The 9 Biggest Rebranding Trends to Follow

The 9 Biggest Rebranding Trends to Follow

If you compare today’s marketplace with the past ten years, you will notice a tremendous technological and cultural shift. Numerous social and cultural stereotypes have been shattered. Customer needs and preferences have shifted as a result of technological innovations. Also, competition has increased tremendously with the rise of social media.

So, to keep pace with the current marketplace, rebranding can be a smart move!

In this article, we’ll discuss the most popular rebranding trends in 2024 to get you inspired. Also, you will get to know other critical rebranding insights, such as its purpose, impact on brand perception, common challenges, and more.

So, without further ado, let's get straight into our discussion.

What is Rebranding?

Rebranding is when a company gets a makeover. It's like getting your hair dyed, buying fashionable clothes, and getting a new set of glasses simultaneously. During this process, the company will change things that make them recognisable, such as their logo, motto, and sometimes even who they sell to.

Why do businesses rebrand?

Rebranding carries significant risks for an entity as it is a complicated process. In various situations, rebranding becomes necessary for companies to modify, develop and survive in the growingly competitive eCommerce sector. 

Here are some of the main reasons why businesses rebrand.

Responding to Market Trends

This is one of the most important reasons business rebranding needs to be synchronised with market dynamics; markets are constantly changing. It should be noted that a brand image getting outmoded affects customer interaction and results in reduced revenues.

However, they may also opt for a limited rebranding, which can include changing the brand’s visuals (such as the company logo, brand message, website design, or marketing style). 

However, it is crucial to conduct market research on consumer behaviour trends and keep yourself updated on current trends.

Evolving Consumer Preferences

The constant change in consumer preferences is one of the significant reasons for rebranding. Consumers are now more concerned about environmental sustainability, healthy lifestyles, ethical practices, etc.

Looking at trending fashion brands like Patagonia, Everlane, or Adidas, you will notice that they have rebranded themselves and integrated environmentalism into their brand identity. They promote using organic cotton, recycled materials, etc., to show their sustainable practice.

Moreover, beverage brands like Coca-Cola have introduced new sugar-free products such as Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar to promote a healthy lifestyle. 

Hence, brands need to conduct in-depth research into their target audience. Only then can they stay updated on the constant evolution of the customers' perceptions and offer products or services based on their preferences.

Technological Advancements

Advancements in technology play a significant role in rebranding trends. Customer needs, expectations, and behaviours are changing constantly. For example, in the early 21st century, Nokia was the dominant company in the mobile market. Customers of that era preferred durable mobile phones. 

However, with time, the mobile industry has changed drastically with advanced technologies such as Android  OS from Google, iOS from Apple and so on. Customers now prefer advanced features such as powerful processors, high-end camera performance, biometric authentication, augmented reality, etc. 

Companies have seen the result of failing to adapt to technological trends through the failure of Nokia. Hence, you will see almost every company these days trying to include artificial intelligence (AI) and language models after ChatGPT's revolution in recent years. Starting from smartphones to home appliances to websites, everyone is adopting these technologies and rebranding themselves to fit in with the mainstream.

Competitive Pressures

With the entry of new firms, competition in consumer markets is becoming more intense every day. Everybody makes similar commodities or services and tries to outdo each other. This continual need to remain at par with their rivals has influenced companies to adopt rebrand trends.

Fast food chains are a case in point, where hundreds of these brands sell the same products. But how can it be achieved? Rebranding using the most effective approaches would be the best way. Some brands have started rolling out healthier menu options that appeal to vegans and consumers who do not take sugar-sweetened beverages like soft drinks. In contrast, others have developed fresh packaging designs or motivational messages as part of rebranding.

Importance of rebranding business in today's competitive market

Modern profit-making firms sometimes undertake a business rebranding activity to stay up-to-date with customer preferences and be more attractive to them in their market.

The significance of rebranding today’s competitive market can be better understood from the benefits as follows.

Respond to Changes

Technological advances and shifts in consumer behaviour, among other things, are the significant drivers of branding patterns. Brand names introduce new products, for example, those aimed at different groups. Rebranding should be used to inform clients about how well the brands have accommodated these changes.

Remain Relevant

This is why outdated brands are required to rejuvenate their digital presence through rebranding. A brand can present itself to customers with an updated image matching their aspirations. Fresh visual elements like modern design trends applied on logos or websites and related messages are meant to engage consumers with a company.

