Best Practices For Rebranding A Product Brand.

What if changing your company’s name and image was the key to thriving in a disruptive market? For many brands, a bold rebranding effort can mean the difference between surviving and flourishing in today’s rapidly evolving business world. 

In this fast-paced age of digital transformation and shifting consumer preferences, companies must continually rebrand themselves to stay relevant. Yet, a powerful marketing tactic, rebranding strategies, can be risky if not executed properly. In the following guide, we’ll break down best practices for rebranding as a strategic lever to boost your competitive edge. 

From auditing current brand perception to launching a new visual identity, learn a step-by-step process for crafting a compelling rebrand that wins over customers and fuels future growth. Whether incremental or transformational, a well-executed rebranding strategy can position your company for success in the years ahead.

So, are you ready to learn about the secrets and best practices for rebranding a company? Read on to find out!

Rebranding Objectives

The first checkpoint is understanding why rebranding can be necessary for the company’s growth. There are several objectives behind rebranding campaigns. Chief among them is the need to increase brand awareness and expand their target audience. As consumer preferences evolve, CPG brands must clearly articulate their value to existing and new customer demographics.

Rebranding allows companies to update dated packaging and visual identities that no longer resonate with today’s consumers. By modernizing product labels and in-store displays, brands aim to attract a broader target audience, especially younger consumers who care deeply about aesthetics and design. The goal is to make the brand and its products more appealing to new demographic segments.

Most importantly, rebranding trends helps companies stay aligned with shifting markets. The CPG industry is constantly innovating, whether focusing on health, wellness, sustainability, or other emerging themes. Through a rebranding effort, brands can communicate their relevance and commitment to current consumer priorities.

Performing A Complete Brand Audit

Every successful rebranding strategy starts with a thorough brand audit. During the audit phase, the company analyzes its current market position and brand architecture to decide whether it needs a partial rebrand, a complete rebrand, or a brand refresh. 

Companies must evaluate their current brand architecture, packaging design, product labeling, and messaging to understand how the brand is perceived. Internally, teams research to identify areas that need improvement or no longer resonate. It informs whether a partial or complete rebrand is necessary.

A partial rebrand focuses on elements like packaging while preserving the overall identity—a complete rebrand overhauls most or all branding components. By gathering internal and external insights, brands determine the scope and strategy of their rebranding campaign.

Conducting Thorough Market Research

Companies must clearly understand their target audience, consumer preferences, and industry trends to shape a successful rebranding strategy. Conducting comprehensive research that includes in-depth surveys and brand testing is critical to gaining nuanced insights into what resonates most with the target demographic. Assumptions must be avoided, and nothing should be left to chance.

By conducting small focus groups and prototyping, companies can receive real-time feedback to iterate before launch. After rebranding, keep track of the brand’s progress to ensure it meets its objectives. Those who dive into the customer’s mindset and stay aware of market trends will reap the most significant rewards. Remember, knowledge is power, and having a good handle on the terrain can make any rebranding journey smoother.

Internal Alignment For Rebranding

A successful rebrand demands coordination across the organization. Teams must understand whether the scope involves a full-fledged rebrand that transforms the brand identity or a lighter refresh that tweaks select elements. 

Aligning internal teams requires clarity on the rebranding approach from the start. Early discussions allow each department, whether marketing, sales, support, or beyond, to provide unique perspectives based on their specialized functions and frequent customer interactions. 

This contributes valuable insights across the organization and fosters buy-in for rebranding, ensuring a cohesive strategy incorporating feedback from departments spanning the brand’s whole customer experience. With alignment and input established upfront, the new identity can be optimized to strengthen connections at every touchpoint.

Furthermore, Gathering all key stakeholders fosters a unified vision, transforming differences into strategic strengths rather than divisive barriers. Employees seamlessly lead the transition when there is consensus on objectives and roles. 

Rebranding Brand Strategy

After obtaining new market insights, clearly defining the CPG brand’s ideal positioning is essential. It means determining how the company wants it to be perceived concerning its competitors.

Through strategic brand repositioning, one encounters both opportunities and risks of rebranding. Successfully preserving brand recognition while forging a new and distinctive identity requires skillful navigation. But, the rewards for adept repositioning are significant—enhanced sales and heightened customer engagement top the list. 

Consider breathing new life into your logo design through logo rebranding, visually encapsulating the essence of your revitalized brand. Craft a design that not only halts scrolling eyes but also leaves a lasting impression in the minds of your audience.

Rebranding products brings the identity to life on shelves. Bolstering recognition for the revamped brand and message requires unwavering consistency across all branding facets, from packaging to promotions. Continuous testing helps mitigate potential pitfalls and serves as a compass, confirming the right direction for brand evolution.

