Brand: Revolution or Evolution?

A static brand is a dying brand. In today's competitive and rapidly evolving market landscape, brands need to adapt to these changes to remain relevant and at the forefront of the competition. And as your business grows, its only right that your brand should do the same.

But how do we transition our brand? Is it better to opt for incremental changes or pursue more bolder and drastic alterations? Do you choose evolution or revolution? Let's break it down!

Evolution

Incremental brand changes are subtle and often unnoticeable to the untrained eye. They may involve small logo updates, slight tone of voice refinements, or tweaks to visual identity. This approach is often used by strong brands allowing them to adjust their brand slightly to recognise changing market demands and customer expectations, without losing their heritage or brand collateral.

Google have recently done exactly this. In its first brand makeover in 10 years, they have focused on making smaller tweaks to their logo to improve clarity and accessibility, focusing on refinement over reinvention.

Image courtesy of Google.

So, what are the advantages to this? Firstly, evolutionary changes help preserve brand recognition, reducing the risk of alienating loyal customers or losing customers if they can't instantly recognise your brand. It is a much lower risk compared to a revolutionary approach, as smaller changes make it easier to reverse or adjust if the changes don't land well with the customer. And the cherry on top? Its cost-effective. Not only is it less resource-intensive than a full-scale rebrand but you can also implement the new brand in stages, allowing for the brand to naturally transition rather than incurring large costs upfront to change everything your brand touches.

Revolution

Drastic brand changes or rebrands involve a complete overhaul. This might be a new name, visual identity, brand voice, positioning, and even a new mission. This extreme approach is often taken by companies whose brands no longer reflect their goals, whether that is down to major strategic changes, reputational recovery, or the brand becoming irrelevant.

Think Hermes. Or should we say, Evri. Rebranding in 2022, this strategic move aimed to refresh the company's image and address negative public perception, including allegations of poor customer service and parcel mishandling.

Image courtesy of Evri.

This rebrand has been very successful for Evri, helping them shed the negative perceptions once associated with their brand. Its also helped them reposition themselves in the market, with a major shift in business strategy to become more accessible and dependable, the brand has helped highlight this transition to the customers to regain their trust and confidence in the service they provide. Such a drastic change also revitalises your company, signalling to the audience a bold new vision can attract renewed interest. However, there is a cost. And not just that a rebrand is costly and time-consuming, but dependent on your brands position you risk losing hard-earned recognition and trust.

Conclusion

Whether a brand chooses incremental changes or a complete rebrand, the decision should be grounded in strategy, data, and a deep understanding of its audience. Drastic shifts can be powerful, but they must be intentional. Incremental evolution offers stability, but it shouldn’t become complacency.

Ultimately, branding is not a one-time project, but an ongoing process. The brands that thrive are those that listen, learn, and adapt, continuously refining their identity to reflect not only who they are, but who their audience is becoming.

Let us know your thoughts and experience with brand as part of our "Great Debate" on our CIM Midlands LinkedIn Group.