Co Authors: Muskan Sehgal, Vinit Gosalia

What is a century old and has a roaring British legacy of performance in luxury cars? Jaguar! Is it too soon to reopen the two-month-old wound of rebranding? Hope not.

The beloved luxury car brand baffled the internet with its new, vibrant, techno-inspired visuals. Jaguar retired its marque, the leaping cat, for a more ‘modern,’ ‘minimalist’ and ‘inclusive’ identity. This also marked a milestone in the decision to switch to EVs. But something got lost in translation with its fanbase. The brand’s unveiling triggered plenty of mixed opinions, with very few in favour of rebranding, as it became embroiled in controversy over its brand-new identity.

While the company is emphasizing the founding philosophy of ‘Copy Nothing,’ the rebranding buzzwords are in line with ongoing trends followed by many brands in recent years. Shedding the ‘chunkiness’ of logos and moving toward sleek and cleaner designs.

This brings up an intriguing thought: why do big brands like Jaguar risk it all? Why rewrite the established narrative? And how can you do it without losing the love of your market?

Let’s explore some success stories of how rebranding revamps, evolves, and sometimes revolutionizes the way we perceive the brands we love.

Evolutionary Rebranding

Evolutionary rebranding is a gradual brand transformation of its brand identity by staying relevant to changing market trends while also preserving the core identity of the business.

If one looks at the journey of brands like AirBnb, Foursquare, Mastercard, etc., they all started with colorful, flamboyant designs for their logos. However, as the product line expanded, so did the need to adapt to evolving times; the companies adapted to a more mature color palette and designs. From cartoonish to corporate, flamboyant to flat, wacky to bland – several brands have de-branded themselves over the years to subtly hint at their repositioning.

A relevant case to explore is Samsung. The company’s evolutionary rebranding represents its progressive shift from a budget electronics brand to a global leader in innovation and premium technology.

The colorful, playful logo of the 1980s gave way to a sleek, monochromatic design by the late 1990s, signaling its move toward sophistication and quality. This transformation reflected the company’s repositioning as a cutting-edge brand delivering world-class products.

A subset of evolutionary rebranding, cosmetic rebranding, refers to revitalizing a brand’s visual identity without disrupting its core business.

Consider brands like Pringles, Pepsi, Baskin Robbins, Google, Apple, etc; they all transitioned from detailed, bulky logos with bright colors to flat designs. With the rise of a mobile-first world, brands were compelled to rethink their logos for clarity and flexibility on smaller screens. The desire for logos to remain recognizable within the confines of fewer pixels drove designs toward simplicity as flat and minimalist visuals became popular.

Another reason is just to keep pace with contemporary times. Consider the changes that have surrounded the Pepsi brand throughout the years. From bold lettering to sleek curves, Pepsi has transformed its look to keep pace with contemporary frames. These periodic visual updates make it fresh and appealing for younger audiences, while at the same time, its dynamism as a vibrant beverage brand is not compromised.

Many brands, like Airtel, Flipkart, Tata Motors, Truecaller, and Johnson and Johnson, have also gone through this brand retouch-up to reflect modernization and dynamism without altering the brand’s core identity.

Revolutionary Rebranding

Revolutionary rebranding is a bold, dramatic make-over of a brand’s identity that symbolizes a fundamental shift in its mission, target market, or offerings to fit with the new business objectives or societal shift.

The case of Jaguar would rightfully fit into this category, where the brand is moving away from internal combustion engines to battery-powered EVs, marking a significant shift in the core business as it steps into the future.

Similarly, Kia’s bold rebrand in 2021 marked a revolutionary change from its affordability-associated image. A new logo focused on a modern rendition of calligraphy and teamed with an entirely new tagline, “Movement that inspires.” They are no longer competing solely with Honda, Toyota, Ford, or GM; they are now also competing with global players like Tesla and BYD.

This multimillion-dollar rebranding also included redesigning dealerships and color palettes, which further pushed their efforts to upmarket the brand. The speed and breadth of this

reinvention are what made it revolutionary. Unlike Samsung, which shifted gradually and evolved into the brand it is, Kia went all in at one go! This new visual identity reflected ambition as taking off and fitting well with Kia’s aggressive plans for electric vehicles, positioning it as a leading player in the rapidly changing mobility market.

Within the realm of revolutionary rebranding lies substantive rebranding, focusing on more profound changes in a brand’s business operations, offerings, or values and identities.

For instance, how Air India’s rebranding represents an entire makeover, including customer service, operational efficiencies, and an overhaul of brand imagery. The process meant much more than a new logo or livery; they also changed their color palette, website, and app. It’s a re-imagined brand world focused on a ‘Global yet proudly Indian’ outlook with innovative in-flight safety video that beautifully showcases traditional dances from across India.

Rebranding through Acquisition

Acquisitions often act as a catalyst for rebranding, allowing companies to redefine their identity, align with new leadership visions, and unlock untapped potential.

Consider X, formerly known as Twitter. This rebranding process, driven by Elon Musk’s acquisition of the ‘bluebird,’ involved a total metamorphosis of the company’s name, logo, and vision. With an intent to transform Twitter into what is referred to as a “super app,” the change has had to involve limitless possibilities that the old name could no longer signify. This made it somewhat polarizing yet representative of all the risks and rewards that such complete rebranding can carry along with it.

Similarly, the case of Air India demonstrates how rebranding through acquisition can signal fundamental organizational and cultural transformation. The pivot toward modernity and efficiency under Tata symbolized a new chapter for the airline.

Rebranding through Mergers

Just like acquisitions, mergers can also trigger the need for rebranding, where two companies come together to build a new identity that may or may not bring elements of their own piece of legacies.

One such merger is Vi, driven by financial and competitive pressures in the telecom industry; it also unified the two major players’ brand identities to become Vi. The case of Vi presented a deep form of transformation – the modern identity now had collaboration and reliance as its guideline; it demonstrates how the mergers set the pace for substantive rebranding in operational synergies as well as position in the marketplace.

The Risky Riddle

Rebranding goes beyond giving a brand a new look; it’s about rewriting how it is remembered. Whether it’s Jaguar leaping into the future with EVs, Air India dancing through India’s cultural richness, or Twitter turning into X under Elon Musk’s vision, rebranding speaks a story of ambition, reinvention, and risk. The delicate art of rebranding is a balancing act between honoring why people loved your brand in the first place and embracing the changing times and navigating into the future.

Whether it is revolutionary or evolutionary, cosmetic or substantive, rebranding raises many questions. Does rebranding truly redefine the brand’s legacy? Will it amplify the brand’s value or risk alienating the loyal customers? And most importantly, is it really worth the risk? Only time will tell.