Brand Evolution

Some corporate brands evolve. Others sicken—of neglect, or inertia, or fear of change—decline, and can ultimately die. And when an identity begins to sicken, its effect can be systemic, like gangrene. The symptoms are conflicted managers, confused customers, and demoralized employees. An identity review is called for. Obviously, rebrandings are almost never the whole cure. There are substantive medicines too—restructurings, reorganizations, even new leaders—and more often than not, the rebranding event merely plays catch-up, expressing such substantive changes in hope that public image (and market valuation) will keep pace with them.