Stay Ahead In The Competitive Market

A company may use rebranding strategies to differentiate its brand from its rivals and draw buyers' attention through initiating buzz. New interest in the brand will likely bring back old clients and convert potential ones who will keep returning forever.

Increase Brand Value

Effective rebranding increases your brand value significantly. Adopting rebranding trends gives your business a sophisticated and reliable look, thus increasing its popularity. It also allows us to create a stronger bond between our target audience and us on an emotional level as well. Also, if you work on advancing customer experience, it will enhance loyalty towards the brand, hence increasing brand value over time.

Negative Perception Rectification

It is not always possible for brands to maintain their good image. Controversies that go against companies’ values can result in loss of brand value by such businesses. To escape this situation, one can re-brand to escape all lousy history and start fresh again.

For instance, in the early 2000s, McDonald’s was criticised for lacking fresh ingredients and high-fat content. They have rebranded to address that negative perception and develop healthier options. This helped them to start over and win back the trust of their customers.

The Biggest Rebranding Trends in 2024

Let us look at the top rebranding trends in 2024 that big brands have implemented.

Sustainability-driven rebranding

Customers, especially the young generation, are more concerned about the environment. This change in customers’ preferences has introduced the sustainable branding trend. Almost everyone is opting for sustainability-driven rebranding, from the fashion to the makeup industry. 

For example, the famous footwear brand Adidas has launched one of its products to show its sustainable practices.  The Adidas Stan Smith “Forever” sneakers are made of recycled materials. Similarly, makeup brands like Axiology, Antonym Cosmetics, or Elate Clean Cosmetics now offer organic, cruelty-free makeup products.

Tech-infused rebranding

The launch of ChatGPT has sparked interest in tech-infused rebranding. Almost every brand is developing its own AI. For example, Google developed Gemini, and Samsung developed Bixby. Adobe has also introduced generative AI to make photo editing more convenient.  

Besides AI, companies also incorporate Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in rebranding. Brands like Adidas, Gucci, Sephora, and others use AR technology to try on the products without trying them physically.

Minimalism & Simplicity

Minimalism is another popular branding trend these days. Companies redesign their websites or product packaging with simple designs and simplified colour palettes. Simple logos and basic typography fonts make the look clean and uncluttered—for example, McDonald’s, Google, Mastercard, etc.

Your brand's visuals are the key elements that will reshape your brand’s identity. To get amazing visuals, working with professional photo editors is essential.

Therefore, if you want to try minimalism to rebrand your product packaging, website or any marketing materials, do not forget professional photo retouching services. They produce visual content in line with your desired theme of high professional quality. Also, it is a cost-effective solution to improve your brand's identity and value.

Consumer Preferences Evolving

Changing consumer preferences will continue to catalyse shifting branding trends in 2024. When veganism was trending alongside a healthy lifestyle, Tyson Foods opted for plant-based meat to rebrand itself. McDonald’s has also launched plant-based menu options.

Similarly, other industries, such as fashion and footwear brands, have rebranded following customer demands. Brands use recycled products such as materials to attract customers who support eco-friendly products. Organic materials help minimise brands' carbon footprint.

When customers started to prefer cruelty-free products, brands like Too Faced, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and The Body Shop launched new product lines to align with this preference.

Building Brand Transparency

Showing brand transparency is one of the trends in branding these days. Brands need customers' attention, and customers prefer brand authenticity.  So, brands have started to share their business practices, beliefs, goals, ethical considerations, and practices. This rebranding technique conveys a clear message of transparency, honesty, and credibility to its target audience.

For example, Patagonia and Everlane are famous clothing brands. These trending fashion brands have used this transparency technique to gain customers' trust. Patagonia is transparent about the materials it uses for its products. Everlane shares the total cost, including materials, labour, duties, transport, actual cost, and the selling price, including the profit. Such detailed information has helped Everlane gain customer trust.   

Rethinking Social and Racial Stereotypes

Many consumer brands began to rethink their relationship with racial stereotypes after the Black Lives Matter movement. They have reevaluated their logos, names, and messaging to ensure inclusivity. Later, many brands changed their product names and logos. 

For example, Aunt Jemima, a Quaker Foods product, featured a Black mammy as its logo. In 2020, they changed the logo and renamed it Pearl Milling Company. L'Oréal and Unilever's decisions to eliminate brand names and expressions of cosmetics products referring to ‘fair’ or ‘whitening’ skin are another example of removing racial stereotypes.

