How Old Brands Feel New Again

Iconic brands including Coors and Jello-O are revitalising themselves to win over new audiences as consumer tastes change. Plus, the rise of 'Christmas creep'.

The billion-dollar brands spending big to go from stale to chic

A great brand can sell products, connect with customers, attract great employees and open investors' wallets.

So, to keep up with the pace of culture, brands are in a constant state of reinvention, from changes as subtle as a tweaked typeface, to wholesale overhauls of their portfolios and positionings. Rebrands can help a cereal box stand out on a shelf, make an insurance company's logo look cleaner on a phone screen, draw attention to the star ingredient in a new shampoo or convey a tech conglomerate's expanded scope.

"If they're done right, they're barely perceptible to the audience," says Deb Gabor, the US-based founder and CEO of Sol Marketing and the author of several books on branding. "Everyday consumers just feel more resonance and emotional connection and indispensability from the brand."

Rebrands tend to be expensive, years-long processes – especially for massive global organisations operating across numerous channels. But if they're executed well, they can take a declining business and turn it into a powerhouse, or make an old name feel relevant to a new generation.?

→Read more from Hilary George-Parkin

Why holiday candy hits shelves so early

If you've noticed holiday products are appearing in stores earlier and earlier, you're not alone. This so-called 'Christmas creep' is growing, tempting customers to start their holiday spending earlier.

A prime example of this is holiday candy, which often shows up at retailers the moment Halloween wraps (in some cases, even before that). Experts say there are many reasons shelves are decked with marshmallow Santas and candy canes so quickly.

→Read more from Brennan Doherty

Thanks for reading. See you next week.

– Meredith Turits, Editor, BBC Worklife