Rebranding can be a time-consuming process and has to have a lot of research before going through with it. But regardless of the process, the intention behind repositioning a brand is to differentiate the brand in the minds of the ideal consumer. However, if you don’t need it, don’t do it. Not doing the necessary research or having a terrible rebrand will hurt your sales goals and also your reputation. Here are some examples of rebranding gone wrong.
1. Gap - 2010.
The goodbye to the 20-year-old Gap logo, with Helvetica font and a solid blue square, lasted just a few days. The president of Gap, Marka Hansen, stated how they were still honouring its heritage including the blue box however wanted to showcase how they were moving forward. Consumers were furious and it showed; especially on Facebook. Gap decided to go back to the traditional logo and learned from their mistakes to consult with its customers first. Even if you’re ready to move forward to repositioning a brand to a more modern and
futuristic one, your customer may not be ready.
2. British Petroleum (BP) - 2000
The research behind BP’s rebranding cost them about $7 million. The biggest initial issue here was that environmentalists accused BP of spending more on the new logo than on renewable energy. However, the real problems arised later. Along with their rebranding, BP launched a huge advertising campaign that cost them millions more where they positioned themselves as one of the greenest petroleum companies in the world. They placed themselves on a pedestal which they later fell from because they never walked the talk. When rebranding, if you’re going to make a promise, make sure you go through with it.
3. Tropicana - 2009
Our last example of a rebranding gone wrong is the fruit juice company Tropicana. The brand owner, PepsiCo, decided they wanted a simpler design and got rid of their famous orange with a straw. They received backlash from customers who are passionate about the original brand stating how the rebranding made the Tropicana brand seem like “ordinary.” If you completely change a design that has been with a customer for about decades, of course you’ll receive negative comments.
In conclusion, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When repositioning a brand you have to be careful not to transform it in a way you lose your brand identity and its value by making promises you’ll break. A good example of a brand that has made subtle changes throughout the years without no one really noticing is Heinz. If you decide to reroute your brand identity make sure you are heading on the right track or else you'll become part of this crew of rebranding gone wrong.