MSIX: Striking the right balance between ‘effective and distinctive communication’ drives rebranding success
A failed rebrand can be detrimental to a brand’s identity; it can reduce credibility, affect sales and leave customers confused and sceptical.
However, according to marketing consultant and creator Brent Vrdoljak, it’s possible to bounce back from a redesign that didn’t quite hit the mark – or, as he calls it, reincarnate.
At Mumbrella’s MSIX conference in Sydney last week, Vrdoljak examined why effective and distinctive communication is key when considering a redesign.
“Distinctive is about being unique – not just unique in the category, but unique in the world. Effective is about trying to sell the idea or have your communication be understood and land in the mind of the audience.”
In his session, ‘The Life, Death and Reincarnation of Brands – How Redesigns Actually Work’, Vrdoljak cited global soft drink giant Coca-Cola to drive home his point.
“99% of the global population know what’s inside that can, although it just has a logo on it – it’s very distinctive,” he said.
“We have memory structures that tell us there’s a cold, sparkling liquid in there that tastes great.”
However, for lesser-known brands, finding a balance between effective and distinctive communication is crucial.
“You don’t want to be too generic trying to sell, sell, sell, but you can’t go the other way and just be all about your brand.”
In an interactive session in a room full of creatives, Vrdoljak unpacked the sudden remarkable comeback of the dairy alternative brand Oatly.
The Swedish-based company was established for over 30 years before rising from the ashes in 2019 and gaining popularity.
The man behind the rebrand, global CCO John Schoolcraft, made the controversial move to replace the entire marketing team with the Oatly Department of Mind Control – a playful nod to their aim to influence consumer behaviour.
“This is the greatest rebrand of all time, and you can’t change my mind,” Vrdoljak said.
“Brands live in our heads, so The Department of Mind Control is pretty useful. They’ve built a whole new approach to the brand and what it means to be an oat milk product.
“They’re changing the entire structure and culture of the organisation, and the packaging is just an expression. But it’s very distinctive.”
Another stand-out company, Australian-owned Cocobella, also garnered attention after years of stagnation by “simply becoming more like itself”, he said.
“They took the parts of the brand – the essence, core colours, and icons – dialled it up and made the communication a little bit more effective.”
However, he urged brands to be cautious of “death by distraction” or “chasing the latest trends”.
For this example, he cited the Japanese laundry company, BioZet Attack.
“At a time when laundry was controlled by Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Henkel, BioZet Attack came in and managed to get a wedge in the market.
“They had a really strong position, and then they unveiled a whole new brand identity, [introducing] a very minimal, different-looking brand.
“As a result, the product performed terribly in the market, and their whole share as a brand dropped significantly.”
Vrdoljak attributes the defeat to confusion within the customers’ memory structure, affecting their brand recall.
“The memory structure they were building for so long in the mind of the consumers was power, clean, and attack, and then they went to this very nimble, soft, lovely, beautiful product.”
“However, we can always bring stuff back,” he concluded, referring to the reincarnation stage.
Pepsi recently revitalised its old logo, returning to a classic design from the 1990s as part of its rebranding strategy.
“They haven’t been performing well in the market for a very long time, but bringing something back from the past might actually help them reignite the future.”
According to Vrdoljak, taking into account consumers’ memory structures can positively influence a company’s rebranding decisions.
“There are people who have memory structures from a very long time ago, from a nostalgia perspective. [Pepsi] is an interesting example of how we can bring things back and try to drive the future.”
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