Marketers are transforming strategies for lasting impact
Many marketers are now prioritizing rebrands, refreshes, and repositionings over the traditional creative swings that might generate temporary buzz but lack lasting impact. This is evident among industry giants such as Kraft Heinz, Unilever, and PepsiCo, as well as digital-first brands like Wayfair and Tubi.
Agencies are also adopting these strategies to engage both existing and potential customers whose priorities have shifted greatly.
The preference for brand building persists even as the pandemic fades into the background and Gen Z becomes a focal point for many marketing campaigns. This cohort’s values and expectations demand a more nuanced and ongoing engagement rather than one-off, high-impact advertisements.
As marketers recognize the limitations of splashy ads, they are investing in sustainable brand strategies that foster deeper connections and long-term loyalty.
Why rebranding is the new marketing gold rush
1. Embracing agility and fluidity for market success
In today’s fast-paced market, brands need to exhibit agility and fluidity to adapt to evolving imperatives. Agility lets brands pivot quickly in response to market changes, consumer preferences, and competitive pressures.
Fluidity in branding makes sure that a brand can smoothly evolve its identity and messaging to stay relevant, which is key to maintaining a competitive edge and ongoing consumer engagement.
2. Investing in brand building to create long-term value
After years of focusing heavily on performance marketing, which delivers immediate but short-lived results, there is a renewed investment in brand building. This recognizes that strong brand equity is essential for sustained growth.
Performance marketing, while effective for short-term gains, often fails to build the kind of emotional connection and loyalty that drive long-term success. Companies must invest in brand building to create a solid foundation that supports both immediate performance metrics and future growth.
3. Crafting holistic strategies to engage consumers everywhere
Marketers are increasingly seeking holistic strategies that integrate multiple channels and touchpoints. A cohesive brand presence across digital, social, retail, and traditional media supports and builds a more consistent and immersive consumer experience—reinforcing brand messaging while maximizing the reach and impact of marketing efforts.
Brands should align all channels and strategies to create a unified and compelling narrative that resonates with consumers at every stage of their journey.
4. Leveraging consumer insights for effective rebranding
Understanding and responding to changes in consumer behavior is decisive for successful rebranding. Marketers now have access to more data and insights than ever before, letting them make better informed decisions about how to reposition their brands.
Insights generated here help identify shifts in consumer preferences, emerging trends, and unmet needs. Leveraging this information, brands can tailor their rebranding efforts to better align with what consumers want, thereby enhancing relevance and engagement.
5. The rise in brand marketing investments this year
This year, 36% of marketers worldwide plan to increase their investment in brand marketing, according to eMarketer—reflecting a broader recognition of the importance of building strong, resilient brands.
Companies are starting to reallocate resources from short-term performance tactics to long-term brand-building strategies, indicating a strategic push towards creating lasting brand value and building deeper consumer relationships.
How brand building fuels business growth
Transforming brands into engines for business expansion
Brands are increasingly viewed as powerful engines for growth, transcending their traditional roles as mere identities or campaign elements. A well-established brand can drive business expansion by improving consumer trust, loyalty, and advocacy.
Strong brand equity then translates into higher market share, premium pricing power, and increased profitability. Companies must position brands as growth drivers to unlock new revenue streams and achieve sustainable business success.
Keeping brands relevant and agile in a fast-paced world
In an era defined by rapid change and constant disruption, staying relevant and agile is key – and an unrelenting challenge – for brands. Modern consumers expect brands to be responsive, innovative, and aligned with their values.
To meet these growing expectations, brands must continuously evolve their offerings, messaging, and engagement strategies through staying attuned to cultural shifts, technological advancements, and competitive dynamics.
Brands must maintain relevance and agility to secure a lasting place in the market and continue to thrive amidst changing conditions.
Why performance marketing alone isn’t enough
The limitations of short-term performance marketing
Performance marketing continues to dominate budget allocations due to its ability to deliver short-term wins and a clear return on investment (ROI). Companies are drawn to the immediate results provided by targeted ads, pay-per-click campaigns, and social media promotions, which offer easily measurable outcomes.
Focusing on quick gains often overshadows the longer-term benefits of brand building, which are harder to quantify but critical for sustained growth.
Despite its advantages, performance marketing’s short-term focus can cut both ways. Over-reliance on these tactics can lead to a neglect of brand equity and overall market positioning—causing brands to miss out on building deeper emotional connections with their audience, which are key for long-term loyalty and advocacy.
Brands must work to balance short-term performance with long-term brand building for sustainable success.
Overcoming growth barriers with strategic branding
Many brands face growth limitations when their marketing strategies rely heavily on performance marketing, resulting in saturation within their existing customer base, leaving little room for expansion. Without strong brand differentiation, companies may struggle to stand out in a crowded market, leading to competition primarily based on price rather than value or experience.
