In absence of a truly useful guide to rebranding, CEOs and companies are left guessing.
What’s worse is the metrics can get really screwed up. Things like “likes” and “mentions” becomes the only metric that anyone pays attention to.
It’s why I ended up showing 11 companies below how they rose above the noise.
I have a simple metric. Getting paid compliments is nice. Getting paid by happy customers is better.
And the glut of BS thrown around offering “ultimate guides” is tiring.
Too many are shallow tips that lack any insight into why something works. And in our world of everyone wanting things faster, quicker, and with no understanding or effort (notice the amazing number of “AI experts” all of a sudden?), I have this to say:
“Insight is the ultimate shortcut.”
This is why I wrote this “ultimate guide to rebranding” for the many companies told that changing their logo, altering their colors, hiring a web firm to “change the skin” of their site and other bits of superficial BS, all pawned off as “rebranding.”
This is why I’ve written this guide. To set the record straight.
What inspired this is that I wrote a very popular tweet about Liquid Death water that argued on behalf of the immense power of branding.
The argument was compelling and struck a nerve amongst CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs, business owners, and startups.
How The Ultimate Guide to Rebranding Got Started
Here’s what I originally tweeted:
Differentiation Is Your Weapon. Attention Is Your Target
The problem that Differentiation solves is two things:
- It gives you something distinctive, so that you do not look, sound, or are perceived the same as others, and
- It allows you to avoid the worst problem in business. The worst problem is not lack of engagement or lack of followers.
The worst problem is indifference.
Disruption Is Your Business Advantage
The first thing to disrupt is your own view of the world.
Know this: the mere idea “We’re just an XYZ company” is your nemesis, your Achilles heel, your undoing.
And your competition’s greatest hope is that you give up that early on your brand’s ability to disrupt and attract buyers away from them.
The 3 Skills to Dominate Your Industry
- You need to disrupt
- You need to reframe
- You cannot use the language of the old to introduce the new
After pulling back the curtain on how to really disrupt an industry as crowded and commoditized as water, I realized there were a number of companies out there that showed the world this rule:
“There’s no such thing as a commodity unless you think like a commodity.”
11 Companies That Showed The World How the Game is Played
Here are 11 companies that crushed the “commodity mentality” to become global leaders.
For anyone who thinks branding isn’t important, remind them of this:
1. Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club, a brand built on irreverent humor, total convenience, and insane affordability offered monthly subscriptions for razors and other grooming products raising $1 billion after its acquisition by Unilever.
Then remind those who think branding isn’t important of this:
Dollar Shave Club is just “a razor company.”
2. Warby Parker
Warby Parker reached a valuation of $3 billion.
A brand built on affordability, style, and social responsibility, disrupting the eyewear industry by offering online shopping, home try-ons, and built-in philanthropy to third-world countries with every purchase.
Then remind those who roll their eyes when you mention branding of this:
Warby Parker is just “an eyewear retailer.”
3. Airbnb
Airbnb raised $4.4 billion in its IPO.
A brand built on authenticity, community, and travel, disrupting the hotel industry by offering home-sharing experiences.
Then remind the naysayers of this:
Airbnb is just a “hotel alternative.”
4. Impossible Foods
Impossible Foods raised $700 million in its latest funding round.
A brand built on disrupting the food industry by offering plant-based meat alternatives.
Then remind “marketing purists” of this:
Impossible Foods is just “a food company” for non-carnivores.
5. Tesla
Tesla became the most valuable car company in the world with a market cap of over $800 billion.
A brand built on innovation, sustainability, and luxury, disrupting the automotive industry by offering electric cars with long ranges and cutting-edge technology.
Then remind those who think branding isn’t important of this:
Tesla is just “an electric car company.”
6. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has been a dominant player in the beverage industry for over a century, with a brand built on happiness, refreshment, and nostalgia.
Then remind the “mentally dehydrated” of this:
Coca-Cola is just “a soft drink company.”
7. Nike
Nike is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, with a market cap of over $200 billion.
A brand built on innovation, inspiration, and athleticism, disrupting the sportswear industry by “portraying the story we all held in our hearts” long before we decided what athletic wear we might choose.
Then remind them of this:
Nike is just “a sportswear company.”
8. Apple
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a market cap of over $2 trillion.
A brand built on design, innovation, and simplicity, disrupting the technology industry by making computers that thought like people instead of demanding people think like computers.
Then remind those who think branding isn’t important of this little detail:
Apple is just “a technology company.”
9. Kind Snacks
Kind Snacks became a leader in the healthy snack industry with a market share of over 18%.
A brand built on health, transparency, and kindness, disrupting the snack industry by offering snacks made with whole ingredients and no artificial sweeteners or preservatives.
Then remind those who think you’re nuts of this:
Kind Snacks is just “a snack company.”
10. Slack
Slack went public with a valuation of $20 billion.
A brand built on collaboration, efficiency, and communication, disrupting the workplace communication industry by offering a messaging platform that replaces email and helps teams work together more effectively.
Then remind them (in your Slack channel) of this:
Slack is just “a messaging platform.”
11. Lulu Lemon
Lululemon is a popular athletic apparel brand with a market cap of nearly $50 billion.
A brand built on innovation, style, and community, disrupting the athletic apparel industry by offering high-quality yoga and workout clothing that is both functional and fashionable.
Then remind them (looking buff and sweaty) of this:
Lululemon is just “an athletic apparel company.”
You Can Do This. To Hell With Anyone Who Thinks Otherwise
Liquid Death’s success is one example of the power of rebranding, yet it’s just one point in a much larger story.
As I discussed in this post, there are many examples of companies that have gotten this right. (And considerably more who have gotten it wrong.)
They all shared the same traits: a rebellious attitude, street smarts, professionalism, and an unmistakable voice that resonated within their space.
Here’s a brief overview how this is achieved:
Now that you have seen 11 companies who got it right and understand their story, I invite you to take those learnings into your own space – whatever that might be.
To master your market and own the competition, there are three essential skills you must master:
1. You need to disrupt
2. You need to reframe
3. You cannot use the language of the old to introduce the new
Stuck on your rebrand?
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