Rebranding a company is a complex task. But what elements are most valued by consumers? To understand the most important elements of a rebrand, we surveyed 501 Americans in the U.S.

You have spent many months choosing the right font and colors. You have completed the press release and are ready to go. It’s time for your company to rebrand and launch.

How can you ensure that your customers will love the products and services your company offers? Or notice that something has changed. What is brand recognition?

These are the chances that popular companies and their brand advisors take to update their image, name, and voice. Small businesses can benefit from the successes and failures of larger companies.

We surveyed 501 Americans and showed them images from both old and new brands. People notice the company logo the most in a rebrand. But it is not the only factor. These examples of company rebranding include names, visuals, and slogans that will inspire you.

Our findings

• Weight Watchers was rebranded as WW and people took notice. 27% of people saw the logo first and 27% saw the new slogan “Wellness That Works”.

• Dunkin’ Donuts changed its name to Dunkin’ in 2019. 34 percent of people noticed the name change in 2019 and 32% saw the logo change.

• 38% of people saw the new logo for luxury designer Burberry. 30% of those who noticed the new colors also noticed them.

• IHOP’s short rebranding as IHOb was a success. 28%) noticed the new logo immediately, while 27% saw its new offerings.

• Nearly one-third (29%) of people first noticed the new font in Microsoft’s 2012 rebrand. 27% also noticed the updated Microsoft logo.

Example # 1 of Company Rebranding: Weight Watchers – How NOT to Change Your Name

What does a brand name mean? What is the right time to change the company name for a different generation?

These were the questions WW (formerly Weight Watchers) had to ask when it launched a new brand in 2018. It received mixed reactions from customers and designers.

When asked about the differences between the WW brands, 27% said they noticed new logos first. 27% said they noticed new slogans first.

The new logo displays the brand name and slogan in block letters sans serif. This is a crucial example of a logo redesign.

Weight Watchers was established in 1963. It revolutionized the industry of weight loss and diet by offering an alternative to unsustainable eating habits and fad diets.

Weight Watchers was founded in 1997. It has evolved with the times and its audience. The company now focuses on women, but also promotes its products and programs to men.

Weight Watchers has unveiled a new logo and brand name in 2018. Many elements were retained from the 2012 update which featured a new font and gradients as well as color schemes.

However, the 2018 rebrand took the visual identity one more step by officially changing the name to WW and adding the tagline “Wellness That Works,” which emphasizes overall wellness over weight loss.

The brand’s new name and tagline are an attempt to position it within the expanding wellness market. It hopes that the new message will appeal to younger, more diverse groups who value mental health, body positivity, and exercise.

Customers appreciated the brand’s holistic focus but some customers were still confused about the company’s rebranding.

Sara Borgstede, a WW customer, and blogger documented her weight loss journey via The Holy Mess.

“I am grateful that WW has become a center for overall health and well-being. Borgstede stated that most people who use WW do so for one reason: to lose weight.

The pronunciation and use of the new name are criticized by many, including WW.

Borgstede stated that most members use the acronym “W-W” when they write about the program via email and social media. “Saying W-W feels awkward and strange. We have known the name “Weight Watchers” for years, and we love it.

It feels awkward and strange to say “W-W” “Weight Watchers” is a name we have known for many years. It’s the program that we love and know.

Laurel Sutton is a senior strategist and linguist with Catchword. This top branding and naming agency believes that rebranding to names customers already know works best.

Sutton stated that rebranding efforts are more successful when the brand is already being used by consumers. When the company made the switch, Kentucky Fried Chicken was already known as KFC. People used to call Weight Watchers W-W’, but that was a term no one ever used. It’s too cumbersome and has too many syllables.

Consider how your customers view your brand if you are considering changing your business name. What are their nicknames and other abbreviations? Businesses are more likely to rebrand successfully if they follow customer behavior.

Company Rebranding Example #2: Dunkin’ Rebranded, and Simplified Its Name

Sometimes less is more when it’s about a company name.

Dunkin’ Donuts, a popular coffee chain, rebranded as Dunkin’ in January 2019. Although the visual identity was not completely rebranded, the company did use the new name to match current and future product offerings.

Consumers were not unaware of this change. 34 percent of people noticed the company name change first. 32% saw the logo.

Dunkin’, like Weight Watchers’ move to WW, is part of a long history of brands reducing their brand names.

Catchword’s creative director Erin Milnes said that “the progression from longer names to shorter company names has been quite common.” “Because of increased offerings, cultural shifts, and changes of ownership or vision, as well as established brand recognition, it is often logical to move to something slimmer’.

Before the official renaming, many customers referred to Dunkin’ Donuts as “Dunkin'”. Many of them felt that the company’s new, the slimmer name was a good fit.

Business Insider reports that the name change was part of a larger brand overhaul that also included a focus on specialty coffee drinks in retail stores and online.

It’s worth looking at reducing the length of your business name if it refers to one product.