Strategic branding helps overcome these barriers by creating a unique and compelling brand identity that resonates with consumers. Brands can then differentiate themselves beyond simple functional attributes, developing a stronger connection with their audience.
Companies must invest in brand building to cultivate a loyal customer base, attract new segments, and ultimately drive sustainable growth.
Insights from Kantar’s blueprint on brand growth
Kantar’s Blueprint for Brand Growth details the risks associated with an over-reliance on performance marketing. Their analysis of over 14,000 brands indicates that excessive focus on short-term tactics can lead to a decline in base sales, as it undermines long-term brand health.
Brands that prioritize performance marketing often miss out on the broader, more enduring benefits of strategic brand building. Kantar identifies several factors that can increase consumer predisposition towards a brand, which include:
- Strong consumer experience: Providing a consistently positive experience across all touchpoints.
- Function or performance: Making sure that products or services deliver on their promises.
- Design or breadth of offering: Offering appealing design and a wide range of choices.
- Convenience: Making products or services easily accessible and user-friendly.
- Great advertising: Creating memorable and engaging advertising campaigns.
These elements work collectively to contribute to a brand’s overall equity and consumer loyalty, reinforcing the importance of balancing both brand building and performance marketing.
The cost of neglecting brand marketing early on
Some brands, particularly newer or rapidly growing ones, often neglect brand marketing in their initial stages, focusing instead on performance marketing to drive immediate sales. Short-sightedness can result in a lack of strong brand identity and equity, making it difficult for these brands to sustain growth in the long term.
Without a solid brand foundation, companies may struggle to create lasting consumer loyalty and face challenges in differentiating themselves from competitors.
Brands that do not invest in brand marketing from the beginning may find themselves playing catch-up later, trying to build a brand identity after establishing a market presence—which is typically more costly and less effective than a proactive strategy that integrates brand building from the outset.
Addressing the lack of strong brand equity
Brands that rely solely on performance marketing often find themselves with weak brand equity – which manifests in different ways – such as low consumer recall, weak emotional connections, and a lack of differentiation from competitors.
When consumers view a brand merely as a name or a product without any deeper associations, the brand becomes vulnerable to competitive pressures and price wars.
Building strong brand equity requires creating meaningful and memorable brand experiences that resonate with consumers on an emotional level—needing consistent investment in brand-building activities, such as storytelling, experiential marketing, and community engagement.
Focusing on these core aspects, brands can build deeper connections with their audience, leading to increased loyalty and advocacy.
Smart strategies for excellent rebranding initiatives
How direct-to-consumer brands are reinventing themselves
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, which initially thrive in the digital space, often find themselves needing to reinvent their branding strategies when moving to brick-and-mortar retail. This requires a different approach to branding that resonates with consumers in a physical retail environment. DTC brands need to develop a cohesive brand story that translates well across both digital and physical channels.
To succeed in this new context, DTC brands often invest in creating immersive retail experiences that reflect their unique brand identity—including innovative store designs, personalized customer service, and interactive displays. In doing so, they can maintain the strong brand equity they built online while attracting new customers in the retail space.
Legacy brands modernizing to stay competitive
Legacy brands face the challenge of staying relevant in a rapidly changing market. To do this, they need to apply modern filters to their brand story, updating their messaging and visuals to align with current consumer expectations. This typically involves embracing new technologies, trends, and cultural shifts while staying true to the brand’s core values.
For example, a legacy brand might refresh its visual identity to appeal to younger consumers or expand its product line to include more sustainable options. Legacy brands should find new audiences and adapt to contemporary trends to reinvigorate their market presence and maintain their competitive edge.
Using design to communicate brand success
Design is key in successful rebranding efforts, acting as a powerful communication tool that conveys a brand’s values and personality. Well-executed design elements, such as logos, packaging, and retail displays, can create strong visual associations and enhance brand recognition.
Brands looking to enter adjacent categories or new markets can leverage design to establish a foothold.
Recognizable brand symbols and consistent design language help in building trust and familiarity among consumers. For instance, a brand extending from personal care to home products can use similar design cues to signal quality and reliability, making it easier for consumers to embrace the new offerings.
Rebrands powered by deep consumer insights
How Kraft Heinz’s Mio captured customization trends
Kraft Heinz’s Mio provides a prime example of a rebrand driven by deep consumer insights. Through focusing on the trend towards customization, Mio positioned itself as a versatile product that can be integrated into customers’ daily lives. The rebrand centered around the concept of “Wellness on your wavelength,” pointing out the product’s adaptability to individual preferences and lifestyles.