Seeking Help From A Rebranding Agency

Rebranding a company may seem like an easy task, but in reality, it isn’t. Because so many variables are involved, the risk of losing the current brand awareness increases. 

It is always best to seek help from professional rebranding agencies with years of hands-on experience in rebranding. Such agencies can prepare a rebranding checklist to enhance the impact of several types of rebranding strategies. 

A good branding agency can help companies in the following ways:

• Conducting an audit of the existing brand to understand its strengths and weaknesses
• Developing a new brand positioning and brand strategy to guide the refresh
• Crafting resonant brand messaging that reflects the brand voice and positioning
• Defining and bringing to life the authentic brand voice through tone, terminology, and visual style
• Redesigning logos, colors, fonts, and other visual brand elements to represent the refreshed brand identity
• Creating new branding guidelines to maintain consistency across all brand touchpoints
• Developing refreshed branding assets like packaging, stationery, website, and collateral
• Implementing the new brand identity rollout across online and physical channels
• Providing ongoing consulting to ensure brand messaging stays aligned as the brand evolves
• Providing brand stewardship and training to internal teams on the new brand voice

Product Packaging Rebranding 

When an aging brand is in question, the reasons for rebranding usually revolve around packaging that no longer matches the identity or market demands. For consumer packaged goods companies, the outer wrapper represents a first impression opportunity that is too valuable to waste. A comprehensive update guarantees that this initial encounter leaves potential customers interested rather than uninterested.

Remaking the design within new branding guidelines allows enhanced visual appeal that pulls eyes like a magnet. Attention-grabbing graphics paired with carefully crafted messages about features or benefits determine what matters most to target customers. Consistency in style, tone, and messaging across all touchpoints tells a cohesive story and builds recognition.

To roll out the new look effectively, a comprehensive rebranding campaign and checklist streamline production and rollout. Prototyping allows refinement before mass printing. Websites, too, require touch-ups to showcase the evolution. Pre-launch brand tracking tests understanding and reaction, while post-launch studies ensure objectives around sales, customer perception, and competitive differentiation are met.

With patience and precision, packaging redevelopment can reinvigorate a product on shelves for years. Those who view it as the foremost real estate to shape first impressions will see the most outstanding returns.

Rebranding Consistency Across All SKUs

Consistency serves as a cornerstone for successful brands navigating change. Whether a complete rebrand or lighter repositioning alters the logo, name, or positioning, uniformity strengthens the impact of any modifications. With variety inherent to CPG portfolios, maintaining a singular vision across all stock-keeping units proves paramount.

Adopting the new logo and branding elements consistently provides anchors. Variations in size or flavor avoid confusion by clearly communicating a shared lineage. Uniform placement of logos, color palettes, and messaging builds instant recognition, no matter what option is picked from shelves.

Repackaging each SKU adheres to centralized design principles laid out in rebranding projects. Identical graphics and text layout prevent one product from standing out from the line-up in a disjointed manner. Cohesive down to the smallest detail, the brand remains front and center of every permutation.

Such cohesion streamlines production processes and reduces costs compared to discrete approaches. Most importantly, it firmly imprints the new brand identity upon customers by saturating aisles with one clear impression. 

Rebranding Communication Plan

When transforming, a well-planned marketing strategy is crucial. The style guide acts as a conductor’s sheet music, detailing touchpoints and timing to maintain harmony throughout rebranding efforts. Companies must have a solid rebranding launch plan.

Internal stakeholders receive information first, allowing them to spread enthusiasm. Employees undergo training to become brand ambassadors before any public debut. Consumer-facing channels then release information in a staged sequence, building intrigue with teasers before unveiling complete details of rebranding or repositioning.

Improved benefits are emphasized to keep a customer-centric focus. Messaging and imagery highlight solutions to previously faced problems. Retailers receive personalized briefings and promotional support, driving aisle endorsement. Industry peers gain insights through bylined articles or speaking engagements.

Public relations plays a vital role in spreading the announcement. Paid, owned, and earned channels work together to reach the maximum audience, and analytics track the understanding and sentiment toward the campaign. The agile response team addresses any confusion to ensure the new brand identity is well-received.

Website and Digital Presence for Rebranding

The website is crucial as a brand’s flagship storefront to showcase transformations. But, when revamping digital touchpoints cohesively within budget and time constraints, questions about rebranding often arise. To streamline the process, adhering to brand guidelines can be helpful.

