How long does it take to rebrand a company?

Rebranding a company involves strategically changing aspects of their identity from the logo and website to mission and brand message. A full rebrand of a company can be as little as three months and up to 18 months.  How long it takes will depend on the company size, scope of the rebrand and complexity. Typically a company rebrand follows a structured process that includes research and discovery, strategy and planning, creative execution, and a final rollout and implementation, each with its own timeline.

Why does a Company Decide to Rebrand?

A brand is more than just a logo or visual identity. It is the company’s ability to tell its story and connect with their customers. When companies decide to rebrand, they need to better connect with their target market  and improve their image. While not all companies rebrand, it is often a necessary part of a company’s lifecycle to stay relevant or adapt to market changes.

Possible reasons companies may decide to rebrand are:

• Reputation management: When a company’s reputation has been damaged, rebranding is the process to fundamentally change its identity and move past negative associations. Reputational damage can be caused by things like ethical violations, poor product quality, data breaches or safety issues and requires the creation of a new public image combined with a change in practices.
  
• Mergers and acquisitions: Rebranding is necessary in a merger or acquisition when companies either merge together or one is purchased by another company. The rebrand will need to reflect the new direction of the company and the principal brand image.
  
• Outdated brand image: A brand image that is no longer current or relevant is a common reason for rebranding. If the brand no longer reflects the company’s values, positioning, or customer interest, rebranding can help attract new customers and stay competitive.
  
• Brand or line extension: When a brand adds a new line or sub-brand, rebranding can unify the new product lines with the parent brand. Sometimes this is necessary to target new customers and help original customers understand the new additions.
  
• Changing company vision: As a company grows and evolves, the company vision may change which potentially means a rebrand is needed to reflect the new vision. A company’s vision is its long term aspirational statement that reflects the impact it wants to create. As the guiding purpose for all strategic decisions, that vision changing means the brand identity and messaging needs to change.
  
• Targeting new audiences: Sometimes companies need to target new audiences to grow and expand. When this happens, the existing brand may not resonate with the new audience. In this case, a rebrand is required to attract new customers.
  
• Competition differentiation: If a company’s brand is too similar to its competitors it is harder to stand out. Rebranding can help a company differentiate from the competition in a fresh, relevant way that is more appealing to customers.
  
• Shift in target audience perception: When the target audience no longer relates to the current company’s image, it may be time for a rebrand. Sometimes the desired demographic can evolve so that companies that once targeted baby boomers now need to attract Gen Z or millennials. To do this they need to change the brand’s values and image to attract the new audience.

Difference between a Rebrand and a Refresh

A rebrand is a complete overhaul of a brand that may take up to 18 months to complete. On the other hand, a refresh is less drastic as it basically modernises a company’s look and can take as little as a couple of months. In simple terms, a rebrand is a reimagining of a brand, while a refresh is more a tweak.

Companies that wish to make a significant change to their positioning in the market, target new audiences or launch a new corporate identity will need to rebrand themselves. This will require a thorough and strategic assessment of the current brand’s strategy and purpose through a brand audit, changing visual identity, website design, new brand guidelines, and a rollout plan.

A company that does not require a major facelift but rather a modernisation of the look and feel may undertake a brand refresh. The focus is to signify progress and modernity without changing core values and mission. For a brand refresh and a rebrand, a brand audit may be conducted to identify any weak points and then items like colour palette, logos and typography may be changed. Companies may also alter their brand voice to align with the updated strategy.

Factors that Affect Rebranding Timeline

The rebranding timeline is dependent on a variety of factors from the company size to industry regulations and even the existing brand strength. Smaller businesses may be able to rebrand in a few months, while large companies can be 12 months or longer. Typically, the timeline for rebranding will be impacted by these components:

• Company size and complexity: Larger companies take longer to rebrand as they require more research, have more decision makers and stakeholders to align. Often larger companies will find it more challenging to communicate effectively why rebranding is necessary particularly to investors or distribution partners. The sheer scale of rebranding an enterprise-level company is vast, requiring meticulous planning, consistent communication and a strategic rollout.
  
• Review and audit process: The review and audit process of a rebrand strategy is one of the foundational steps that will identify the brand’s strengths and weaknesses. A brand audit will take a few weeks to several months depending on the complexity of the business. An audit that reveals the company is on the right track with their branding will not take as long as one which identifies major issues as this is a more complex review. Consumer testing is a critical component of the brand audit as it bridges the gap between a company’s internal brand identity and the external perception by the public. It provides the necessary qualitative and quantitative data to understand how customers feel about the brand.
  
