Rebrand vs brand refresh: What’s the difference?

What is a rebrand?

A rebrand is a comprehensive overhaul of a company’s identity. A top-to-bottom, time-consuming and complex process designed to fundamentally alter how the company looks, sounds and is experienced.

What’s involved in a rebranding project?

A new brand strategy: When you’re looking to signify a new direction, focusing on the foundational elements will massively help communicate this change to your audience.

A name change: One of the most significant changes a brand can make is adopting an entirely new name. Often the most commonly recognised brand feature, it is also where a lot of the associations, good and bad, are held.

New logo: If your logo needs more than a few ‘tweaks’, a rebrand will help shift it on enough that it helps to support and drive through any new positioning or purpose.

A new visual identity: Updating your identity will entail comprehensive changes to brand colours, fonts, imagery style

Redefined messaging: A complete overhaul or redirection of core messages, and taglines

When should I consider a rebrand?

When you’re in the process of a merger or acquisition.

If you’re changing your core business proposition.

When your brand no longer aligns with your businesses commercial goals.

If your brand image is outdated.

If your brand or business has developed a negative reputation.

Delta

Delta is led by one of the industry’s most respected business psychologists and academics, Dr Doyin Atewologun. Clients include the UK civil service, global media companies and many FTSE100 and Fortune 500 businesses.

A clear brand strategy underpinned the new visual and verbal identity and positioned Delta as empathic pragmatists that would appeal directly to the global C-Suite.

Setfords Solicitiors

Setfords pioneered a ‘new-law’ model in the UK, delivering tech-enabled legal services, but they were faced with increasing competition from a raft of inferior copycats who talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk. Setfords needed to be crystal clear on what they stand for.

We created a distinctive positioning for the brand that helped create clear differentiation from their competitors and then translated that through a new visual identity that steered them well away from the copycats.

What is a brand refresh?

A brand refresh is a lighter, more tactical update to a brand’s identity. It may involve updates to the same brand assets as a rebrand; logo, typeface, colour palette etc, but it doesn’t inherently alter the brand’s core essence or positioning.

What’s involved in a brand refresh?

A refreshed brand strategy: When looking to maintain relevance, your brand strategy (including your purpose, vision, mission and values) may be updated to appeal more to audiences

Market positioning: Reviewing how to evolve and enhance the brand proposition for target audiences.

Logo update: Minor changes to the existing logo, e.g.: simplifying the marque or modernising the style.

An updated visual identity: this entails slight modifications to the existing VI without altering recognition, such as expanding colour palettes or adding iconography to the suite.

When should I consider a brand refresh?

If you need to remain relevant with audiences.

If you want to protect your brand equity whilst modernising your look and feel.

When entering new markets and wanting to be culturally appropriate/relevant.

Chigwell School

Chigwell School, founded in 1629, sits in close proximity to two of its main competitors, but was struggling to keep its place as a first choice for parents and pupils in the area. They thought it was academically strong, but not innovative or future-facing enough. The school needed to tell their true story through an evolved brand positioning, refreshed visual identity and new website design that showcased their innovative approach yet remained connected to their much-loved history.

Construction Innovation Hub

Construction Innovation Hub is a government-backed initiative focused on transforming and future-proofing the UK’s built environment industries to deliver long-term environmental, economic and social benefits. They came to us with a name and a logo (and not much else), so we worked with them to support their internal comms and engagement team in rationalising their brand and communication strategies, and push their visual identity forwards into the innovative space.

If you’re considering a rebrand, a refresh or are still unsure which is right for your brand then get in touch with us. We can help you work out what will bring your brand the most success.