In recent years, businesses have not left rebranding entirely up to the artists. Market shares are obviously at stake and they are trying to react to ever-changing market dynamics. Notable examples include MSNBC’s upcoming name change to MS Now, as it separates from NBC, and Elon Musk’s controversial shift of Twitter to X in 2023. This trend begs two questions: how effective are these branding strategies, and what does the public think of them?
Siegel+Gale’s strategy director, Sadie Dyer, emphasized the importance of finding a legally available and trademarkable name during the rebranding process. She explained that companies frequently create hundreds, or even thousands, of name options before landing on one. This months-long search includes intense internal reviews and debates over branding minutiae like font curves and palette colors.
“The search for a legally available and trademarkable name is not to be underestimated,” – Sadie Dyer
Even with all the money and art that goes into the rebranding, public opposition is usually the biggest hurdle to overcome. Dyer explained that even when individuals eventually embrace a new name, initial reactions often include skepticism and reluctance to change established behavior.
“It’s the nature of change. Even if it’s something that people look back on and fully follow you to the new name, it’s always going to result in people immediately resisting,” – Dyer
The ongoing transition of platforms such as Twitter to X has shown you this push-back. For what it’s worth, despite the complete rebranding that has taken place, most users still call the platform Twitter and its feeds tweets. This phenomenon highlights the difficulties in creating a new perception when you have decades of a deeply rooted brand image working against you.
As HBO is learning as it embarks on its own digital transformation, the path ahead will not be easy. It addresses branding challenges that any other business would face. Casey Bloys, HBO content chair, should know that few institutions escape the rebranding gauntlet unscathed. Unfortunately, many of these challenges need in-depth research and analytical work to address.
The Tropicana Crisis of 2009 stands as a cautionary tale in the world of rebranding. After a failed redesign, Tropicana lost as much as 20% in sales. It took its product off squeeze tube formulating shelves, only to rush back to their product in two months. In doing so, they irreparably damaged their brand’s visual identity.
“You generate hundreds and hundreds, for this, probably thousands of names, and go through a lot of internal reviews,” – Sadie Dyer
It’s not the first time a company has rebranded and immediately faced negative reactions. Standard Life Aberdeen’s transformation into “abrdn” raised eyebrows due to its unconventional new name. Mastercard invested nearly two years in surveying stakeholders. This demonstrates the lengths companies will take to make the public accept them, even if large changes are made.
Branding expert Americus Reed expressed that he was talking about the key to branding. Consumers might be surprised to hear about the length and depth of work that goes into rebranding projects.
“Consumers would be shocked at the amount of effort that is often behind many of these changes,” – Americus Reed
He commented on the extreme care companies put into branding moves.
“You would not believe how willing people are to sit for hours and agonize over the curve of the font, should this be teal or not really blue,” – Americus Reed
The intricacies of corporate rebranding reach far beyond the simple act of changing a name. As Dyer noted, good branding is much more than simply choosing the right visuals and messaging to appeal to consumers.
“You’re asking people to change their behavior and the name that they call you. That’s really tough, and it’s going to take a lot of work,” – Dyer
As media institutions such as MSNBC continue to undergo this shift, they need to keep these considerations in mind. So with huge time and money spent on branding initiatives, success comes down to internal alignment and external reception.