Why marketers keep refreshing brands instead of betting on splashy ads

The widespread appetite for brand building is evident in how rebrands continue to proliferate alongside an advertising upswing.

Recent rebrands like the one by Ocean Spray are born out of marketers' need for agility and fluidity in their efforts and allow them to meet several different imperatives. For the third year in a row, many marketers have focused on rebrands, refreshes and repositionings over the type of creative swings that can make a big splash and create buzz. While mostly embraced by CPG companies the likes of Kraft Heinz, Unilever and PepsiCo, this approach also been adopted by QSRs, digital-first brands like Wayfair and Tubi and even agencies looking to engage customers — existing and potential — who have new priorities

Even as the pandemic moves further into the rearview and the Gen Z cohort becomes a top priority for many marketers, rebranding as a key marketing strategy does not seem to be going anywhere. Recent examples are born out of marketers' need for agility and fluidity in their efforts and allow them to meet several different imperatives: investing in brand building after years of performance marketing; finding a holistic strategy across channels; and better using insights about consumer behavior changes.