Rebranding: Strategic Planning Questions Make a Difference

By Laura Powers

Why do rebranding projects falter? Why do rebranding projects succeed? What is the “right way” to engage in a rebranding process?

As an integrated marketing agency that handles numerous branding and rebranding projects, Furia Rubel has the opportunity to develop, manage and provide creative services for many companies in various industries. Some fundamental questions should be asked and answered about the process and the outcome even before a rebranding project starts. I share some of the most common Q&As here.

What are the steps in a branding or rebranding project?

A large branding initiative is best handled in stages. In general, the stages include:

Phase I - Brand Analysis and Research

At the start of brand development, the team will provide strategic counsel in order to refine existing data and market information and gather new insight in order to set the foundation and strategy for the project. The process includes marketplace and target audience analysis, brainstorming, internal interviews, a review of core brand values and mission and a public perception survey.

Phase II - Brand Positioning, Design Options and Tagline Development

At the core of Phase II is strategic counsel and presentations for visual brand options that are developed in conjunction with the brand story, positioning statement and tagline. Developing the visual options always includes testing for quality and functionality of the logomark, font and icons.

Phase III - Finalizing the Brand

During Phase III, teams work collaboratively to finalize the brand elements. All final file formats for the new brand are developed, documented, packaged and delivered.

Phase IV - Brand Standards Manual

A set of brand standards should always accompany a brand. These act as a set of guidelines to provide direction on appropriate use for internal teams and external partners, in order to ensure consistency.

What is the organization trying to accomplish with a rebrand? 

The common objective of a rebranding initiative is to improve a brand’s alignment with the organization’s mission, vision and culture and to improve relevancy and value to target audiences. The specific objectives of rebranding projects vary.

Typically, organizations look to develop a brand that more strategically reflects the voice and composition of key stakeholders. To determine the essence of this voice, for example, a marketing agency may develop a survey to distribute to all target audiences, both internal and external. The survey results will guide discussions and the decision-making process regarding the new brand, including the brand’s position, purpose, voice and identity.

The challenge with a rebranding initiative is achieving awareness with a successful launch and maintaining relevance and brand recognition over time.

How will we measure the success of our brand?

Brand measurement is gauged by awareness. Awareness can be measured through primary research such as focus groups, interviews and surveys. Benchmarks should be set after the rebranding initiative is launched. Collection and data analysis should occur on a regular basis.

How can our brand become iconic? 

Or: How do we get to the status of the Nike swoosh symbol?

The Nike brand has become iconic over time, with a dedicated and concerted effort to prove relevancy and value to Nike’s audiences in tandem with brand reputation management. This entire effort is channeled throughout Nike, from the storefronts to the boardroom. Note that Nike spends much more on its marketing and public relations strategy than it does on manufacturing product. This type of hyper-recognition typically is reserved for consumer brands (Nike, Amazon, Starbucks, Google). We always encourage B2B companies, nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, etc. to strive for similar recognition relative to their market and location.

We have a brand – now what?

A Strategic Communications Plan can answer this question. The role of integrated communications is to help build a brand by delivering key messages to target audiences to elicit a particular response; to shape public opinion, attitudes and beliefs; and to build and retain awareness via the most effective and direct methods.

One of the primary goals in communications is to augment and expand the number of touch points between an organization and its target audiences in order to build brand awareness. These tactics must be well defined and must align with the company’s budget and resources.

If you have questions about whether a rebranding is right for your business, contact the experienced Philadelphia-area marketing agency, Furia Rubel Communications.

Protecting Brand Identity Through Trademarked Colors

By Heather Truitt

In a recent blog post, I wrote about the importance of color selection in website artwork and design, but did you know that some companies go as far as trademarking their colors? Brands need to protect themselves from competitors in their same industries trying to use their signature colors.

