what you're becoming?
"We need a new brand. FAST." Sprinting to a new brand tout de suite for an organization never works (see comment on change orders). Maybe for a redevelopment project, or product if you have done the positioning work ahead. But you cannot rush a good brand.
"I don't like our current brand." Personal preference. Never, ever a good reason to invest in a brand.
If you come to me and say we need to rebrand, I will be the first to get hyped. But then I will ask you to really ask yourself what you're looking for. There are plenty of reasons where a rebrand will work, and amplify your organizational value, but ONLY if you're doing it right AND for the right reasons.
So what ARE the right reasons? When your strategy is clear internally but not translating to the market. When you've done the foundation work - mission, vision, values - and need a container that reflects who you've become. When a true business transformation requires a new market position. When you're merging two cultures and need a shared identity to rally around. When your brand promise and your customer experience are misaligned, and you're ready to close that gap.
The difference between a rebrand that works and one that becomes expensive regret? Internal clarity first, visual expression second. Before you call the agency, call the question: do you actually need a rebrand, or do you just need a stronger signal?
