Succesful rebranding techniques, lessons in renaming

As with any rebranding, it is a delicate process, change a name too much and you risk losing your brand identity, change it in a strange way that is hard to understand, and you risk alienating or even upsetting your customers. 

Whilst for some companies, changing the brand name has been a huge success for others it has only spelled disaster. By analysing some of the famous rebranding over the past few years, we can summarise the dos and don’ts of choosing a new brand name.   

Let’s first look at some examples of companies that got it right!

In 2017, The Huffington Post launched their rebranding to HuffPost redefining themselves as a populist, rather than left-leaning, news blog. For the most part the rebranding was well-received, they had a clear message about “becoming better listeners” which was reinforced by the adopted nickname “HuffPost” originally coined by their readers. Combining the words of their former name made the change in direction more natural by maintaining their brand identity but also clearly showing their evolution. Whilst changes were made to their website and logo, there wasn’t so much change that the company alienated their audience or lost the core identity that their readers had come to trust. This makes HuffPost an excellent example of how to shorten a brand name to demonstrate a new direction whilst keeping some brand continuity.  

Another good example of a brand that successfully shortened their name is Dunkin’, the US coffee and doughnut chain. Originally named “Dunkin’ Donuts”, the company announced in September 2018 that they were shortening their name in order to present themselves as a beverage convenience brand which they felt wasn’t possible if they kept “Donut” in the name. Like HuffPost, Dunkin’ formally changed their name to something that customers already called them and were therefore familiar with, as well as being a version they had already used in previous taglines; “America runs on Dunkin’”. The change reflected the brands aim to modernise whilst also maintaining brand identity by keeping the same iconic orange and pink colours and design. Although some people suggested that they might face challenges internationally with the word “Dunkin’” not being understood very well in comparison to “Donut” outside of the US, the majority of people had a positive reaction.   

Now let’s look at some brand name simplifications that were not so well received

In 2021, the Scottish based asset management firm Standard Life Aberdeen changed their name to ABRDN. Whilst the company wished to create unity across the different brand names used by the firm, they received massive backlash and ridicule for the decision. It is not difficult to understand why the name failed, the pronunciation is unclear and tricky, and the word itself looks like “A Burden” rather than “Aberdeen”. Unlike the renaming campaigns of HuffPost and Dunkin’, which were very clear about why the name change was necessary to their rebranding, the message behind the firms change of name was vague and therefore not well received.  It is not surprising that after four years of mockery, the company decided to change the name again to aberdeen group, declaring that they wanted to put an end to the distractions around the name. Thus, we can learn that shortening a band name isn’t always the best idea, especially without a clear explanation.  

Another name change that has encountered some negativity is from the company formerly known as ConvertKit. Similar to Dunkin’, the company wanted their name to encapsulate the new broader features they were offering but felt like their name limited them to their original function of simplifying email marketing for creators. Unfortunately, the brand failed to properly research the cultural background of their chosen name “Seva” (Sanskrit for selfless service) and therefore faced backlash from people who felt that they were appropriating the name for financial gain, the opposite of what the word itself means. Therefore, after three months the brand backtracked to their original name, at great financial cost. However, rather than let this mistake hold them back, they accepted responsibility and last year launched a new name Kit, a shortened version of their old name. The new name is short and catchy and maintains some brand continuity whilst also reflecting the broadening of their features as “Kit” could refer to all sorts of different equipment or tools.  

Finally, let’s look at the most controversial and well-known of brand name simplifications, Elon Musk’s renaming of Twitter to X. The world was shocked when Musk announced the complete rebranding of Twitter in 2023, his vision not only included a change in name but in the iconic logo, as well as a plan to expand the platform’s functions. This decision to change such a well-establish brand identity is unusual, particularly when it was so successful. One study shows that 55% of users still call the app Twitter rather than the new name, which calls into question the effectiveness of the rebranding. Although the message of Musk’s rebranding was clear; that he wants to create a platform that champions free speech and independence, the letter “X” brings the social network in line with Musk’s own business branding, having used the letter for other business ideas like “Model X”, “Space X” and “X.com” (original name of PayPal). Some argue that Musk went too far in the renaming as he eliminated all traces of the brand’s history and identity.

So, if you’re thinking of shortening your brand name, here are some things to keep in mind:

• First, consider whether clients already have a nickname for your company and whether this is something you could lean into.
• Research thoroughly whether your new name already means something else to other cultures to avoid any potential backlash.
• Also, make sure your new name makes sense and is easy to pronounce.
• Finally, and most importantly, avoid rebranding without a clear message behind the new direction, in other words don’t rename for the sake of it!