One of the best examples of this is Tiffany Blue. The jeweler Tiffany & Co. started using its robin’s-egg blue in 1845, when founder Charles Lewis Tiffany chose the color for the cover of “Blue Book,” the company’s annual collection of jewelry. Tiffany Blue is a custom Pantone color created for Tiffany & Co. and is not available for public use. (Pantone is a color-matching system that helps ensure that colors reproduce consistently across various printing techniques.) Not only is the color trademarked, but the boxes in which the company’s jewelry is packaged also are trademarked. Tiffany & Co. uses Tiffany Blue on everything from its advertising to its boxes and even as the background color for its website. No other brand is associated with that distinct blue, certainty no other jewelry companies. Trademark protection for a brand color helps consumers clearly identify the source of a product or service. Tiffany & Co. has protected its brand from competitors by trademarking the color blue.

Many other brands also have trademarked their colors, including AstraZeneca’s heartburn relief drug Nexium and Prilosec, which is marketed as “the purple pill.” A trademark protects the purple pill from other pharmaceutical companies using purple to sell their medication. In a recent court case, another pharmaceutical company tried to create a generic version of the drug using the same color purple. AstraZeneca sued the company and won an injunction, forcing the generic drug maker to choose a different color.

Even having a shade similar to a trademarked color could cause legal trouble for a company if it is promoting similar products and services. In 2013, T-Mobile sued AT&T for infringing upon its trademarked magenta color. A federal judge sided with T-Mobile, saying AT&T’s “plum” was too similar to T-Mobile’s distinctive hue and ordering the company to stop using magenta and similar colors in its marketing and advertising.

Choosing a color to represent your brand – whether you sell jewelry or medication or telecommunications service – carries important ramifications. Clear, consistent use of an established color palette is a vital part of building a brand, as is protecting the usage of that color within the same brand sector. What steps does your company take to ensure that its brand color is protected from competitors?

Furia Rubel Roundup: What We’re Reading This Month

By Gina F. Rubel

As professionals, we are constantly learning and growing – and reading. We read a lot, and we love to share with one another articles that have caught our eye.

Here is another roundup of interesting articles that we thought our readers might enjoy.

On leadership and management

A Harvard psychologist says people judge you based on two criteria when they first meet you. In her new book, “Presence,” Amy Cuddy says people quickly judge you based on whether they think they can trust you and whether they can respect you.

On social media and the internet

You may not be a fan of Snapchat, but a new generation of professionals is on it every day. Bloomberg reported that 10 billion videos now are viewed daily on the app that is in direct competition with Facebook which continues to enhance its video capabilities. 

LinkedIn membership is on the rise, says Venturebeat.com, as is its revenue. Up to 433 million users and $861 million in revenue, LinkedIn remains a strong social media tool for business professionals.

SEO is an industry term that, for millennial marketers, is something that has been engrained in them. But for many, every solicitous email that says they can get your company on the first page of Google, cause the older generation of business owners to wonder, “can they?” The short answer is that SEO no longer works that way without a major investment in advertising dollars. However, there are things companies can do to search engine optimize their online content to rank better organically. Search Engine Watch recently published an article, How to write meta descriptions for SEO (with good and bad examples). If you’re sharing content on websites and blogs, this is a must read.

On litigation, legal marketing and the law

New Jersey lawyers beware: Attorney advertising containing “Super Lawyers,” “Best Lawyers” and similar designations must include the source of the declaration and an explanation of how the publication it arrived at that determination. When a title contains a superlative such as "super" or "best," the advertising can say the lawyer was included in that list but can't suggest that the attorney actually boasts that attribute.

On public relations, crisis communications and the media

In many respects, public relations and marketing are one and the same. There are granular differences, but at the end of the day, it’s all integrated. When a company issues a press release (PR), they first write it with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind (marketing), then they add it to their website (marketing) and share it via social media (PR and marketing), include it in their company newsletters (marketing), add the information to social media profiles (PR and marketing), and so on.

In addition to marketing and public relations, all companies must know how to handle a crisis. There are many ways to deal with a crisis but the best way is to have a plan in place before a crisis hits. Crisis planning requires a great deal of thought and investment, but like insurance, it’s well worth it. Forbes Communications Council interviewed six executives who share their tips for managing a crisis.

