This document discusses when it may be time for a company to rebrand. It provides signs that a rebrand could be needed, such as losing market share, becoming irrelevant, or having outdated branding. It suggests examining how competitors are positioning themselves and if the company is being sidelined. A rebrand can help a company whose brand has become irrelevant to strike back and maintain a competitive edge. Examples are provided of companies like Stripe, Quicken, and Uber that struggled after being disrupted, as well as companies like Lego, Nintendo, and Honda that successfully rebounded with a rebrand.

1. Is it Time for a Rebrand?

2. 2
One day you’re at the top of your
game, dominating the market, the
next, you realize your brand may not
have the competitive edge it used to.

3. 3
Is it time for a rebrand?
How do you know when it is?
Often companies realize they are in need of a rebrand only when
it’s already too late – either they’ve started losing market share or
worse they’ve become irrelevant. The best brands are so
because they are proactive in regularly taking a hard look at
where they are and how the market perceives them.

4. Does your company look like
it’s stuck in a time warp?

5. 5
Examine your current
branding.
How do you come across?
When your customers land on your website do they think it’s
2016, 2006, or 1996? Be honest. Ask company stakeholders,
trusted customers and maybe even an impartial group.

6. 6
Going through this exercise will help you
identify any gaps in your branding and avoid
myopia, or perhaps reaffirm you’re on point.
Take a look at your competitors and peers in
the industry, and ask the same question.
Visually, what do their brands promise? How
do they position themselves through their
messaging?

7. 7
Do you fear getting sidelined
by the competition?

8. 8
Whether a disruptive startup
or veteran competitor...
Brands can be sidelined quickly.
If you’re brand has become irrelevant, an update or refresh
can help you strike back. There are several companies, that,
had they strategically rebranded, they could have avoided
their near extinction or at least had a fighting chance.

9. 9
The brand endangered list
● Stripe swiped a majority of the market share Authorize.net
long held
● Quicken quickly became second fiddle when Mint came on
the scene
● Uber pummeled the taxi industry
Each of these has struggled to make a comeback. Primarily
because they opted to rely on the brand that got them to where
they were rather than take assessment of the current state.

10. 1
It has to exemplify your core values and the market position, and
enable you to maintain a competitive edge. To start, take a look
at what the competition is doing right or wrong. Then take what
they’re doing right and start thinking about how to do similar
things, but with your own unique point of view.
Your brand has to stand apart.

11. Is revenue slipping?

12. 1
How is business?
Are you growing? Is revenue where it
should be?
Are employees on board with, and excited about, the
company and its purpose? Are investors, and all
stakeholders, interested and happy?

13. 1
Brand can represent 15% of
your revenue.
A solid brand will help you hold onto customers and win new
ones. Along with a solid product or service, your brand is what
customers will latch onto if it’s on point.

14. 1
Moore’s Law is in full effect.
Companies are wrestling with relevancy every day. And this is
true for nearly every sector of business. Sometimes, however, a
rebrand can help a brand remain or become more relevant.

15. 1
Companies that rebounded:
● Lego – the brand experienced significant decline in the early 2000s.
Within a few years, Lego rebuilt a powerful brand by repositioning itself in
the marketplace. It now encompasses a theme park, video games, board
games, and movies.
● Nintendo – when Sony released the Sony Playstation 2 in the 1990s,
Nintendo's foothold began to slip. The brand made a comeback in the
2000s with the introduction of the Wii.
● Honda – through strategic messaging and a new look, Honda shed the
old association many of us had of the Civic as a teenager’s first car. The
car company is working to make the brand appealing to adult
generations.

16. 1
“Too many companies want their brands to reflect
some idealized, perfected image of themselves. As a
consequence, their brands acquire no texture, no
character and no public trust.”
Richard Branson