This insight-driven approach required creating marketing assets that reflected this core proposition, so that every touchpoint communicated the brand’s commitment to personalization. Mio successfully strengthened its market position and appeal by aligning its messaging with consumer desires for more tailored experiences
Manischewitz’s move to attract new audiences
Manischewitz, a 130-year-old brand known for its kosher products, undertook a bold rebrand to engage younger, more diverse customers. Recognizing that its traditional market was limited, the brand sought to expand its appeal beyond the kosher aisle. This was done through modernizing its packaging, updating its visual identity, and crafting a narrative that resonated with contemporary consumers.
The rebrand by agency Jones Knowles Ritchie aimed to future-proof the brand by articulating its purpose in a way that was relevant to new audiences. Focusing on inclusivity and broader market appeal, Manischewitz positioned itself as a versatile brand that could fit into a variety of lifestyles and cultural contexts—helping the brand reach a wider audience and rejuvenate its market presence.
The power of comprehensive branding across channels
Building an ecosystem of brand elements
Agencies are now crafting extensive ecosystems of brand elements that span retail, digital, social, and PR channels. This builds a more cohesive and immersive brand experience for consumers, no matter where they engage with the brand.
Brands must maintain consistent messaging and visual identity across all touchpoints to reinforce their values and build stronger relationships with their audience.
In retail, brands focus on creating memorable in-store experiences that align with their overall identity. Digital channels, including websites and mobile apps, are interactive platforms where brands can engage with consumers through personalized content and services.
Social media lets brands build community and dialogue, while PR efforts help shape public perception and manage the brand’s reputation to make sure that every consumer interaction contributes to a unified and compelling brand narrative.
Creating holistic campaigns for maximum impact
Holistic campaigns provide extensive value and make it easier to justify budget investments—integrating all marketing efforts into a single, cohesive strategy that leverages multiple channels and platforms. Aligning their marketing tactics helps brands to create a more powerful and consistent message that resonates with their target audience.
Holistic campaigns typically involve synchronized efforts across advertising, social media, content marketing, public relations, and experiential marketing. For example, a product launch might include a series of coordinated ads across digital and traditional media, engaging social media content, influencer partnerships, and PR events. Ultimately, this maximizes reach and impact, driving higher engagement and stronger brand loyalty.
Combining brand identity with creative campaigns for success
Modern marketers recognize the importance of using both brand identity and creative campaigns to deliver a compelling brand experience. Brand identity is the foundation, encapsulating the core values, mission, and visual elements that define the brand. Creative campaigns, on the other hand, bring this identity to life through innovative and engaging storytelling.
A strong brand identity provides consistency, ensuring that all creative efforts align with the brand’s overall message.
Creative campaigns then leverage this foundation to create memorable and emotionally resonant experiences for consumers. Brands should combine and merge these elements to build deeper connections with their audience and push for long-term loyalty.
Managing core identity changes with caution
Altering core brand identity elements requires careful consideration and strategic planning. Marketers must tread carefully to avoid alienating existing customers or diluting brand equity. Changes should be driven by clear objectives, such as updating the brand to reflect current trends or reaching new audience segments.
The trend towards minimalism, characterized by simple and clean designs, has been prevalent for many years. That being said, there’s now a growing shift towards maximalism, which embraces bold and expressive designs.
Successful rebrands, like those by Pepsi and Skittles, have leveraged maximalist elements to create a distinctive and memorable brand presence. Marketers need to carefully evaluate which design trends best align with their brand’s values and audience preferences.
True rebranding versus surface-level packaging changes
True rebranding requires deep, fundamental changes to a brand’s identity, including its values, mission, and market positioning. This typically goes beyond cosmetic updates and addresses the core essence of the brand.
True rebranding aims to reposition the brand in the market, attract new customer segments, and respond to evolving consumer expectations.
In contrast, a packaging redesign is a surface-level change that updates the brand’s visual elements without altering its core identity. While packaging redesigns can refresh a brand’s appearance and make it more contemporary, they do not address deeper strategic objectives.
How brands are adapting to the new normal
The pandemic has shifted consumer behaviors and expectations, making it a priority for brands to stay attuned to these changes. Companies are reassessing their brand strategies to align with new consumer values, such as increased emphasis on health, sustainability, and social responsibility.
Brands are now also adapting to the new normal by embracing digital transformation and growing their online presence. E-commerce, virtual events, and digital customer service have become key components of the brand experience. Adding to this, there’s a growing need for brands to show empathy and authenticity, addressing consumer concerns and building trust through transparent and responsible practices.
Final thoughts
As you reflect on your brand’s strategy, ask yourself: Are you investing in meaningful, long-term connections with your audience, or are you relying on fleeting, flashy ads? Consider the power of a strategic rebrand that resonates with evolving consumer values and creates a cohesive presence across all channels.
Is your brand ready to adapt and thrive in this rapidly changing market, or will it be left behind by those who do?
