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Time for a change?

We can all do with a makeover now and then

Every January, I play a little game. I check how long it is before I see the evergreen headline New Year, New You! somewhere. In past years, winners have been my gym, The Times, and my ex-ex-mobile phone operator (brand loyalty isn’t my strong suit). This year, the winner was Tesco. For there, above the magazine rack in my local store, were those four fateful words. And it was only 29 December. That took the biscuit (low-fat, Light Choices, of course). Why does it work year after year? Because change is good. Any change. And what goes for our faces, figures and jobs also goes for our businesses, brands and corporate image.

The constant constant

No brand can afford to stand still. But not all brands change for the same reason. Some want to, some need to, and some do it just because they can. So why would you want to change your brand?
  • It’s stale. What seemed like a great logo, tagline or look simply doesn’t cut it any more. You’re tired of seeing it, tired of hearing it, tired of putting it out there. And guess what? Your customers probably feel the same way.
  • It’s invisible. ‘Brand blindness’ inevitably sets in among your target audience. Been there, done that. Nothing to see, move on. Change your look and they’ll sit up and take notice again.
  • It’s falling behind. Makeovers are a me-too thing. If everybody else is doing them, and you’re not, it doesn’t matter how strong your brand is. It’s a game, so learn to do it well and often.
Sometimes, there’s simply no option. A takeover, for example, means that somebody loses out. When HSBC took over Midland Bank, a brand that had been on UK high streets for over a century disappeared without a trace. The same happened recently when the Spanish giant Santander swallowed up Abbey, Bradford & Bingley and Alliance & Leicester. But when it comes to brands, bigger isn’t always better, as Barclays’ ill-fated ‘big bank’ advertising campaign proved. Consumers like choice, and smaller banks, with a cosy, corner-shop feel, are preferable to huge multinationals. In an interesting development, the charmingly named Williams and Glyn’s bank looks set to re-emerge from the rubble if the Royal Bank of Scotland is broken up.

Froth with wings

Times change, and brands do too. Could there be a more iconic brand of the boom era than Starbucks? From humble beginnings in 1970s Seattle, it spread around the world and became synonymous with coffee. Dot.com entrepreneurs hung out with grungy college students, lounging in battered leather seats with chill-out music wafting among the tables. But that was then. This is now. Big is now Bad: big banks, big investment houses, big bonuses. Small is the new big. So Starbucks is going small again, launching unbranded coffee shops in an effort to lure people back. So if you wander into 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea in Seattle, and think what a welcome alternative to Starbucks, you’re in for a surprise. Because it’s Starbucks.

The stuff of legend

Sometimes, you really have no choice, and a makeover is not just an option – it’s the only option. 2010 sees the relaunch of a venerable old magazine, with a 90-year track record. The new title is to be Canada’s History. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but at least it has the virtue of being immediately recognisable and obvious. Unlike its old title, which caused chaos with spam filters in the digital age. For up until now, it’s revelled in a delightfully unfortunate name. The Beaver. Find out more:

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  4. Four things I’ve learned
  5. Whose side are you on?
Kevin Branding, Communication, Marketing.
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