Rebranding presents a great opportunity to boost a company’s fortunes. Digit checked out the best way to do up a brand.

border=0 /><BR></div> </p> <p> The challenge of re-aligning the consumer’s attitude towards a brand is fraught with danger. Messing with a brand’s image can be disastrous, but it can breathe new life into a struggling company. </p> <p> “Unsuccessful rebrands are a cynical attempt to gain attention for a failing product that’s no longer in tune with its customers,” says Paul Mallett, managing director for Swamp. “A successful rebrand maintains brand heritage and endorses the arrival of new products and services. The rebrand only adds weight to this.” </p> <p> It’s the successful rebrand we’re concerned with here, though it’s possible to learn from some spectacular failures. Coca-Cola’s rebranding as New Coke is the example most people think of, while Consignia was rapidly changed back to Royal Mail after public and internal outcry. </p> <p> “There were enormous structural changes that went on within that company that needed to be reflected within the identity,” says Michael Berthon, creative director of English & Pockett. “That wasn’t one of ours, but it always gets a huge kicking. The public didn’t buy into it and felt it was a change of name for the sake of it. The public’s first question is always ‘how much did that cost?’ What they don’t tend to realize is that they are just seeing the surface manifestation of a much deeper change within the company.” </p> <p> A true rebrand then is more than just an evolution of the design. It’s the result of underlying change within a company, whether it’s a desire to change an image, motivate staff, or move into a new product area. “The scale of the change of the identity should equal the scale of the change within the organization,” says Keith Wells, director at Dragon Brands. </p> <p> “Nobody should know the brand as well as the marketing people and so much depends on the clients’ attitude,” says Berthon. “They should be able to judge your work from a position of knowledge and give you an impartial opinion on whether something works or not. They shouldn’t be getting involved in why something is not working. When clients are emailing you logos that they’ve sketched on the back of a cigarette packet, you know the project is compromised.” </p> <p> That’s not to say that you should keep the client at arm’s length. “The more clients get involved the better the work conclusions are,” says Gavin Anderson, director of Geometry. </p> <p> Tackling client expectations is a bugbear for design companies. It’s important to establish objectives from the outset and make them measurable. “You need to continually cross-check against the objectives and, on completion, compare once again with the original objectives,” says Wells.<BR> Other golden rules include seeking input from stakeholders from the start, and then going through a scientific process of research, planning and execution to reach your goals. You also need to do your homework. “Don’t come up with the greatest logo ever only to discover that you have subconsciously nicked it from someone else,” advises Mallett. “Give your client plenty of options. Don’t try and force your view on them, unless you are absolutely 100 per cent convinced that you have come up with the best idea ever – and you can prove it.” </p> <p> <h2>Rebranding: National Express<BR> Agency: Dragon</h2> </p> <p> <div class=inlineimage><img src=

border=0 /><BR></div> </p> <p> English & Pockett developed a new over-arching logo for all of TVR’s sub-brands. Idents were created using footage taken on location around Romania. These idents provided the station with a template, so it could create seasonal idents in the same style - giving the logo and brand concept great longevity. </p> <p> <div class=inlineimage><img src= Print

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