On marketing, branding and graphic design

Colors, colors and more colors. There are endless variations of colors. When considering a branding, rebranding, or brand refresh, color must play into the decisions just as much as font and imagery. Entrepreneur magazine talks about what the color of your logo says about your company. We caution you to take this article with a grain of salt, as reaction to color is dependent on many factors including age, gender, socioeconomic background, culture, life experience, etc.

What have you read lately that has helped you do business better? We’d love to hear about it. Share in the comments.

What's in a Name?

View image | gettyimages.com

By Rose Strong

It’s been a tough year for companies and organizations that use the name ISIS.

When I was a youngster, Isis was the name of a deity in Egyptian mythology, the goddess of health and wisdom. As I grew up, the name also referred to Isis, the female superhero in the TV show, Secrets of Isis.

Today, according to CNN, ISIS stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The splinter group of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda is also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and just as Islamic State, and gained notoriety after videos were posted online depicting the group’s barbaric and gruesome killings of western hostages.

Given this political backdrop, executives at companies that share a name or otherwise use the acronym ISIS have scrambled to find ways to distance themselves from the newest appropriation of the name. It is a difficult predicament for any business to be in, considering this name / acronym usage isn’t something easily controlled by the business itself.

A condo development in West Palm Beach, FL changed its name from ISIS Downtown to 3 Thirty Three Downtown.

A Belgian chocolate company changed its name from ISIS Chocolates to Libeert after their international customers were unable to carry the chocolates because of the negative connotation associated with the name.

Even the animated television series Archer had to rename an organization within the show as the producers didn't want to associate with the violence and horror of the terrorist group.

A few companies using the acronym of ISIS are making a conscious decision not to change their name. A feminist group affiliated with Fordham University has decided to keep the name ISIS which stands for In Strength I Stand. "People know who we are. Nobody thinks we are in any way an Islamic terror nationalist group. So I really don't see a need to change it because of that," Wallis Monday, the group's president told New York Magazine.

Rebranding is a huge undertaking. Oftentimes, a new mission statement must be developed to coincide with the core values, which may change from time to time as the business changes with the times and its demographics. When you consider having to redesign stationery, packaging, logos, websites, advertising and any other collateral a company uses for its brand identification, a rebranding project can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars as well as a potential loss of customers.

Of course, there are times when rebranding is needed. As a company grows over time, it may evolve to offer new products or services, or may be making a push towards gaining a new client demographic, or may want to keep up with a change in trends and fashions. Other businesses rebrand because the business name doesn't fit or it is easily confused with something else or is unpronounceable or in the case of ISIS, to change the negative connotations consumers may have.

Have you ever rebranded your business? Would you change the name of your company if it had unwelcome negative associations with forces you couldn't control? Let us know in the comments below, what you think about this predicament and how you’d handle it.

Is Kim Kardashian a PR Genius?

By Megan Quinn

Her latest publicity stunt has been one of the most buzzed-about subjects lately. I think you know who I’m talking about. Kim Kardashian shocked the Internet with a nude Paper Magazine cover and the photo has been plastered all over the web ever since - memes included.

But (ha), let me ask you something; do you know what Paper Magazine is now? Chances are, when you think of Kim K, you probably think of the magazine that showcased her risqué photographs. Her tactic did not succeed in “breaking the Internet,” but it did generate enough buzz to keep her pictures and Paper Magazine’s name floating around.

Just to be clear, as part of a marketing agency staffed by six women, I am aware of the ramifications of using lewd PR and sexploitation for promotional materials. While this approach may work for a certain kind of audience, for our professional services clients, we highly recommend NOT baring it all to pull off a successful PR campaign. This kind of publicity stunt is more likely to turn off a sophisticated, professional target audience rather than attract them.

How did Kim pull off a major PR move?

Still, the stunt seemed to accomplish its goal of raising awareness of both Kim and the magazine. How did she do it? It’s really quite simple. She shocked us and we just had to share the news – just like I’m doing right now – and celebrities did the same by tweeting their reactions.

