OUGD601 | Final Conclusion

Conclusion

The initial research undertaken for this project explored branding in a very general sense within the first chapter. The purpose of this research was to get a clear understanding of how and why brands operate, and how they have come to be an integral part of the society we live in, both past and present. The research delivers key information regarding what brands need in order to be successful; such as brand equity, brand loyalty and brand voice. By gaining knowledge in these areas it provides an insight as to why brands operate in the way they do. In this chapter the motives and and processes of a rebrand are also explored. To be able to effectively answer the proposed question, it should be made clear as to why a company feels they need to rebrand and how they go about doing so.

The second chapter of this text is where past rebrand cases are studied with the intention of being able to determine what makes a rebrand a success or failure. In order to answer the research question, one must be able to provide reasoning as to why certain elements of a rebrand may be considered successful – this was done in chapter two using the past rebrands of Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger and Instagram, all of which were compared and contrasted to one another as well as graphic design theory.

The methodology used throughout chapters one and two was primarily literature based - using texts written on the subject matters to inform the reasoning of different companies and brands in question. Chapter three, however, uses primary research to gather opinions and reasons from a different point of view – the company’s. By getting the company to talk directly about the motives and process of a rebrand through an interview, it rules out any speculation or false information that one may come across through the varied sources of research undertaken. The interview proved to be very helpful due to being able to get direct answers on some of the issues that have been discussed in regards to other brands. Topics that were touched upon include; brand loyalty, visual identity, customer relationship, the effect of the rebrand and consumer relationships as well as other key topics relevant to the research question.

Through the different research methods and through literature read in relation to this topic, fundamental knowledge on the matter has been gained. In regards to branding in a social and cultural context, this is explored within the first chapter where the importance of brands and their relationship to corporate companies is investigated. The use of primary and secondary research within this project compared against graphic design theory, allows for the question to be answered in a logical, unbiased and reasoned manner.

It can be concluded that rebrands fail when companies are unable to maintain consumer loyalty due to a lack of effective communication between the two parties involved. This can be backed up from the research drawn from the Tommy Hilfiger rebrand case explored within chapter 2. Tommy Hilfiger as a brand was unable to keep its consumer base during and after their rebrand when they failed to communicate the existing brand values as well as any new ones they may have established. These brand values should have been reflected within the new product designs but were instead forgotten about in the pursue of additional customers and sales. Tommy Hilfiger made the mistake of trying to please too wide of an audience; they forgot that the original loyal customers had established a connection to the Tommy Hilfiger brand due to the values it stood for, when these values were no longer communicated to customers, loyalty and sales were lost. 

The primary research undertaken also backs this answer up. It was made evident by members of the Pinpoint team that communication between client and business is an essential part of growing the brand and company. Pinpoint primarily use social media to interact with their customers, therefore building a trusting relationship between brand and customer. Adam Davis, Head of Digital Marketing at Pinpoint, says they use social media to ‘keep in touch with key contacts’ and to ‘build a more relaxed relationship [with clients]’ [Adam Davis, Head of Digital Marketing of Pinpoint, 2017]. Communicating the brand voice through social media outlets is a very effective way to share the values and messages of the brand. The success of Pinpoint’s rebrand is proof of the importance of effective communication.