The world is always in motion. To keep up with the times, trends, or to take a new direction, a new appearance is often a solution for growth. The exact reasons can vary widely. For example, a rebranding may be necessary to reach a new target audience. This was the main reason for Poldar: in Baaz Magazine 2.2025, Paul Abeling discusses that the transition from the consumer to the business market was decisive in the choice for a new brand image.
(Floris H├╝lsmann brand and name expert, founder of Namarama and creator of the National Name Award)
(Jasper Wognum CEO and co-founder of Braincreators)
A clear strategy
For Poldar, that transition led to a new rebranding. The bicycle company wanted to present itself more professionally with a new bike design, highlight the spearhead of traceable production - more about this in the interview with Paul Abeling - and honor where it all began, with byAr. It reflects a well-thought-out rebranding, and that comes in handy. A rebrand 'for appearance's sake' never really works. Without a clear strategy or sufficient support, you come home from a cold fair. Name expert Floris H├╝lsmann agrees: 'Your name or image must align with who you are, what you do, and where you want to go.'
Floris knows better than anyone what makes a rebrand successful. With his company Namarama, he works on the perfect names for companies, and he has contributed to a large number of award-winning campaigns for companies like Heineken and Samsung: 'If you do it right, it resonates.' A rebrand, with the right approach, is a perfect means to stay connected with your customers and remain relevant in a competitive market. 'The only constant thing is change,' Floris also knows.
A new message
Above, we already discussed how the transition to a new target audience can mark the start of a new brand adventure. But there are more reasons. Some companies want to overcome their reputational damage, your name may no longer fit the products or services you offer, you want to stand out more, or you feel that your message is not coming across clearly. The latter was the case with Braincreators. The company, which aims to speed up and improve decision-making processes with AI solutions, noticed that every competitor had the same appearance, according to CEO Jasper Wognum: 'I was at a fair in Rotterdam and thought: everything is the same. Everywhere you saw robots, while the human side was forgotten.' They also used a robot in the logo, but primarily work with people. 'That had to change. We wanted to show that AI is not scary and that we are really here to help people.'
The logo changed from a robot to something resembling a magnifying glass. Braincreators wants to show that they are digital inspectors: 'Customers often asked how AI worked, but we actually wanted to look at where the problems lay.' And that was not all - the rebrand also brought extra cohesion, Jasper explains: 'We have different names under our brand that were increasingly working separately. You can easily involve them again.' Floris H├╝lsmann also sees that a rebrand can create unity. He mentions the telecom company Odido, which emerged from spin-offs and mergers of T-Mobile and Tele2, resulting in a new brand. Not just a new name or colors, but a completely new brand. 'A bit of getting used to, certainly. But totally different from the 'sims', 'mobiles', and 'fones' names. You can feel that.'
What to consider when rebranding
It is clear that a rebrand must have a clear 'why.' We have already seen that a successful rebranding without a goal actually never works. Once you have that ready, it becomes easier to align your restyling and substantive course change. With these tips, you can get started already
1. Involve the target audience
Make sure to involve your (new) target audience; what do they want to see, what do they find acceptable? Juice producer Tropicana got this wrong in 2009; their new packaging design was very poorly received by drinkers of the brand. The transition from an orange with a straw to a glass of juice took away the 'freshness' of the product for many customers. You no longer drank directly from an orange; how do you know what's in it? It cost the company as much as 20% in revenue within two months
2. Create clarity
You must also ensure a careful and clear launch, both within and outside your company. If no one internally understands what you want, the right message can never be conveyed, while without explanation externally, nothing can be understood either. Uncertainty can quickly lead to declining numbers, as seen with Elon Musk's X - the rebrand of Twitter came out of nowhere and was never really explained. The result could even hurt Musk's wallet - the brand is now worth between 4 and 20 billion dollars less.
3. Keep translating
A rebrand should not be seen as an endpoint. It is not a marketing stunt, but your brand must constantly fulfill what it promises, in every aspect of your company. Marketing, design, everything must continue to align with external trends. In this case, we can provide a successful example: Apple made losses in the 1990s, and Steve Jobs saw an opportunity that the company still benefits from today. At that time, the company was seen as outdated, dull, with little exciting to offer. Jobs wanted to focus on a new emotional connection. Innovation and simplicity became the spearheads of the brand, and Apple suddenly became a leader again. Not long after, the iPod, App Store, and iPhone were launched, and now, more than 25 years later, Apple is still known for that focus on innovation.
No rebrand without risk
Like any business decision, a rebrand also comes with some risks. You can never precisely predict whether something will resonate, whether the new message will be understood, or whether the story fits the target audience. But without risk, progress is often difficult to achieve. Whether it's out of necessity, due to expansion, or through a merger; a rebrand certainly provides a completely new perspective on your company. And you notice that immediately.