Cultural Sensitivity and Social Responsibility

Brands are becoming aware of the social impact they create through their advertisements. They have started to take their social responsibility thoughtfully. As a result, they are addressing culturally sensitive issues in a positive light. For example, Dove, a beauty brand, has broken stereotypes and redefined beauty standards in their ‘Real Beauty’ campaign.

Motion design in brands

Brands are now moving towards motion design for rebranding. Static logos are less engaging compared to motion-based designs. With the advancement of technology, brands are also trying to level up their branding game through dynamic visuals. Besides, motion designs can convey complex brand messages through storytelling in ways that text or images cannot. For example, the beverage company Red Bull has used motion design for branding.

Storytelling and Emotional Branding

Another effective branding trend for 2024 is storytelling to establish an emotional connection with the customer. Storytelling is a powerful tool that can attract customers on an emotional level. Big brands like Google, Facebook, and Nike share inspiring stories that resonate with the target audience. As a result, micro-interaction gets established with the audience. 

What are the most common challenges of a rebranding?

Rebranding is like starting a brand from scratch. Like any other new endeavour, rebranding has its own set of challenges.

The following are some common challenges associated with rebranding. 

Identifying the Purpose

There are several reasons a brand may feel the need for rebranding, such as improving brand image, creating a new target market, boosting sales, etc. The problem arises when rebranding is needed for multiple reasons. 

So, to overcome this challenge, companies need to study their target customers' needs and preferences. Rebranding is complex and lengthy; working on multiple purposes individually is better.

Lack of Clear Strategy

A rebranding strategy with loopholes can create significant brand identity risks. Confusion may arise when aligning the changes with the brand's objective. Moreover, there are chances of giving inconsistent messages and wasting resources. 

Hence, developing a comprehensive rebranding strategy is essential to overcome this challenge. For that, detailed market research should be conducted with clear goals. Following that, detailed guidelines for implementing the plans should be created to pinpoint gaps and guarantee a well-defined approach.

Rushing the process

Often, brands rush through the rebranding process, which ultimately weakens the effectiveness of the rebranding effort. Hurrying the process means there will be a lack of in-depth market research, competitor analysis, or other necessary factors. Ultimately, the sloppy execution of the rebranding initiatives can make the brand appear unprofessional and less trustworthy.

To avoid this challenge, it's wise to take enough time to plan. Set a realistic timeline for the planning till execution of the plan. Gather as much data as possible for perfect planning. Also, it should be adequately tested before finalising the new brand identity.

Lose Customer Loyalty

Rebranding typically affects existing customers. Customers stay loyal to a brand because of the emotional attachment they form over time. If a brand undergoes a complete rebranding, it makes its trusted brand unrecognisable. In addition, the emotional connection gets broken, resulting in a loss of trust. However, partial rebranding is not considered a big issue.

Measurement of rebranding success and ROI

Determining the success of rebranding takes a lot of work. There are several metrics on which the success of rebranding depends, such as brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand perception, sales, customer relationships, etc. Some metrics can show results early, while others may take time. Consequently, the measurement of ROI also becomes challenging. 

To minimise this challenge, a basic metrics standard should be developed. This will help to compare before and after rebranding results. Also, patience is necessary to realise the value rebranding brings to your plate.

Maintain Brand Consistency

Customers recognise brands through their visual appearance. When rebranding changes the overall visual identity of the brand, it may create confusion among the existing customers. Also, rebranding means changing the brand’s visual identity on every platform, including the website, ecommerce store, physical store, marketing material, product packaging, etc. 

Besides, rebranding requires creating a fresh website and social media content while maintaining the new guidelines. Keeping up with the latest changes across all marketing channels becomes challenging. Moreover, launching the rebranding strategy is not the end of the struggle. The target audience and competitors will provide feedback on which new adjustments will be required. 

So, how do we overcome this challenge? 

You must create a proper plan, take notes on every update, keep your mind organised, constantly communicate with the teams, and pay attention to detail. Then, you will realise that the process is more straightforward than expected. 

FAQs

Conclusion

Rebranding is like giving your business a new life. This complex adventure will bring numerous challenges to your plate. However, if you plan strategically, you can overcome any obstacle and achieve your goal. 

The rebranding trends we have discussed so far will come in handy. Choose the trend that best fits your rebranding purpose. All the best!

Author Bio: Olivia Anna, a skilled content writer for over seven years, specialises in making photography and ecommerce easy to understand. With a knack for simplifying complex topics, Olivia's writing takes you through visual art and online business.