OUGD601 | Essay Evaluation

Essay Evaluation

Generally, I am happy with the result of my piece of writing as I feel it effectively answers the proposed question; 'Why do rebrands fail and what role does the customer's relationship with the company play?'

In my essay I start by generally explaining what a brand is, which includes why they are a necessary part of our economy and how and why they play such a huge role in our society. It was made clear through my research that brands are an easier way for a company to make an emotional connection with consumers than using the corporation itself. People want to feel like they matter to the brand as individuals and the brand is able to make a story for the consumer to buy into and play a part in. This story should be the romantic representation of the values that the company wishes to stand for. I found this research to be very helpful later on in my essay as it informs and explains many theories on brands and explains a lot about some of the decisions brands have made in the past. 

In my second chapter, where I explore the past rebrands of Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry and Instagram, I wish I went into slightly more depth in comparing them to one another. Although I did compare and contrast them to a certain extent, I feel if I were to go into a lot more detail as to why the companies made the same/different choices rather than how, it would have given me a clearer view on the psychological side of branding. Although it wasn't in my essay structure and maybe doesn't fully relate to my question, a paragraph or so on psychology in branding would be very interesting and could have possibly opened up a new discussion on the morals and ethics of branding. 

My primary research proved to be very helpful in answering my question 

as it offered a new perspective on the rebrand process. Rather than seeing it from an outside view and studying it from secondary sources such as literature, case studies and internet articles, it was a chance to hear exactly what companies think of branding and the importance of it to them specifically. I contacted Pinpoint as they are a small business, located in Leeds, who have recently undergone a very successful rebrand. Being able to get information from the Managing Director, the Creative Director and the Head of Digital Marketing allowed me to compare their views of the roles their job to the theories I researched and read in pieces of literature. For example, in Chapter 1, I talk at length about the importance of consumer loyalty; I was then able to ask Pinpoint about their views on consumer loyalty and how important it is to them. Adam Davis, Head of Digital Marketing was able to answer in a good amount of detail which helped me then compare his theories to others I read.

Being able to get different perspectives on the issues related to company rebranding allowed me to answer the question effectively as I had a wide range of sources that all collect to give very reliable points on the issue, making it easy for me to compare and contrast them. I feel the answer I eventually reached is credible due to the amount of research put into the project; each of the conclusions I drew from said research all gathered to provide me with my final answer.