How Can You Rejuvenate an Outdated Brand?
CMO Times
How Can You Rejuvenate an Outdated Brand?
In the world of branding, staying relevant is key. We've gathered insights from nine marketing and branding experts, including Directors and Strategists, on revitalizing a brand. From refreshing visual identity to revisiting the roots of success, discover the innovative tactics they've employed to breathe new life into brands.
- Refresh Visual Brand Identity
- Conduct Market Research
- Employ Strategic Storytelling
- Step Back and Re-Evaluate
- Revamp Social Media Strategy
- Implement a Complete Digital Renovation
- Reinvent While Maintaining Familiarity
- Align Brand Storytelling With Modern Values
- Revisit Roots of Success
Refresh Visual Brand Identity
Even if a company's product or service holds great value, an outdated visual brand identity can suggest otherwise to consumers. When there's a perception issue and the company offers value, updating the visual brand identity can quickly demonstrate forward-thinking and reignite interest.
Refreshing the brand, even without major logo changes, injects new energy and credibility. It shows the brand's commitment to evolving and better aligns it with audience preferences, while also helping it stand out in the market.
Conduct Market Research
One tactic I've used successfully to update a brand is market research. This type of work is often ignored, but it is key to understanding two important factors: 1) What's the issue with the current brand, and why is it perceived as outdated or irrelevant? 2) What would customers or buyers want in a rejuvenated brand?
Understanding both how past customers were lost, and what potential new customers want, is key to moving forward. With that knowledge, a new brand and brand strategy can be created that is diametrically opposed to the old one. (In particular, it's critical that the new brand address how it had been perceived and to highlight how it is different now.)
Employ Strategic Storytelling
A strategic storytelling approach is key to restoring relevance. Start by deeply understanding customer perceptions and testing what the audience wants, identifying where the brand needs improvement. Refresh the story message to align with current market needs and values, and update the visual identity to reflect the brand's evolution, all while staying true to its core values.
Step Back and Re-Evaluate
Most times, the biggest mistakes are the little steps we overlook. Take a look at your branding strategies, your brand's core values, mission, and target audience, and conduct research to understand current audience preferences and ensure your brand messaging aligns with their values.
Since branding is a long-term game, it is only natural that what worked for you earlier might not work again due to advancements in the industry.
Take a step back to check out what aspect of your branding needs improvement. This will help you see changes in ways you least expected.
Revamp Social Media Strategy
One tactic I have used to revitalize an outdated or irrelevant brand is revamping our social media strategy. Previously, we were not very active on social media and focused our limited efforts on resharing our own blogs. To revive the brand, we started to branch out our social media strategy. We began to create more relatable and topical posts, opened accounts on platforms we had not used before, and leveraged AI to create more video content that we could not produce previously.
Implement a Complete Digital Renovation
To revitalize an outmoded brand, I concentrated on a complete digital renovation. This entailed revamping all digital assets, including the website and social media accounts, to reflect a contemporary appearance. Additionally, developing a visually appealing logo served as the foundation for the brand's new identity. We increased brand recognition through targeted marketing strategies, ensuring that our message was delivered to the intended demographic. Encouraging pleased customers to share their experiences through reviews and testimonials increased the brand's legitimacy, resulting in a rapid recovery for the brand.
Reinvent While Maintaining Familiarity
Being the managing director of a marketing installation company, I've helped reinvent many stale brands. Redesigning signage for a pharmacy chain is one example that stands out.
Over the years, the store used the same signage format—basic signs that simply stated categories like 'Cough & Cold' in generic text. They were perceived as 'your father's drugstore' by younger demographics, who were looking for a more welcoming environment.
For us, the goal was to create warm, engaging branding that felt immersive. For key departments, we designed colorful banners with sleek typography and inviting nature photography.
Our goal was to maintain familiarity while nurturing an updated aesthetic. In order to maintain their iconic branding, prescription and checkout flows were keyed into the retailer's iconic colors. As a result of our redesign, the chain reported double-digit sales growth as well as improved brand perception and retention scores.
Align Brand Storytelling With Modern Values
One tactic we at PresentationGFX have employed to successfully rejuvenate a brand is rebranding through compelling storytelling and a customer-focused narrative. By crafting a new brand perception that resonates with current and target audiences while honoring the brand's legacy, we can align it with modern values and experiences.
This approach involves updating the brand's story to reflect contemporary aspirations and cultural relevance. For instance, leveraging multimedia campaigns and digital platforms to convey a more youthful and innovative brand image. Additionally, overhauling the visual identity, engaging with cultural movements, and ensuring a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints are crucial components of this strategy.
By embracing these tactics, brands can effectively revitalize their image, staying competitive and relevant in today's dynamic market landscape.
Revisit Roots of Success
One tactic I've used to refresh an outdated brand is to revisit its roots and identify what made it successful in the first place.
For example, I worked with a luxury women's clothing brand that had been popular in the '90s but struggled to appeal to younger generations.
By revisiting its heritage and understanding what originally made it desirable—like high-quality materials, timeless designs, and exceptional craftsmanship—we were able to modernize its image and messaging to resonate with today's fashion-conscious women.
This approach helped create a fresh narrative that honored the brand's legacy while feeling contemporary and aspirational.
