Don't Stumble When Rebranding

Brand marketing is not an exact science and sometimes mistakes happen. A sound decision can stand the test of time, a poor decision can have your brand fall to the ground. Organizations, and their CMOs, that stumble are judged by the initial intent, how the company pivoted, and how executive leadership responded to critics. The Bud Light fiasco is only one of many that will be discussed in marketing schools for years.??

As a marketer who loves working with brands daring to be different, here are 3 simple, common-sense questions to ask if are about to soar or plummet.

1.?????Why are we doing this???Are you lagging in sales, see new potential, or offerings changed???Great. If it’s so the new CMO can make their mark, it might be a bad idea. A few years back BMW tried to change their famous tagline from “The Ultimate Driving Machine” to “The way it makes you feel.” Don’t shoot your brand with the vanilla gun! Test messages with your client before you launch to avoid disasters.

2.??????Is it worth it? What is the risk v. reward of the proposed new brand mission. Is a radical change required or is a brand evolution appropriate? In short, will you anger a lot of people, and do they have a voice to influence others? Hint: The power of social media is more influential and immediate than ever before and people of every walk of life are willing to use it. Know your influencers, have responses “in the can” and coach social media decorum among your team.

3.?????Don’t be afraid to change your brand, but if it’s a major shift in look, strategy, and story, then have a crisis communications plan in place in case it’s a flop.??CMOs will have secured buy-in from the C-suite. Don’t just blame the CMO and throw them under the bus. Own it and move forward. People may be cynics on social media, but they embrace a rare quality - - honesty.?

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