Example 3: Burberry’s Rebrand Created a Modern Visual Identity

Fashion brands must adapt to changing global fashion trends. Luxury brands in particular face challenges due to Fast fashion offering high-end style at a fraction of the cost.

Burberry, like Weight Watchers in 2018, also rebranded to reflect shifting consumer sentiments.

Out of all the brand elements, the most noticeable change was the updated Burberry logo. 38% noticed it first and 30% the new brand colors.

Burberry, a high-end fashion brand that was founded in 1856, is a heritage brand. The 2018 rebranding was the company’s first major brand shift in over 20 years.

The British aesthetic was reflected in the old visual identity. The brand’s British roots were evident in the font’s serifed font, the knight design, and the famous tan plaid.

Burberry’s rebrand removed the iconic Burberry knight and serif font. A bolder sans-serif typeface replaced it. The new brand included a new signature design that featured Thomas Burberry’s initials.

Peter Saville, Burberry’s designer behind the rebranding, stated that the rebrand was part of a larger business goal to maintain the brand’s growth online.

However, fitting in during the digital age comes with a price. Designers and critics have often commented on the consistency of luxury fashion brands that have changed their typefaces over time.

Even established fashion brands need to keep up with the times by switching to sans-serif fonts.

“Each of these brands runs the risk of appearing homogeneous but it appeals to a changing market,” stated Miles Beckler, a digital marketer, and entrepreneur. The sans-serif font suggests a casual brand which is in line with the increase in casual wear. This sends a message that these clothes are still rare, but more easily accessible to consumers.       

Businesses shouldn’t be afraid of appearing the same as other brands. However, they should not be afraid to change their typeface to stay current with digital trends.

Example #4 of a Company Rebranding: Microsoft Aligns Its Logo with a New Product

Companies that operate primarily behind a computer screen are often challenged by digital and internet companies to design a brand for their products.

This is the challenge Microsoft faces every time it updates its brand, such as in 2012.

29 percent of consumers noticed Microsoft’s new font first, compared to the older image. 27% also noticed the new logo.

The company’s brand was updated in 2012 to coincide with the launch of a new Surface tablet. It saw the removal of four panes of its iconic “window” design, and the introduction of a thinner typeface in a lighter gray tone.

The launch of Windows 8 was also marked by a new look and feel. Windows 8 was previously criticized for being hard to use.

Microsoft’s logo update for 2012 mirrored the flat design in the new software. However, consumers weren’t thrilled. Flat design refers to a style where elements appear flat or two-dimensional on a user’s screen.

Many j have adopted the flat design trend so customers and users can now expect flat design elements online.

Despite their popularity within the tech industry, flat design can hurt UX. Users may have difficulty identifying elements and determining what is clickable if there are no three-dimensional shadows.

When deciding whether to change to a flat design, consider the expectations of your customers. How will their interaction with your website and digital products be affected by the new design?

A company’s rebranding should be tied to a product launch.

Example #5 of a Company Rebranding: IHOP’s Promoal Rebrand Fooled Customers

IHOP, also known as The International House of Pancakes (or IHOP), shocked the world with its announcement of a rebranding and shift to a primary product: hamburgers.

The scandalous 2018 International House of Burgers was the greatest rebranding. The company revealed that it was part of a temporary public relations campaign to promote a new line of burgers just weeks after the announcement of “IHOb” on Twitter.

We still wanted to know what people thought about the IHOb Rebrand. 28% noticed the new logo first and 27% saw the new product offerings.

The rebrand attracted more attention online by changing the logo to IHOb rather than IHOP.

The official corporate account posted the image with the announcement to Twitter. There was a lot of criticism online.

According to Sutton, the fake rebranding and marketing campaign might not have been worth the effort.

Sutton stated that “nobody believed IHOP was rebranding itself as IHOb.” It was a promotional stunt, but it didn’t work. Sales of burgers did not increase significantly.

Businesses planning to rebrand around new products don’t need to make up a fake name or expose their brand to ridicule on Twitter.

It is as simple as updating your graphics and icons on your website or in formal communications to incorporate a new product into the company’s brand.

Your logo will be noticed by many people first. Changing your logo can make a big impact on product launches.

Companies should learn from past company rebranding examples

Small businesses should not attempt a rebrand. It is risky and expensive. Smaller businesses can take inspiration from popular brands’ updates.

Weight Watchers introduced, for instance, a confusing new name: WW. People first noticed the new logo with the name.

Dunkin’ Donuts made a stronger impression with its new brand Dunkin’. A company can choose to change its name to communicate a wider range of products.

Burberry has updated its brand with a modern and sleek visual identity. Companies who are interested in using a sans serif font should make sure their brand doesn’t get confused with another company.

Microsoft’s rebrand included a flat-design logo. Flat designs should be considered by businesses.

IHOP feigned fooling consumers by claiming it was rebranding to IHOB (International House of Burgers). While a full rebrand can be costly for marketing a product, businesses can still coordinate product launches by using their rebrands.

These company rebranding cases show that it can be risky. To ensure that the brand revamp has the desired effect on consumers, businesses should work with experts.