Is Debranding the Right Move for Your Brand?
Have you noticed how Nike has removed “Nike” from underneath their swoosh? What about when Dunkin’ Donuts removed the coffee cup from their logo and changed their name to Dunkin’? This method of simplifying your logo, changing color pallets, and changing typefaces is called debranding. Whether brands are doing it to come off as more consumer-centric or not, this is NOT the same thing as a simple refresh.
Originally debranding referred to brands stripping the manufacturer’s name or branding from their products. Businesses then realized people began connecting more with visuals over their “stale word marks.” The Nike example I asked you about was one of the first to do this.
Why are businesses taking part in debranding?
Mobile Optimization: The digital era has increased the need for logo versatility. Businesses need a brand identity that can be viewed on different advertisements no matter if it is online or offline.
Increase Professionalism: When brands consisted of mascots and playful typefaces people viewed it as unprofessional, and now they are viewed as outdated and childlike.
Focus on Product Quality: Businesses want to emphasize the quality of their products rather than using flashy logos in advertising efforts. Using flashy logos in advertisements is expensive, and people have now come to believe the flashier the logo, the worse off the products.
Appeal to Younger Generations: Studies have shown that Gen Z consumers are more drawn to brands that feel less corporate and more individualistic. Using debranding can help your brand become more appealing to the new generation of consumers.
Encouraging Brand Loyalty: You may be wondering how a simple brand can increase brand loyalty, but businesses have realized that with a minimalistic brand, consumers tend to connect more with the product itself. These consumers who connect more with simple brands are choosing quality over image.
Drawbacks to Debranding
Causes Confusion: If a brand changes too much, there runs a risk of internal employees being confused and consumers being confused. People will not understand who and what the brand is especially if the debranding sends mixed messages.
Removes Brand Personality: Many logos are put in place so consumers can differentiate between competitors. There needs to be a happy medium when simplifying your brand so you do not lose the personality that sets you apart from competitors.
Might Not Last Long: Debranding is in at this point in time, but in a few years we are unaware if the new generation will switch to do the exact opposite of Gen Z. Keep this in mind when simplifying your brand just in case you have to reverse your efforts.
Reduced Brand Recognition: Changing your brand too much can cause people to not recognize your new brand. If your brand has been in place for a long time, you run a HUGE risk of people not recognizing your brand with too much change in your logo or color pallet. Make sure you are recognizable by not changing too much.
Risk of Misalignment: If the brand's values or identity shifts too drastically, it can misaligned with what consumers expect or value, potentially shifting loyal customers to not purchase anymore. If the debranding effort isn’t aligned with the company’s long-term goals, it can hinder growth and development plans. Along with this if the debranding isn’t clearly communicated, your target audience might misinterpret your brand's intentions, leading to confusion about product offerings or quality.
Types of Debranding
Decorporatising: A brand completely removes its name or logo from its products.
Transitioning to Generic: When a well-known brand changes its name or logo to something either generic or simply unnamed.
Modern Debranding: Process of removing a brand name from a logo, but not changing it to acquire other brands without completely overhauling the parent brand branding.
If you think your brand needs some help, send us a message! At 4Wealth Marketing we have marketing professionals who are here to help with all things marketing-related!