The new look can be easily implemented across all online profiles using templates with standardized colors, fonts, logos, and other design elements. This approach ensures that internal teams require minimal guidance to implement visual overhauls that reflect the strategic repositioning.

Content receives a refresh through an SEO-optimized lens. Updated product descriptions promote new benefits succinctly. Dynamic pages replace static images to maintain consistency as assets evolve. User experience enhancements like streamlined navigation cater to changing consumer habits.

Social platforms mirror the website’s tone and messaging. Highlight reels introduce refreshed offerings to new and existing followers. Paid promotions elevate visibility and impressions. Analytics provide a dashboard to optimize engagement and fine-tune digital strategies.

Ensuring a seamless online-to-offline experience helps customers embrace changes. Those who thoughtfully bridge all branding touchpoints reap returns as their reinvented presence resonates throughout digital and physical realms.

Consumer Testing and Focus Groups for Rebranding

Gathering direct input forms a vital checkpoint on the rebranding journey. While brand assets may excite internally, existing customers hold ultimate approval. Focus groups and surveys provide qualitative insights straight from the target audience.

Presenting new logos, packaging prototypes, messaging, and digital presences to loyal customers gauges top-of-mind awareness, perceived differences, and reactions. Observing interactions with each rebranding element reveals what resonates or requires refinement.

In-depth discussions with existing customers uncover more profound sentiments around improvements or concerns. Moderated conversations explore emotional responses and how the brand now makes them feel versus prior perceptions. Testing also determines if the brand reputation and identity translate as planned.

Surveying a broader sample quantifies qualitative findings. Questions measure brand recognition, understanding of its positioning, and whether goals around perceived benefits have been achieved.

Incorporating consumer feedback preserves hard-earned brand loyalty by addressing issues early. Iterative testing cycles within brand assets sharpen the refined identity to serve the target audience better.

Inventory Management for Rebranding

A well-planned rebranding strategy accounts for the existing stock of old brand assets. With production timelines and retail commitments in place, rebranding questions often center around efficiently transitioning inventory. Conducting an inventory audit tallies stock levels across all products, packaging, uniforms, and collateral. 

Forecasting sales patterns helps set realistic timelines to sell through existing supplies. Shorter expiration or seasonal items may require quicker transitions. Developing a step-down marketing plan promotes gradual sell-through. Techniques like discounts, bundling with new items, or donation programs minimize write-offs. Clearance events paired with new branding previews reduce mixed messaging.

Production schedules for new branding consider inventory depletion goals. Gradual shifts avoid over-supply situations that devalue both new and old assets. Vendors receive lead times to align manufacturing changes. Reusing existing packaging or uniforms for samples and promotions positively activates old branding. Donations to charitable causes provide goodwill when expiration dates are near.

With patience and precision, even extensive inventories transition smoothly. Those who view it as an extension of their brand minimize waste and maximize the value of every asset.

Cultural Sensitivity in Rebranding

As brands expand globally, cultural nuances emerge from rebranding strategies. While a unified identity strengthens recognition, one-size-fits-all approaches can backfire if insensitive to local nuances. Researching target markets uncovers cultural symbols, colors, languages, and traditions that may require adaptation. Focus groups with local stakeholders provide invaluable feedback on potential issues.

Tailoring brand assets like logos, packaging design, tone of voice, and imagery ensures cultural sensitivity without losing consistency. Translating all materials preserves messaging quality across languages. Testing concepts with international audiences prevents offense. Social media acts as a socio-cultural bellwether – monitoring sentiment exposes any missteps early.

Being aware rather than afraid of differences helps brands connect authentically. Adaptations celebrate diversity versus diluting identity. Global and local identities coexist through localization executed with care, respect, and local expertise. Inclusive rebranded touches resonate more powerfully by representing, not replacing, the cultures within which they operate.

Regulatory Compliance in Rebranding

When rebranding a CPG product, it is essential to consider regulatory compliance to avoid legal issues undermining the rebranding effort. It is especially critical for brands operating in multiple regions or countries where regulations vary significantly. 

Staying updated on changing rules for packaging, labeling, ingredients, and import/export is key during a rebrand vs a reposition alone. By taking the time to understand new and existing regulations across markets, a brand can ensure its unique identity and any related launches adhere to all compliance guidelines from the outset.

Retailer Relationships in Rebranding

Retailer relationships require close collaboration for successful rebranding. Discuss plans early to gain feedback on execution at the store level. Provide high-res brand assets and comprehensive style guides for seamless shelf implementation. Offer promotional support through co-op marketing funds as an incentive. 

Gradual roll-outs prevent shortages while educating shoppers. Consistent communications maintain the trust that the improved branding enhances the customer experience both retailers and brands strive to deliver. With patience and partnership, retailers join as champions of the new identity.

