We often help organizations walk through the process of rebranding.  The need for rebranding can come for several different reasons, one of which I wrote about a little while ago.  Sometimes though, people feel they need to take their company the rebranding process when there is absolutely no need to.  In fact, it very well could be detrimental to the organization.  So recently I started making a list of times when companies don’t need to rebrand.  So with that, I’ll kick off the first of several reasons not to Rebrand your company…

1. Don’t Rebrand when you just feel like a change.

Entrepreneurs are innovative people by nature.  Their ability to not accept the status quo is what drove them to start out of the box companies and build amazing businesses.  But sometimes once things are more established, that need to innovate and change can possibly be applied in the wrong places.  Change is a powerful thing, but never just for the sake of change.  I’ve personally had conversations with entrepreneurs who just get antsy and want something different.  The problem here is that your customers are becoming very comfortable with your company, they recognize the brand identity, and it makes them feel safe and comfortable.

You shouldn’t have Rebranded example #1: Tropicana

A great example of this is the whole Tropicana debacle earlier this year.  The “straw in the orange” has always been a staple of the Tropicana brand, and it’s what everyone looks for when wanting great orange juice.  But for some crazy reason, someone decided after 24 years, they should get a new look to their packaging.  Now, in this NY Times article, it is being related to the disaster that was New Coke.  But Tropicana fans have gotten their way and Tropicana has gone back to the loved straw in the orange design. (thanks to Aaron Lake for sending me this example)

You shouldn’t have Rebranded example #2: IKEA

Another example I just this morning read on another blog I often read, idsgn.com.  Here is the entry I read that shows how IKEA, unexplainably (to me as a loyal customer) after 50 years changed their main font from Futura to Verdana.  As silly as it sounds to say, I find comfort in those little price cards with that very recognizable Futura, or to me IKEA, font.  Now, those catalog spreads look more like Office Depot than IKEA.  I hate the change.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I’m sure someone had the thought, “Hey, after 50 years we should change this.”  That sentence makes perfect sense, except for the fact that this customer doesn’t want change, he wants IKEA.

What do you think?  Can you think of any other examples?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am and is filed under Rebrand. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.