A Case Study Exploring the Most Important Factors in Firm Rebranding

Abstract: A growing use of mergers and acquisitions as a growth strategy has led to what is often referred to as “brand accumulation”, describing a situation in which a parent firm finds itself having acquired firms to the extent that the number of brands under management exceeds the capability of the firm. This, coupled with a generational shift in the workforce that has increased the demands on brand equity amongst potential employees, has increased the need for successful firm rebrandings. Today, many rebranding efforts fail, and this paper attempts to highlight the most important factors affecting a rebranding initiative, in order to better understand why some of them fail and why some succeed. The study is based on a framework of success and failure factors, extracted from historical as well as contemporary research into the field of firm rebranding These factors are then evaluated through case studies. The research goes beyond looking at a rebrand as just the replacement of a firm logotype or graphical guidelines, and puts added focus on the larger brand visions that are often implemented as part of a rebranding. The case studies were performed at four firms from different industries who has gone through a rebranding with varying degrees of success. The interviewees had different roles at their respective firms. The entire paper is structured around the frame of reference constructed during the literature review, a summary of which can be found in section 2.3 on pages 27-29. These factors are the underlying basis for answering the research questions.