Your brand is an emotional connection your customers feel when they engage with your business. It’s expressed through your tone, visuals, messaging, and the overall experience you create. If you find that your current brand no longer captures who you are or where you want to go, it could be time for a refresh.

Signs It Might Be Time for a Brand Update

When someone sees your brand for the first time, you want them to think: ‘I trust this company,’ ‘They care about what matters to me,’ and ‘They really get my problem.’ That kind of connection doesn’t come from just a logo. It comes from clarity, consistency, and a strong message.

People feel trust when your visuals and tone feel professional. Reliable. They see care when your messaging reflects the same priorities and values they hold. They feel understood when your brand speaks to their challenges in a way that feels personal. Here are a few signs your current brand might not be hitting that mark:

• It’s not immediately clear what you do or who you help
• Your branding feels mismatched or outdated
• Your message doesn’t reflect your current goals or services
• Your audience has changed, but your brand hasn’t
• You’re blending in when you want to stand out
• You’re moving in a new direction but the brand still feels stuck in the old one

If any of this sounds familiar, your brand might be ready for a reset, one that better tells the story of who you are now and how you connect with the people you serve.

What’s Included in a Rebrand?

Rebranding involves redefining the way your customers see your company. Usually, this includes updating elements like:

• Brand Name (if needed)
• Logo and Visual Identity
• Tagline or Slogan
• Brand Voice and Tone
• Color Scheme and Typography
• Messaging and Positioning
• Updated Collateral (business cards, social media graphics, etc.)

Your brand tells a story, and rebranding helps update that story to reflect your current identity and vision.

What’s Changing and What’s Staying?

Not everything changes when you rebrand. Your core mission, values, and your audience typically stay consistent. What does change are the visual and messaging components used to express these core values. You might adjust your visual style or refine your tone to better match your evolved goals.

Do You Need a New Website?

Usually, yes. When significant brand elements like logos or messaging shift, updating your website to match those changes is necessary. You don’t always have to start from scratch, though. Sometimes refreshing your existing visuals and messaging across the board is sufficient enough!

Hits and Misses In Rebranding

There’s a lot to learn by looking at how big brands have handled rebrands, both the wins and the flops. It shows us what happens when we really understand an audience (and what happens when we don’t).

Success Stories

1. Old Spice was once known as a product only your grandfather used. They refreshed their ad campaigns by leaning into humor and made themselves relevant again. They introduced the ‘Old Spicy Guy’ and new product lines, like the Swagger scent. Their messaging felt bold, funny, and self-aware, which was exactly what younger buyers responded to.

You can shift perception if you understand your target audience.

2. Airbnb redefined their brand around the idea of belonging. Visuals became simpler, the messaging more inclusive, and the platform experience more intuitive. Everything they did told people: “You’re welcome here. Anywhere in the world.” Importantly, they’ve prioritized the user experience to appeal to those looking to travel safely and affordably: Gen Z.

When your visual identity aligns with how people want to feel using your product—safe, connected, at home—it builds trust.

Burberry reclaimed its heritage while modernizing for a younger audience. Refreshed campaigns leaned into storytelling and quality. They also began to embrace digital-first marketing, turning the brand into something aspirational again, without losing authenticity. Partnerships with stars like Emma Watson also shot revenues up for some time. The thing with heritage brands is the longer you’re around, the more pivots you have to come up with. Last fall they launched the campaign, ‘Burberry Forward,’ the most recent attempt in returning back to their roots.

Rebrands work best when they re-center a strong brand story in a new context. Don’t throw away your roots—reinterpret them.

The Flops

Gap tried to quietly roll out a new logo with no explanation in 2010. It was meant to be modern, but customers didn’t see a reason for the change. Worse, it didn’t reflect any new direction or identity. People felt disconnected and confused, and the backlash was so strong that Gap reverted to its old logo within days.

Rebranding needs context and clarity. People care why you’re changing. Bring them into the process, or risk losing the trust you’ve built.

In 2009, Tropicana changed their packaging so drastically that it no longer looked familiar on store shelves. The new design stripped away everything customers emotionally connected with, and sales dropped around 20% in just a few months before the company reversed course.

Consistency builds trust. When you disrupt visual cues your audience relies on without introducing new ones, you risk breaking that trust—and people won’t stick around to relearn it.

Pepsi’s multiple logo redesigns have sometimes felt like form without meaning, pushing out new looks that didn’t match a deeper message or brand shift. Remember the $1 million dollar redesign that only moved two lines? People might notice the change, but they’re usually left wondering what it was for. That can feel cosmetic instead of connected.

Design without purpose won’t move people. Every change in brand visuals should reflect a real shift in how you serve, speak to, or support your audience.

Ready to Refresh Your Brand?

If your brand feels disconnected or outdated, a rebrand can breathe new life into your customer relationships. It’s an opportunity in renewing excitement and engagement.

Feeling unsure about how to kick off yours? Our expert team of strategists and designers is here to guide you every step of the way. We’ll help you develop a meaningful and appealing brand that genuinely connects with your audience. When you’re ready, just fill out the form below, and let’s get your brand where it needs to be!