13 | Rebranding done right: 5 must-know tips for success

A rebrand often signals a turning point in a business. When done well, it realigns your brand with the people who matter, sharpens your market position, and sets you up for long-term growth. But in a world of shrinking attention spans, economic uncertainty, and increasingly design-savvy audiences, getting it right matters more than ever.

Here are five principles we always come back to when guiding our clients through a successful rebrand, whether it’s a subtle evolution or a full-blown transformation.

1. Start with real insight, not assumptions

A successful rebrand doesn’t begin with a moodboard - it starts with insight. Uncovering audience truths, market realities and internal perceptions is non-negotiable if you want a brand with strong foundations. To get this, we combine research, competitor audits and qualitative feedback to build a strategy based on evidence, not ego. It means every creative decision is grounded in what your audience actually wants and not just what’s trending.

For the work we did on Dorito’s, we travelled to the UK, Turkey, Mexico and the USA to dive deep into what drives Doritos' adrenaline-fueled target audience. These interviews were crucial in ensuring our designs resonated with them and felt truly authentic. By investing upfront in understanding the market, competitors, and consumers, we springboarded the creative process. We uncovered global insights and visual codes that spoke to the audience, allowing us to craft a design that seamlessly connects with them and feels part of their world.

2. Don’t throw out what works

You don’t need to burn everything down to make progress. Sometimes, the strongest rebrands are those that build on what already exists—refining, not reinventing. Brand equity, heritage and emotional cues: these are assets. In fact, 81% of consumers say they need to trust a brand before they’ll consider buying from it.* That trust often sits in the familiar. We help you identify what to keep, what to evolve, and what to leave behind.

Our work with Colman’s involved modernising the brand’s identity while staying true to its core values and recognisable character. The result was a confident, future-proofed look that still felt unmistakably Colman’s.

3. Think beyond the logo

A rebrand is never just a new logo. It’s tone of voice, packaging, brand behaviours, photography, rollout strategy—and yes, the campaign work that brings it all to life.

Take our work with Felight. We created a standout campaign that brought their new identity to life across physical and digital channels. It proved that consistency in messaging and creative execution is what really makes a rebrand stick.

Could insert additional examples here that reflect a holistic rollout or layered activation work.

4. Design for now and what’s next

Rebrands should feel relevant today but flexible enough to evolve tomorrow. That means designing with growth in mind—across sub-brands, pack formats, new channels or even entirely new categories. The global FMCG market is expected to grow by nearly $4 billion by 2028, so your identity needs to keep pace with a fast-changing landscape. We always design with that future stretch in mind.

We always consider how an identity can flex—will it work across a range of SKUs? Can it live confidently on shelf, in digital, and on social? Does the visual system leave room to evolve as your brand grows? It’s about building an identity that scales and isn’t just relevant in a moment in time.

Our work on Asda’s new premium brand, Exceptional by Asda, not only had to exude quality and do justice to the great-tasting products in the range, but the design had to flex across multiple categories and over 500 SKUs, successfully showcasing the very best that Asda offers, today and into the future.

5. Don’t go it alone

It goes without saying that rebrands are high-stakes. They involve internal politics, external perceptions, commercial pressure, and a lot of moving parts. Having the right branding agency by your side gives you clarity, confidence, and creative distance – not to mention a team that’s been there before.

We go beyond just delivering assets – we help you tell the story, build the business case and bring your team along for the ride.

Got a brand challenge? Let’s solve it together.

Whether you’re refreshing your look or rethinking your entire brand, we’re here to help you do it right.

Let’s talk.

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