ReBrand™
Innovation through Brand Repositioning
Whether you're talking about a single product or an entire organization, "branding" is about much more than packaging. Today, a "brand" often includes a whole set of experiences that influence how the world sees and responds to a product, service or organization. And just as people's interests and tastes evolve, so must brands that want to remain competitive. Sometimes, evolving requires a brand to reinvent itself and radically rethink how it attracts and retains a targets audience.
To Anaezi Modu, founder of ReBrand™, this concept has been proven by large and small companies from around the world. Modu defines a rebrand as more than an updated logo or new corporate colors. Instead, she says, an effective rebrand is about the repositioning, redesign, or revitalizing of existing brand assets to meet strategic goals—a process that includes a thorough re-evaluation of all experiences that define the brand.
Recognizing that an effective rebrand was a daunting task, Modu established the ReBrand 100® award program in 2004. The ReBrand 100 program was developed to recognize and showcase the world's most effective rebrands. "Differentiating and articulating brand experiences in today's global economy is no easy task," says Modu. "ReBrand 100 recognizes the incredibly complex and successful rebranding efforts that drive businesses forward. We all stand to learn from the customer-centric approaches, methods, insights and best practices showcased from winning projects."
And the winners? Each year, the ReBrand awards are juried in Providence, Rhode Island by an international panel of prominent experts from across industries and disciplines. Winning rebrands, say Modu, reconnect their product's or services' promise to their customers and affirm the important role brand experience plays in their overall business strategy.
To select winners, Rebrand 100 jurors review the "before" and "after" of each brand transformation and assess how the rebrands have met strategic objectives, incorporated an element of surprise, spurred an emotional connection for the target audience, and were intelligently executed and implemented across the organization.
So far, Modu and her team have attracted participants from 18 countries and some 40 industries. Past winners include: Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Unilever's Dove Brand, and the Croation National Tourist Board.
Prior to founding ReBrand, Modu was senior vice president, Brand Experience and Strategy director for Bank of America. Through her experience, Modu realized that no one focused and documented the "before" and "after" scenarios of effective brand transformations. Now, she sees ReBrand as a centralized source for examples, tools, and resources for others looking to achieve the same goals for their brands and a central repository to collect data on the return on investment such initiatives can generate.
When you ask Modu why Rebrand is headquartered in Providence, she states, "It was a natural choice as Providence continues to evolve and develop as a vibrant multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city. It provides all the resources and connections we need to succeed as a global organization. Our communications infrastructure is excellent, and the small footprint provides all resources and facilities we need in manageable, logistical, proximity to each other." Also, a founding sponsor was the Center for Design and Business located in downtown Providence.
Today, ReBrand is frequently called upon to consult with those looking to meet changing customer demands, reach a new demographic, or simply remain relevant and profitable.
"I firmly believe that design, in conjunction with solid business strategy is a tool to transform and gain market share, to make connections, and position your product or service for the long run," says Modu. "Multidisciplinary collaboration is required to solve problems which increasingly need to address varying demands. I hope all organizations will be connected through ReBrand and embrace the tools and gold-standard examples that will help them achieve their business goals and enhance the brand experience of their target audience."