Then, millions of Twitter followers of those celebrities shared the information with their followers, causing a ripple effect of epic proportions. Other celebrities, such as Alyssa Milano and Chelsea Handler, essentially endorsed Paper Magazine without, perhaps, even intending to by referencing Kim’s cover photos. Handler posted a picture of her own derrière next to Kim’s and challenged her Twitter followers to guess which one is real. Meanwhile, Milano publically questioned why her breastfeeding snapshot received backlash months ago, while Kim’s photo received a fair amount of praise. This, in turn, prompted discussion on attitudes toward breastfeeding once again.

The Numbers

Not only did Kim Kardashian promote her own brand, she helped a small magazine gain a larger profile in just days. Overall, Paper Magazine received 32,000 new Twitter followers (and counting) and surely Kim gained plenty more by marketing toward 18- to 35-year-olds. And believe it or not – Kim actually did those cover photos for free.

Adweek reported that Kim’s cover story generated close to 16 million page views and 11.4 million unique visitors to PaperMag.com, as of Nov. 14. To meet the increasing newsstand demand, Paper Magazine is printing an additional 35,000 copies of the clothed Kim Kardashian issue, but only 10,000 of the nude cover (which will not be sold on newsstands). Paper Magazine normally has a circulation of about 155,000.

PaperMag.com is slated to undergo a complete website redesign soon to accompany their recent print magazine revamping.

To Rebrand or Not to Rebrand, That is the Question

By Megan Quinn

#142188957 / gettyimages.com

It’s funny how a new look can change the entire feel of a company. Sometimes a business wants a change – whether it is a flashy or subtle one. Starbucks made a slight change to their logo in 2011, but it’s barely noticeable (in my opinion). They opted to keep their signature mermaid symbol, while making some updates to it, and removing the words “Starbucks Coffee” from their logo. In short – their company name in the logo was unnecessary because their brand is internationally recognizable.

Sometimes logo changes are not enough. That was the case with Hotmail. Launched in 1996, this email service has been around for almost 20 years and was one of the first web-based email services. However, Microsoft decided to reinvent Hotmail during the summer of 2013 to become Outlook.com. Hotmail users still got to keep the “@hotmail.com” address, plus their contacts and passwords, but significant external changes took place.

“Today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve completed upgrading all Hotmail customers to Outlook.com. Coupled with the growing organic excitement for Outlook.com, this has pushed us to over 400 million active Outlook.com accounts, including 125 million that are accessing email, calendar and contacts on a mobile device using Exchange ActiveSync,” Microsoft said in a blog post on the day it finished the upgrade. The Outlook.com integration process took only six weeks and was completed on May 2, 2013.

Not only did Microsoft’s Hotmail rebrand, but they also backed up their decision with plenty of ways to keep their customers happy and loyal while gaining new ones. Sounds like rebranding and updating was their key to success.

Not every company needs to rebrand. Sometimes it only requires a surface change. In this case, Microsoft’s Hotmail was due for a huge upgrade – and the company delivered.

Another lesser known success story is that of Burberry, the clothing, scarf and handbag brand. Their infamous checkered pattern actually was digging them into a deep hole. The pattern had become associated with hooligans in the UK who acted violently at soccer matches. A pattern that was once seen as a status symbol was now outlawed, so to speak.

Burberry was in serious need of a rebranding effort to keep their customers. They decided to hire young celebrities to endorse their products and also revamped their trench coats. By staying in the loop and realizing their brand was being connected with the wrong crowd, they kept their successful name.

Sometimes rebranding doesn’t fit in with the company's ultimate needs and goals, or maybe it’s just not necessary, if customers are so accustomed to the old logo. Business won’t exactly improve or could stay the same. There are currently some new brand logos out there that I’m not too fond of, but I still give those brands business because I like their products or services.

Are there any new rebranding efforts you feel made a critical difference for companies? Are there any branding schemes you wish had never changed? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

What will be your differentiator?

