Every great business eventually wonders the same thing: Is my brand everything I need to be today?
Yet, in a world where customer expectations seem to be changing at the speed of light, and design trends come and go overnight, relevance isn’t an option. But is a facelift to your brand enough, or does it need a complete redesign?
Here at eLeoRex Technologies, we have helped the founders of startups and business owners with this very decision. The key is to understand the distinction between these two approaches and when each is appropriate.
What is the Difference Between a Brand Refresh and Rebranding?
Brand Refresh: A Gentle Upgrade
Think of a refresh akin to repainting your house or replacing the furniture; it’s the same space, but feels more modern and enticing. A brand refresh preserves your identity while making necessary changes to remain relevant.
Typical refresh elements include:
- Colorizing the palette to be a bit more modern.
- Simplifying or modernizing the logo.
- Refining typography for better readability.
- Modifying the brand message for the customer’s current vehicle.
Example: Pepsi has updated its logo several times, retaining the circle and wave but altering them to reflect contemporary fashion.
Brand Redesign: A Total Transformation
A redesign, by contrast, is the equivalent of razing the house and building it anew. It’s a total reboot of your brand identity, which you typically need when your business image has undergone significant changes over the years.
Typical redesign elements include:
- Developing a logo entirely from scratch.
- Overhauling visual identity systems.
- Reworking brand messaging and tone.
- Restoring digital properties, such as your website and other marketing materials.
Example: Airbnb’s redesign in 2014 introduced the famous “Bélo” symbol, replacing the literal “airplane and bed” they had started with, with something more abstract, an identity of belonging and community.
Indicators You May Need a Brand Refresh
Such radical change may be necessary for a dying brand name, but not for every piece of branding. In many cases, a refresh is all it takes to stay current without sacrificing brand recognition. Here are the telltale signs:
- Your logo appears outdated compared to your competitors.
- Customers are aware of your brand, but it feels “outdated.”
- Your offerings differ, but not significantly.
- You want to be trendy in design without perplexing your loyal customers.
Example: Starbucks. Starbucks has, over the years, updated its siren logo, simplifying some of the details and dropping accompanying text, but never the inseparable icon itself. The result? A sleek, modern identity that also feels familiar.
Signs You Need to Redesign Everything
Your brand redesign is essential when your brand identity is no longer in sync with who you are. Some signals include
- This is no longer reflected in your brand or product.
- You’ve pushed into new geographies that demand a new positioning.
- Customers have no idea what your brand stands for or what its overall quality is.
- One of them is that your competitors have changed course, and now your brand appears outdated.
Example: When Instagram made its drastic change in 2016, it ditched the skeuomorphic camera logo for a bright and colorful gradient icon. Initially contentious, it ultimately settled into a perfect fit with Instagram’s shift from a photo-sharing app to a lifestyle and content platform.
Dangers of Choosing the Wrong Path
Choosing incorrectly is a significant risk.
- When you need a refreshing redesign : You sand down the surface, but nothing about your product changes on the inside, and your customers are left confused.
- Solving redesigns where a refresh will suffice → You may alienate your current customers who no longer recognize the product.
And that’s why businesses should never follow their chain. A formatted brand audit is necessary.
Ways to Choose Between a Refresh and a Redesign
At eLeoRex Technologies, we utilize a four-phase process to guide companies:
Evaluate Current Brand Equity
What are people already passionate about when it comes to your brand? Brand equity,such as a familiar logo or tagline, should not be discarded lightly.
Assess Market Position
How do you compare with competitors? If your competitors feel modern and you don’t, it may be time for a refresh. If they have rewritten the category, a redesign may be in order.
Understand Business Evolution
Have your services, values, or audience changed much? If the answer is yes, your brand should be evolving too.
Analyze Customer Perception
What do your customers think of when they see your brand: something dependable, fresh, or out-of-date? Feedback and surveys can help to expose differences between perception and reality.
Real-World Examples of Brand Refreshes
Google has altered its logo over the years, transitioning from serif fonts to sleek sans-serif fonts. Each tweak was slight, allowing the brand to remain recognizable while looking up-to-date.
Coca-Cola: While it has played around with campaigns, Coca-Cola’s logo has remained almost the same for over a hundred years, reflecting its substantial brand equity.
These cases demonstrate how small changes can remain relevant without losing customer trust.
Real-World Examples of Brand Redesigns
Airbnb: The daring transition to “Bélo” signified a new chapter in the company.
Uber: Uber’s rebrand in 2016 transformed its wordmark into a symbol, but it turned back toward a simpler design altogether in 2018 as part of an embrace of global growth.
The Role of Timing
And even a good decision at the wrong time can come back to bite. When to Refresh or Redesign a Brand. Brands should time the date of their refresh or new product introduction (NPI) with:
- Key business accomplishments (new product, expansion).
- Changes to the market (new competitors, customer expectations).
- Technology investments (redesigning websites, going digital-first).
Done correctly, such changes are hardly disruptive to business momentum; they amplify it.
How eLeoRex Technologies Is Helping Companies Rebrand
At eLeoRex Technologies, we find efficiency in strategy and creativity. We help businesses by:
Bélo” symbol
- Continuing to audit your brand to understand what’s working and what isn’t.
- Researching competitors & industry trends to position the brand successfully.
- Revamping or modernizing visual identity with new design standards.
- Exercises that leverage the message and tone to connect with clients on an emotional level.
- Ensuring consistent updating of digital and offline materials.
Our purpose is simple: to ensure your brand tells the right story to the right audience at the right time.
Conclusion
Your brand isn’t just a logo; it is the emotional connection that customers have with your business. It will need tweaking over time. Sometimes all it takes is a refresher to polish and modernize. At other times, a redesign is necessary to reflect the direction the company is heading.
Choosing the right road is the problematic part. The right choice can be made with a well-executed brand audit, customer-focused insights, and thoughtful strategic planning.
eLeoRex Technologies can guide businesses through this process with certainty. Whether it needs just a little refresh or a complete overhaul, we keep your brand fresh without losing its soul.
Because, ultimately, a successful brand makeover is not about change for the sake of change; it’s all about making sure your brand properly represents who you are now and where you want to be in the future.
