In 2007 M&S put its famous slogan “This is not just food” into a bag for life and left it at the returns counter. In 2019 they picked it back up again. John Lewis also did an about turn on their key brand promise, but they took far less time to realise their error; 2 years instead of 12, and have recently reinstated their infamous “never knowingly undersold” statement. Customers rejoiced.
All too often, a newly appointed Marketing Director, or a twitchy board faced with a downturn in sales, can look inward before they look out and proclaim “it’s time for a change” or “we need to re-brand”. Sometimes a change is of course needed but, in marketing, a lot of the time, a rest is as good as a change. Rest on your laurels as long as you can. Celebrate what works and hold onto that for as long as you can and build around those successful foundations. Brands are about building trust and trust comes from consistency and reliability. Yes you have to adapt and grow, and yes customers need to constantly be surprised and delighted with something new to engage them, but they don’t want to lose what they love about the familiar either.
A new item on the menu at your favourite restaurant is a tantalising choice that adds to our experience, but an entirely new décor and full menu change is less appealing, and next time you may decide to try somewhere really new rather than revisit an old favourite you no longer recognise.
This need for consistency doesn’t just apply to restaurants, campaigns and advertising, fundamentally it also applies to your brand. A re-brand can be a fresh start, a perfect way to reinvigorate a business that is changing, a way to positively manage change, let go of old behaviours and look forward BUT you built your original brand and at one point it worked and it meant something. So, before you throw it all away, consider what parts of your brand were great and need to continue. What positive behaviours do your customers love; what brand elements are most recognisable in your sector; what are the best bits of your team and how they work now? Challenge every part of what you do now, then take all of these positive assets and ensure they remain embedded in the new brand you are creating.
Of all the many established businesses we have worked with in the UK and overseas to help them reshape their brand and communications, we have never ever advised them to have a completely fresh start. Our approach always starts from a position of evolution not revolution. We think about how we can enhance who the business already is and how it is perceived, based on what is working, not scorch the earth to eradicate what isn’t. This doesn’t mean you can’t make great changes, or that fresh new ideas bursting with innovation can’t be applied; it just means you look at these new ideas through the eyes of your clients and customers first. Will they still see the business they love shining through the new brand or will they suddenly feel they have lost more than they have gained and then have their heads turned by a competitor? If a customer loses the brand trust that familiarity can bring, then this can often be a catalyst for seeking out a new brand because without brand consistency there is no loyalty either.
So if you are thinking about a re-brand soon, recognise the best bits of who you are already and make them part of what you want to be, evolve don’t just change, and listen to your customer before you listen to the board.
After all, this is not just a total re-brand, this is a brand evolution that people will trust.
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