Avoid radically rebranding a classic

The inspiration for this piece stems from the recent decision by Pepsi to rebrand, using a number of different ‘smiley' faces in its new logo, designed by a New York-based branding and design agency. It's a controversial move, which has triggered an enormous amount of comment worldwide and we do not believe it is the right move for the brand.

Adding a nice ‘smiley' face to the Pepsi logo is straying from the challenging, outspoken stance which has been so successful for them for the last 100 years. Yes, environments are cluttered, and even great and authentic brands like Pepsi are looking for new, innovative ways to position and market themselves. But what's happening is that brands are over-complicating their messaging and positioning, creating confusion amongst their target market.

Straightforward

It's imperative to keep branding activity straightforward and to listen to customers. Too often, we see a case of internal stakeholders claiming that a radical approach to ‘fixing' a brand is the way forward, when the reality is that the end users of the product or service do not agree.

By listening to how your audience feels, you are much more likely to hit the spot with brand activity. It's especially true during times of economic turbulence, when consumers seek comfort in brands that they associate with and can trust.

We believe that the older and more legendary the brand, the more it needs to adhere to the timeless principle of classic simplicity.

Cases such as Coca-Cola, Apple and HSBC have proven that brands are rejuvenated via the process of evolution. HSBC, for example, is remarkable in its brand consistency and stability. When brands like these - and Coke is a case in point - have embarked on a more dramatic, revolutionary approach, it has usually backfired.

Approach

We adopted this approach with First National Bank, one of our clients, in South Africa: we updated the brand with a new visual style, but retained all the equity, in terms of colour and the famous ‘tree' logo.

To conclude with a branding-insider's tip: What is the warning sign that a process of desperation and over-complication is about to hit your brand - like Pepsi? Look at the branding agency's PowerPoint presentation to the client. The longer it is, and the more it is filled with obscure historical references and phrases like ‘gravitational field' and ‘the dynamic of perimeter oscillations', the more worried you need to be!