There are so many risks in undertaking a rebranding, particularly of a brand with high awareness. (This is why doing it calls for, ahem, selecting a partner with great expertise and experience.)

The biggest risk isn’t that customers will hate it (some will). It’s not that employees will have trepidation (that’s a certainty). It isn’t that it might get panned by brand critics (who cares?) nor that you might lose your job (that’s the second biggest risk). It’s not even that customers suddenly won’t be able to find you because they’re accustomed to the old you (give them, and your abilities, more credit).

All of those are outcomes. Risk assesses the likelihood of reaching an outcome. It’s about probability. In my experience, the biggest risk in rebranding is a quality that’s tied to the probability of success: commitment.

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More aptly, a lack of commitment is the biggest risk.

Companies that undertake a rebrand without committing to it often pull the plug before it launches, demoralizing teams and diminishing coffers with little to show. Or, worse, they launch a half-hearted compromise of half-baked half-measures. Noncommittal rebranding efforts reek of underconfidence, and reveal a lack of conviction.

Often this is because a rebrand is perceived as merely cosmetic—a visual update for its own sake, or a matter of taste. Commitment wavers at the first sign of trouble in rebrands undertaken with such flimsy motivations.

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Commitment to a rebrand swells, however, when it’s part of solving a larger business problem. New competition, new markets, an acquisition or divestiture, a need to connect with different audiences: a rebrand tied to addressing strategic shifts is a commitment move.

Is the rebrand part of a long-term strategic initiative that will weather a bad earnings report or a dip in demand? If so, commitment will follow.

Does leadership believe in the business case for rebranding? Belief leads to commitment.

Is the process inclusive of the organization? People will commit to what they help create.

Gaining such unified internal commitment isn’t easy, or course. But the bright side is that it’s within the marketer’s control, unlike the external outcomes it mitigates. Once secured it sets in motion a flywheel of confidence, accountability and enthusiasm.

And as far as external outcomes, customers will reciprocate commitment when they see it. Particularly when they recognize it as a sign of a business striving to give them a better experience.

The launch of a rebranding will attract both arrows and accolades. Steadfast commitment—and the rigor and clarity it requires—makes the arrows easier to withstand, and puts the accolades in perspective.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Walsh has helped build enduring brands for GE, Oshkosh, AT&T, Curia, Anheuser-Busch, CardX, Molson Coors and The Breakers resort. In his 20’s Mike bowled in all 50 states, a journey published by St. Martin’s Press and hailed as the world’s best bowling-themed travel memoir.

Follow/connect with me on LinkedIn

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