AfterMath

The Rumblings

From subtle murmurs to sudden booming shifts, the marketing and advertising landscape changes on the reg. Check out our perspectives on what’s shaking things up.

Revitalize Your Brand

Ever wonder how singers and bands stay relevant in a world where people and lifestyles are constantly changing?

Some of the most successful artists and groups who’ve had success since the 80s continue to create success for themselves today. They use what made them originally popular or beloved, A.K.A. “their roots,” and adapt to keep up with each passing decade.

The same concept can apply to brands and businesses.

Don’t let the new kids on the block ruffle your tail feathers. It can be hard to slow down and go back to the fundamental elements of your brand, but it is crucial to assess your brand’s health as time passes and circumstances change.

In this brand breakdown, we explore rebrands and how to keep your audience engaged after the fact, with examples of the companies that we think did it right.

Factors That Can Lead Companies to Rebrand

Healthy Competition

Sometimes new entrants in the market barely pack a punch, but other times they pose a real threat and start to take a big piece of the “market share pie.” Once identified, it’s important to figure out how your company stands out and what niche your brand excels at.

Fresh Meat

New consumers are always a good thing, but they may get excluded if they don’t fall within the right target audience. Adjusting your brand’s reach and approach may help them find you, and vice versa.

Reputation Is Everything

Some brands may find themselves in the hot seat if they can’t keep up with the times. Especially in today’s world of “cancel culture,” you’ll want to aim for consumers’ good sides.

The Brands That Smoothly Rebranded

Nintendo: Healthy Competition

A brand that was once known as a leader in game consoles (pre-Xbox & PlayStation) is now known as a “casual gaming” brand that now attracts consumers of all ages and skill levels with releases like the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo Wii and, most recently, the Nintendo Switch.

ACE Hardware: Fresh Meat

ACE is reaching a younger audience of first-time homeowners by partnering with DIY influencers who use their products for home projects. This tactic is used to expand the brand’s reach by meeting the new consumers on platforms the brand previously hadn’t used before.

Abercrombie: Reputation is Everything

Abercrombie & Fitch gained the title of one of the most despised retailers after positioning themselves as a brand that stood for exclusivity and superficiality. However, the same teenagers that found themselves outgrowing the dated views of the brand are adding Abercrombie items back into their closets. So, what changed? Their personnel and their vision. Abercrombie no longer targets teenagers who are still forming their identities, and instead targets young professionals through less branded apparel and must-have basics, ditching exclusive sizing and showcasing models of all sizes and ethnicities.

Keeping Audiences Engaged

Great, you’ve rebranded. What’s next?

Sometimes changing your logo and brand colors can be the easiest part of the process. The next step is making sure your current and prospective consumers are aware of your rebranding. Here are our tips for keeping your audience engaged and some of the brands that have made the most of their rebirth.

Utilize Your Insights

Consumer research helps companies find a deeper understanding of who is buying their products and services. These findings help brands understand audience preferences, identify the perception of their brand within the market and uncover unknown gaps that their products or services could fill.

How Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR) Utilized Their Insights

In 2001, the future of PBR didn’t look promising. With minuscule sales figures and a nonexistent advertising budget, PBR decided to find out who (among the few) was still drinking PBR.

Through their research, they found that fans of the brand were a younger audience that embodied the “hipster” spirit and gave mainstream brands the side-eye.

With this knowledge, PBR didn’t make its customers find the brand; they brought the brand to their audience, making sure to be present at events where this crowd would be (art galleries, skating parties, bike messenger races, etc).

Reposition Your Position

We aren’t the same people we were ten years ago, and your brand isn’t either, but that’s okay! Shifts in the market, culture and personnel may be among many of the reasons to revisit your brand positioning and double-check that it differentiates you from your competitors. If you notice that your positioning is maybe outdated, doesn’t accurately represent your brand or no longer sets your brand up for success, don’t be afraid to reposition.

How Stella Artois Repositioned Their Position

With the pandemic came the emergence and popularity of food delivery apps like DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, etc., as dining out came to a halt for a while. That meant no one was ordering Stella Artois.

So, Stella repositioned itself as an alcoholic beverage that can also be enjoyed with casual out-of-restaurant dining options by using influencers and offering incentives through delivery apps, Yelp table reservations and online grocery ordering platforms to encourage out-of-restaurant purchases and exposure to the brand.

Re-Tailoring a Brand

Break through the noise by customizing or re-customizing your brand and messaging for specific types of media. This is a challenge because of the pressure to appear everywhere, but it is more important to be present and stand out in ways that make your audience stop scrolling and start paying attention.

How Pepsi Tailored Their Brand

This 126-year-old American brand is undergoing a visual redesign to create a bolder and more impactful digital impression that features rhythmic, pulsing digital ads. These will bring the brand to life and create movement in digital settings.

This redesign specifically targets the younger generation and features two new colors: Electric blue, creating an eye-catching effect, and black, emphasizing their sugar-free soda offering.

Elements of this redesign will be familiar because it pulls elements from previous Pepsi logos to celebrate the evolution of the brand while also navigating the digital world. 

Create Connection

Consumers want content that they can both absorb and interact with simultaneously. That means successful content is not only speaking to consumers, but also allowing them to be involved with the brand. The reward? Customer loyalty, brand preference and the relationship between a brand and its consumers.

How Chipotle Creates Connection:

Chipotle consistently creates opportunities for its customers to interact with the brand on multiple platforms and does a great job of listening to what their customers are saying.

The brand offered their famous “Boorito” Halloween promotion virtually through Roblox, providing players with Chipotle-inspired virtual costumes, free burrito promo codes to use through in-app or online orders and a virtual maze game.

They created a buzz by expanding product offerings of consumer-packaged goods like cilantro-scented soap and a lemonade-scented “water cup” candle (poking fun at the fact that consumers will ask for water cups and then fill them up with other beverages).

They’ve also embraced the TikTok #menuhack trend by adding viral Chipotle menu hacks created by their customers to their official menu. They partnered with food reviewers on the TikTok platform to get the word out and even let these influencers take over two of their locations by renaming the restaurant for a day and having them deliver orders to some of their customers.

Don’t Be Afraid to Regrow Your Roots

Rebranding is not just a quick one-off thing; it’s a continuous process. Slow down and go back to what made you successful in the first place.

If you find that your roots no longer make sense, don’t be afraid to replant them—i.e., go back to the drawing board. Don’t let day-to-day tasks and shiny new technology overshadow the importance of strategic development. Since marketing and advertising are constantly changing, you can always change your own landscape to remain relevant.

 

Wouldja look at that. We rebranded.

So we’ve kinda been there, done that.

Feeling inspired?
Reach out to Dale Elwell at delwell@teamaftermath.com, and let’s turn that spark into an explosive brand refresh.

 
AfterMath