I'm closing in on the end of The 22 Laws of Immutable Branding

The funny thing about this law is that it goes against all the ideas of consistency and focus talked about in the previous laws. Just keep in mind that nothing is absolute and there are exceptions to the rules.

There are only three scenarios that allow for changing your brand.

Your brand is weak or nonexistent in the mind
In this instance, there really is no brand, so you can do anything you want with the brand to create a memorable brand.

You want to move your brand down the food chain
If you are permanently lowering the price of your brand, you can move it down the price ladder easier than moving it up. Marlboro lowered prices of it's smokes while gaining market share, although Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza has never caught on in the elite hotel area.

Your brand is in a slow-moving field and the change is going to take place over an extended period
of time.
Customers are never wrong. When you try to change your image quickly, it won't catch on. Kentucky Fried Chicken tried to take the fried out of it's name, changing it to KFC. That didn't work because we all know what KFC stands for. Even when they had healthier rotisserie chicken we all went for the fried chicken and gravy.

Before you decide to change your brand, you must first look at all the circumstances of the brand and decide if it's feasible. If it's not and you still want to change, its time to build a new brand, a standout brand.

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