Rebranding or brand refresh: How to decide?

Is your brand struggling to stand out from the competition? It seems like a change is in order. But is a complete overhaul necessary, or would subtle tweaks suffice? To decipher what’s appropriate for your circumstances, let’s delve into the difference between rebranding and brand refresh.

Brand refresh

A brand refresh involves changing certain elements of the brand without changing its core essence. You slightly change the “wrapper” of the company to match modern trends and attract attention. At the same time, current customers will be able to recognize your brand without any additional explanation after the update.

Rebranding

Rebranding is a complete change in the company’s image. This is where you rebuild the brand essence through which you now want to communicate with your audience. And here, in addition to the “wrapper,” you need to change the positioning and give the company a new personality to become a prominent player in the desired market and differentiate yourself from the competition.

When to opt for a brand refresh and when to rebrand?

Choose a brand refresh when…

• You already have a strong brand with a positive reputation.
• You need to breathe new life into it
• You want to keep up with changing customer preferences
• You need results in 3–6 months

Choose rebranding when…

• Target audience has changed
• Products or services have changed significantly
• Multiple companies have merged or scaled
• The brand has experienced strong negative customer reaction
• You are not differentiated from your competitors
• You are willing to wait 6–12 months to see results
• You have a significant budget to start the process

Game: “Rebranding or brand refresh: how to decide?”

Here are 6 questions to help you figure out what’s best for your business right now. Try to answer these questions by counting each time you choose the first of two answers.

What do you want to change?

1. Whole attitude towards the brand
2. Just logo, fonts, design elements, tone of voice

Over the past year, has your user behaviour changed in any way?

1. Yes, more customers are going to competitors and fewer are buying from us
2. No, nothing has changed / We have even more customers than before

Are you satisfied with how your brand is currently perceived by your target audience?

1. No
2. Yes

Do you want to change your brand’s audience?

1. Want to change the entire audience
2. Want to add new audience to current customers

How soon would you like to see changes?

1. 6–12 months
2. 3–6 months

Are you ready to bid farewell to your previous visual style?

1. Yes
2. No

If you get more than 4 after answering all the questions, it’s time to think about rebranding. If you get less than 4, you probably need a brand refresh.

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Do you feel that your design is outdated and not appealing to your current customers? Consider a brand refresh. Want to change radically, enter new markets, and strengthen your reputation? Consider rebranding. Either way, whatever you decide, Oddbee can help you navigate this journey of change smoothly.

Case Studies

Here are some cases of rebranding and brand refresh done by Oddbee.
Judo — Branding for a no-code design and build tool.
Futurpreneur — Brand refresh for a non-profit that supports young business owners.
CentML — Brand refresh for a machine learning optimization startup.