Budget Wisely for Rebranding

Crafting an optimized rebranding strategy requires allocating limited funds prudently. Conducting market research and analyzing competitor spending clarifies where consumers encounter brands most. Packaging undergoes rigorous testing for maximal shelf-popping appeal, but simpler designs tweaked incrementally spare expenses. 

Savvy marketers invest marketing dollars in customer-centric efforts like social media campaigns and public relations activations that shift perception significantly at lower costs than traditional avenues. 

Comprehensive internal and external communications disseminate context, facilitating understanding, which is critical for buy-in. Staggering expenses while tracking key metrics ensures only activities that move the needle continue, preserving the budget to cement a successful new brand identity long-term.

Monitor and Measure in Rebranding

Careful monitoring and measurement are crucial in determining the success of a rebrand for any CPG brand. Capturing metrics like sales volumes, market share, and velocity pre-and-post launch provides quantifiable indicators. But, rebranding questions often arise around maximizing intangible impacts. 

Surveying consumers regarding brand recognition, perceived value, and benefits gauges the achievement of strategic goals. Qualitative data from focus groups unveils emotional connections and identifies lingering rebranding questions. Social listening tracks sentiment and conversations and reveals opportunities. 

Analyzing such insights enables well-timed optimization to increase brand value. Iterative adjustments sustain the long-term benefits of rebranding versus short-lived gains. With persistent evaluation, brands prove returns and refine their identity as their understanding of customers deepens.

Patience and Long-Term Vision for Rebranding

Rebranding yields results gradually as brand recognition evolves. Instant transformations appear disingenuous versus authentic evolutions. While initial metrics impact profitability, long-term viability depends on steadfast vision. Staying true to strategic objectives while tracking incremental gains maintains investors and stakeholders. 

Early losses may surface from confusion or reluctance, yet consistency wins back shoppers. Inviting feedback clarifies misunderstandings while solidifying identity. Change demands patience as customers integrate new associations. With time, even skeptics accept improvements. 

Remaining devoted to elevated standards versus chasing short-lived hype secures heritable equity and durable market share. Enduring premium perception outweighs ephemeral boosts from drastic shifts lacking depth.

Sustainability Considerations in Rebranding

Incorporating sustainability builds brand equity while fulfilling growing customer interests. Rebranding offers the chance to showcase existing eco-efforts and inaugurate new ones. Subtle adjustments like post-consumer packaging or digitizing marketing material heighten viability without costs. 

Partnerships supporting green causes demonstrate responsibility in action. Transparency regarding sourcing empowers informed buying. Educating staff to spread sustainability messages internally and externally boosts morale and trust. 

Customers increasingly favor commitments to people and the planet, not solely profit. A rebrand subtly strengthened by sustainability positioning attracts conscious consumers of today and tomorrow, protecting the long-term customer base as brand values evolve with shifting priorities.

The Risk of Not Following These Best Practices

New brands may not address pressing issues or leverage untapped potential without stakeholder input. Inconsistency confuses customers, old and new, weakening the connection to the current brand essence. 

Uneven execution causes brand confusion across markets without guidance. Poor research leaves cultural nuances unconsidered, possibly alienating audiences. 

Underfunded initiatives deliver subpar experiences, squandering hard-earned recognition. An unclear strategy sparks questions, while absent measurement precludes improvement. 

Haste produces superficial transformations vulnerable to skepticism versus authentic evolutions. Neglecting sustainability alienates customers seeking principled partners. Non-adherence invites such missteps, diminishing rebranding’s ability to accelerate future growth. 

Not Latching On To The Latest Trends

While trend-hopping may initially spike attention, sustaining relevance demands a balanced approach. Loyal customers support brands offering reliable qualities that fulfill perpetual needs. 

Rebranding solely to capitalize on fleeting hype risks inconsistency, confusing audiences, and weakening trust in the brand. Coherence across campaigns and years brings comfort in an uncertain world. 

Well-researched evolution tapping trends yet staying true to positioning and purpose attracts diverse demographics over time. Superficial shifts chasing every new movement leave customers unsure of what the brand represents. 

Anchoring one’s identity in more profound insights and timeless values instead of surface-level fads builds foundations for longevity despite market fluctuations.

Data-Driven Brand Development That Can Guarantee Sales Performance.

If you need a rebrand with performance predictability, we can help. SmashBrand is a brand development agency that researches, designs, and tests all brand assets to ensure peak shelf performance. Book a time to learn more about how we can help you find the right name and to discuss your project with our team.