Rebranding: What it is, when it’s needed, and how to do it

Artyom Dovgopol

A successful rebrand doesn’t erase your story; it refines the way it’s told😉

Key takeaways 👌

What is rebranding?

Rebranding is a complex transformation of your brand’s image, including its visual identity, tone of voice, and even the core ideas behind its philosophy. A light identity shift or a simple packaging redesign doesn’t count. Rebranding is a full-scale process that completely rebuilds your brand to help it adapt to new market conditions – and that’s exactly what we’re talking about here.

So let’s clear this up right away: redesign and repositioning are not the same as full-blown rebranding.

Rebranding ≠ Redesign ≠ Repositioning

These three terms are often mixed up, and for good reason. They all involve changes within a brand. But the real difference lies in what exactly is changing:

• Redesign is all about the visual component of your brand. Updating the logo, packaging, website, fonts—that kind of thing..

Example: A startup decides to “freshen up” its logo to look more professional—but its tone of voice, core values, and target audience all stay the same.

• Repositioning is all about how the brand is perceived in the market. If a brand wants to start attracting a different customer group, raise its prices, or shift its unique selling proposition, repositioning is usually the way to go.

Example: A home appliances shop shifts from a “cheap and cozy” vibe to “eco-friendly and designed by the best.” Sure, they’re still selling sofas and questionable home art—but now they’re playing in an entirely different market segment.

• Rebranding is all about everything. It includes both repositioning and redesign, plus a whole lot more. It digs into big-picture questions like: Who are we now as a brand? What do we bring to our customers?

Example: A hypothetical company sees its sales plummeting, so it tears everything down and starts from scratch. The mission, the design, the tone of voice—it all gets rebuilt to align with a new vision and market reality.

Still can’t catch the difference? Here’s the table for that:

Basically, if redesign is like changing your clothes, and repositioning is becoming part of a different social class (or at least starting to act like it), then rebranding is rebuilding yourself from scratch.

Rebranding is like renovating a house—you might keep the foundation, but you redesign the space so people feel something new the moment they walk through the door

When should you start thinking about rebranding?

Rebranding should always be considered a “Plan B”—something you turn to when everything else proves less effective than expected. In business terms, it’s what you do when your brand no longer aligns well with reality—when its ideas and image start to feel outdated.

Here’s a more detailed list of reasons:

• Outdated Positioning. If your brand no longer feels relevant or comes across as outdated, it's a clear signal that change is needed.
• Change in Target Audience. A brand might start out targeting one group, but over time, the company could shift toward a different audience, like younger, more tech-savvy customers or people with new priorities and values.
• Entering a New Market. Expanding into new countries or regions means adapting your brand to fit different cultural and business landscapes.
• Reputational Crises. A public crisis can seriously damage how people see your brand. Rebranding offers a chance to reset the narrative and rebuild trust.
• Mergers or Acquisitions. When companies merge, rebranding helps create a unified identity under one consistent image.
• Increased Market Competition. If competitors look more modern and your brand is starting to feel outdated, rebranding can help you level the playing field—or even pull ahead.

Step-by-step guide to rebranding

Step 1. Audit your current situation.

Before torching everything up, take a look at what’s actually worth keeping.

• Inquire with your team and your clients how they view your brand
• Conduct a thorough analysis of your brand’s visuals, website, social media, ToV
• Try and pinpoint particular changes between you and your competitors
• Answer the question: How is our brand viewed by the customers, and do we want to keep it that way?

Instruments to keep in mind: questionnaires, interviews, competitor analysis, SWOT

Step 2. Form a new strategy for your brand.

Based on the audit, determine what your brand should become.

• Describe and write down the mission, core values, and ToV of communication
• Clearly define your USP and positioning
• Identify your new target audience and their expectations
• Decide what image you want to project

Important: Your new strategy must be accepted and understood by the entire team—and most importantly, it has to be felt by everyone. Without that emotional and strategic alignment, your rebranding will end up as just another empty shell of a company.

Step 3. Develop a visual identity

Now it’s time for visuals, but let’s not get too carried away – all decisions must be based on strategy from the previous points.

• A new logo, color palette, and typography
• A style guide (brandbook)
• Updated packaging, website design, and marketing materials
• A consistent visual language across all channels

Goal: Make your brand recognizable and trigger the right associations at every point of contact.

Step 4. Refresh brand communication

Visuals are just a little piece of a big puzzle. Now, look into how your brand “speaks” with its customers.

• Rewrite website copy, social media posts, and ad messages
• Set a new tone of voice
• Train your team: scripts, communication guidelines, email templates

Tip: Create a comprehensive brand guide not just for visuals, but for language, so everyone speaks with one voice.

Step 5. Launch the entire thing.

Just changing profile pictures on Instagram won’t do it – rebranding is a major event in your company’s history. Make it look like one.

• Prepare a presentation of the changes for your team, customers, and partners
• Explain why the rebrand happened and what has changed
• Run a campaign: on social media, email, and your website
• Emphasize your values and engage your audience

Stick to the formula: What we were → Why we changed → Who we are now → What this means for you

Step 6. Evaluate the results

Are you done? Whew, good for you. Now, when all the stress and burning piles of marketing materials are behind you, let’s talk about what actually worked.

• Track key metrics: brand awareness, customer loyalty, sales
• Gather feedback from customers
• Check whether the brand perception aligns with your goals
• Adjust as needed

Tools to keep in mind: surveys, website, social media analytics, and CRM data

Woah, right? Rebranding isn’t some do-it-and-forget-it ordeal—it’s a complex and, more importantly, long process. One packed with critical steps, each one essential if you’re aiming for a successful outcome.

And a bit more on brand identity…

Want to get know everything that comes with a well-crafted brand identity? Check out our What is a brand book and why your business needs it article for more info!

How to understand whether the rebranding was efficient or not?

Alrighty, so there are a few crucial metrics that can help you understand whether the rebranding was successful or not:

• Changes in metrics. Key indicators: website traffic, social media engagement, brand awareness. Use Google Analytics, CRM, social media, and surveys, and compare the data for 3–6 months before and after the changes.
• Brand perception. How has your customers' opinion of your brand changed? What feedback are you getting? Conduct surveys and interviews: What do they think of the new brand image? Track UGC (user-generated content), reviews, and comments. Monitor social media and forums — are people talking about you more, and in a more positive way?
• Team and partner response. How did your employees and partners react to the rebrand? This matters because internal acceptance of the brand always reflects externally. Has employee engagement increased? Is it easier to explain who you are and what your values are? Are partners ready to use the new brand materials?
• Alignment with goals. Assess whether you achieved the goals set at the start. Sometimes a beautiful rebrand doesn’t hit the key objective — that’s also a result and a chance to make improvements.

As far from “well, I just don’t like it” as you can see. Rebranding is an intricate and technical process, as we’ve stated above, and so is measuring its impact. 

Conclusion 

Rebranding is a comprehensive process that requires careful preparation and a strategic approach. Only with a clear understanding of your goals and a step-by-step action plan can you achieve meaningful results. The key is not to fear change—because the right rebrand can take your company to the next level. Let me know if you want this styled as a closing statement for an article or turned into a visual quote!

Recommended reading 🤓

"Building a StoryBrand", Donald Miller

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"The Brand Gap", Marty Neumeier

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"Branding: In Five and a Half Steps", Michael Johnson

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