Rebranding
Rebranding is the process of changing a brand's identity, positioning, or both, whether refreshing what already exists or creating something entirely new.
What is rebranding?
Rebranding refers to the process of substantially changing a brand's identity, creative strategy, or both, in response to a shift in the business, market, category, or audience it serves.
A rebrand can vary in scale and ambition. For example, a complete rebranding process works to change how a brand is fundamentally understood in the world, whereas a lighter brand refresh looks to update parts of an existing identity that no longer serve the brand, without abandoning what's recognisable about it.
However in-depth the rebrand, it's essential to have a clear reason for doing so. Rebranding without one rarely lands, since the benefit needs to outweigh the short-term impact to brand equity. If the right reasons and strategy are in place, a rebrand can unlock growth, investment, or relevance a brand had lost.
What does rebranding involve?
While the process depends on the size of the brand and its end goals, most rebrands move through the following phases.
When to Rebrand
The quantitive or qualitative signals that suggest a brand has outgrown its current identity or positioning.
Brand Audit
The preparatory work that makes clear exactly what's working, what isn't, and why, before any changes are made.
Repositioning
The fundamental strategic shift in how a brand is understood, which lays the groundwork for a successful rebrand.
Brand Refresh
The decision to make a lighter update to an existing identity in order to keep the core intact, rather than undertaking a complete rebrand.
Launch Strategy
The coordinated rollout plan for introducing a rebrand or refresh to an audience, carried out across every touchpoint at once.
How rebranding works in practice: Big Cartel
As the OG e-commerce platform, Big Cartel has spent the last 20 years helping hordes of independent creators launch themselves to the world. But it hasn't always been smooth selling.
In a bustling bazaar of online portfolios, resale sites and handmade event stationery, this shop's got a little busy. It was time to re-centre the focus, helping Big Cartel do the one thing it helps others do: sell itself.
Big Cartel
More than a new look, we provided Big Cartel with a new lease of life. By breaking down the barriers to getting started, we positioned it as the go-to for entrepreneurs taking the leap. Now, no dream will ever be deemed too weird, too wild, too big or too small to work—and the brand backs that up.
Powered by the core idea 'Goodbye, caution!', every part of the rebrand works to encourage sellers to stop dreaming and start doing, carrying 20 years of noughties goodwill while sharpening its new point of difference.
Outcome: A rabble-rousing rebrand that honours where Big Cartel has been while facing firmly forward, leading to a 142% increase in purchase conversions after launch.
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