By: Sarah Larson

My 13-year-old son needed socks. So I found myself standing in front of row after row of packages of socks at the local get-everything-in-one-place big box store.

Some were crew socks. Some socks were cut to end at the top of the ankle. Some had reinforced toes.

Each style was made by at least two major brand manufacturers. The socks themselves looked much the same, and the packages all had the same number of pairs. The price was different by no more than about 50 cents.

In the end, I reached for the package of Hanes white crew socks.

Why? What made me choose Hanes instead of its competitor?

The Hanes package had a little pink logo at the top that read “Box Tops for Education.”

Like many other schools across the country, my daughter’s elementary school collects those ubiquitous pink labels. Students are encouraged to send in box tops and labels throughout the year. During special competition periods, the classroom that turns in the most labels wins some prize.

My daughter is in first grade. While she may get a kick out of opposing everything I say or do at home, her greatest wish in the world right now is to please her teacher and her school. As such, she took up the “Box Tops” challenge with the zeal of the newly converted.

That package of Hanes crew socks ended up in my cart because that choice accomplished two goals: meeting my son's need for warm feet while also helping my daughter fulfill a goal of collecting labels to help her school.

That little pink logo was a differentiator.

When a business – whether it’s a law firm or a clothing manufacturer – sets out to make itself different from its competitors, marketers call that brand differentiation. And with brand differentiation, there’s no such thing as a small decision.

“Every ‘small’ decision that positions a brand is critical,” explains Laura Powers, our Chief Marketing Officer.

As humans, we are emotionally influenced by many external factors, some subtle and some conspicuous, says Powers. A brand manager understands that all these factors help guide a buyer's purchasing decision. This is true whether a customer is choosing a divorce attorney, an accountant or a package of socks.

“Each choice in positioning the brand plays a part in influencing target audiences – the colors on a logomark, the font on a website, the company's tagline, the paper stock on a business card,” says Powers. “These choices include strategic partnerships with B2B affiliations such as a partnership with a niche publication to sponsor an event that attracts the target audience, and B2C affiliates such as Box Tops for Education.”

Next time you stop to think about your organization’s brand, spare a moment to define what it is that makes you different from your competitors. Whatever it is, it needs to be a vital part of all your strategic messaging.

E-newsletters – How to Increase Your Open Rate

by Kim Tarasiewicz

Does your company send an e-newsletter? It’s a great way to touch a large audience and keep your brand in front of them in a positive, valuable way. The trick is how to get your audience to open your newsletter with so much “In-Box” clutter.

Your readers are more likely to respond, repost or take action on an event in the newsletter if they feel it is meant for them personally. Providing the recipient with a useful tip, guide or item of interest makes them more likely to share your newsletter with friends and expand your company brand. Industry tips can be useful and relevant, especially when they include a “Secrets of…,” “How to…,” or “Trends in…,”section. Trivia, interesting images and humor will keep your reader engaged while providing them a break from strictly business communications.

Keep a spreadsheet of topic ideas during the month and ask employees for input. Has one of your employees won an award or completed a community service project? –Share the link and alert that organization, which will boost their presence and show another side of your business. And be sure to keep the articles timely.

10 Best Practices When Creating E-Newsletters:

• Make the design consistent with your website and collateral materials. This maintains your branding and awareness.
• Add an opt-in subscription tool on the website and social media sites.
• Host all newsletter content on your website and only provide teaser copy with links in the e-newsletters.
• Be sure to review open rates, evaluate trends and readers’ habits over time, and adjust your newsletter content to meet the needs of the readers.
• Send at regular intervals.
• Send at optimal times.
• Use a “from” address that is identifiable with your company.
• Include engagement tools: surveys, polls, forums, ways to provide feedback, links to social media.
• Test everything before sending your newsletter. Once it’s gone, you cannot get it back. 
• Be sure to include an opt-out link. Familiarize yourself with the CAN-SPAM Act.

And remember, if you keep it interesting, your clients will look forward to opening your newsletter first when they check their emails.