• Industry and regulations: Some industries are highly regulated which can have a significant impact on the timeline of a rebranding strategy. Sectors like healthcare and the government often have strict regulations and guidelines, meaning longer approval processes. Other industries that are faster paced like fashion may not have as stringent regulations and rebranding can be much quicker.
  
• Existing brand strength: A brand that has strong brand equity and recognisable brand identity can take a lot longer to rebrand. The process needs to be more strategic and gradual to avoid alienating the current loyal audience while trying to expand and grow the business. A company with weak branding can often undertake rebranding in a shorter period of time as there is less risk of losing existing customers.
  
• Scope of rebranding: The scope of rebranding has a significant impact on how long it will take. Small projects that only require minimal changes to the visual elements and brand image will take a lot less time than a large company rebrand that requires a complete overhaul.

Rebranding Timeline

A rebrand follows a strategic and structured process to ensure alignment and lasting impact. This process involves several key stages including discovery and onboarding and brand strategy development all the way through to the launch. For a successful rebrand, most companies follow this type of timeline.

1. Brand Discovery and research: This is the initial part of the rebranding process that involves an in-depth analysis of where the brand is at now. This brand audit analyses brand relevance, differentiation and sustainability. During this phase, brand message design, positioning and customer sentiment are all assessed to uncover gaps and opportunities. This is an intense exercise that can take several months depending on the size and complexity of the company. It often requires hundreds of hours of research and development that may take between one and four months.
   
2. Brand strategy development: After the audit and research, the next phase is to decide what the brand stands for. This part of the strategy is about identifying the core essence, positioning and voice of the brand. The brand strategy is important as it is the long term plan for building and differentiating a business after defining its purposes, audience and how it is perceived in the market. Depending on the depth of the strategy, this phase will potentially take four to eight weeks.
   
3. Brand identity: The brand’s visual and verbal identity is designed during this stage. The visual elements include creating the logo, choosing the colour palette, typography, photography style and other design elements. These visual guidelines will align with the brand’s new direction and will be included in the brand guidelines to be used in advertising, social media, email footers or posters. The verbal elements cover the name, tagline and brand voice. These components include the tone and voice to be employed in all forms of messaging which shapes the way the brand communicates with the audience. This is also about the story being consistently conveyed through different campaigns, capturing the brand’s essence and resonating with customers. The brand identity process includes research, strategy and creative development and may take a few months to complete.
   
4. Brand guidelines: With all of the research and development completed, the next stage is to collate the brand guidelines. This is done by a group of professionals such as graphic designers, brand strategists and marketers. The guidelines ensure the new brand identity is implemented across all platforms so that the rebrand has a cohesive look, feel and message. Putting together the brand guidelines may take a week to one month depending on the size of the company.
   
5. Brand application: This is the critical point when the new visual identity and messaging are applied across all physical and digital channels. It typically begins after the brand guidelines have been established and is the rollout of the brand in marketing materials and customer touchpoints.
   
6. Brand launch: The final stage and implementation of the rebrand timeline is the brand launch. The launch can be an all at once unveiling or a multi-phased approach that builds anticipation over time. Rolling out the rebrand can be done in one day across all avenues or gradually over a period of months.

Tips to Speed up the Rebranding Process

It is important to not rush the rebranding process as it is a strategic and tactical move to improve a company’s image. However, there are ways to speed up the process without sacrificing quality. Tips for making rebranding quicker include:

• Established KPIs and timeline: Define the clear goals of the rebranding process and set timelines for achievement. Consider the factors needed to achieve the goals and make sure a realistic plan is put in place.
  
• Be open to keeping some elements: Remember that some elements of the original branding may be relevant and should be kept in the rebranding process. This will reduce the timeline with less research and visual changes required.
  
• Hire a professional branding team: A professional branding team will be able to create a successful rebranding strategy and help carry out the deliverables in a faster and more streamlined way.

Rebranding a company can be a successful strategic move particularly if the brand image needs improvement. Depending on the size of the company and how complex the rebrand is the timeline may be anything from months to a year and a half. For a successful rebrand, it is always a good idea to contact professionals like Brandwell.