The regular subscribers to our monthly newsletter, Focal Point, may have noticed something different. “May have” is the operative phrase because that’s exactly what we want with a brand refresh.
A brand refresh is more subtle whereas rebrands can, and most usually should, be about bolder change. Let us break it down for you.
The Brand Refresh
First, let’s look at the goals of each starting with the brand refresh. True, repetition is critical if you want your audience to remember your message. But after a while, if you tell the same story in the same way for too long, it will blend into the background. It’s like that scratch on your coffee table you’ve looked at so often you no longer see it. Brand refreshes focus on telling the same story but in a fresh new way. (Hence the name.)
In the case of a brand refresh, the foundational parts of what we call the Focus & Messaging Framework, and others might call a brand house, remain the same:
- Promise: Why the work is important, why you care, and why others should too.
- Personality Attributes: How the brand wants to show up in the world.
- Purpose: What needs and wants the brand fulfills
- Pillars: How the brand meets those needs and wants in relevant and competitively differentiated ways
A brand’s visual evolution is a shift, not a pivot, says Spencer Brenneman Senior Art Director Kim Vanni: “So unless it’s part of the strategy, don’t try to make it too unique. This isn’t about a designer’s ability to create something wildly different — save that for another project! More often than not, a refresh is a rearranging of the same puzzle pieces to come up with a new solution.”
For example, the Spencer Brenneman personality attributes remain imaginative, pragmatic, humble, and humorous. The colors we use — red, purple, mustard, and blue — still do a great job of bringing to life those attributes.
The Rebrand
The goal of a rebrand is more involved. When there are significant changes, either to your own organization, the world it serves or both, it’s important to review your Focus & Messaging Framework and reframe it in an authentic, compelling way. By doing so, you more closely align your brand with those most important to your success. (Learn more about our Ask, Build, and Connect methodology that does just that.)
In the case of our brand, for example, we might want to consider a different font and color palette if our personality attributes change to academic, regional, and serious.
Examples
Here’s a great example of a brand refresh. Cadillac refined its crest logo in 2021, making it flatter, more geometric, and better suited for digital applications and electric vehicle badges. The refresh maintained the core element—the shield shape and the mondrian grid within it—while modernizing the execution for contemporary contexts.
Critically, this was a refresh, not a rebrand, because Cadillac’s story remained unchanged: American luxury, heritage, and craftsmanship. The company wasn’t pivoting its market position or business strategy; it was simply telling the same luxury heritage story in a way that worked better for modern applications, particularly as the brand expanded into electric vehicles. The visual updates made the mark work more effectively on EV grilles and digital screens without abandoning the brand equity built over more than a century.
Working on a refresh is different in ways that are both subtle and significant, Vanni says: “When refreshing a brand, my deep dive is their history because any refresh needs to be rooted in what was done while evolving into something that fits into an already-existing system. I look at the refresh from the perspective of someone who is experiencing the brand for the first time — what’s new and different should look like it’s always been there: fresh, but like it was part of the plan from the beginning.”
Further to the right on the other end of the brand refresh ←→ rebrand spectrum is Dunkin’ Donuts. As reported in Flavor 365, The company dropped “Donuts” from its name entirely, signaling a fundamental shift in business strategy toward beverages and a broader menu. This rebrand included new store formats, updated packaging, and a complete repositioning from a donut shop to a beverage-led, on-the-go brand. The rebrand reflected changing consumer preferences and the company’s evolution beyond its original product category.
But wait. If you’re saying to yourself, the Dunkin’ rebrand still rocks the same colors and logo, you’re right! Good eye.
“Considering the Dunkin’ example, a rebrand may not mean completely reinventing the wheel,” Vanni says. “The color palette and fonts, for example, might not change drastically – so understanding the history of the brand is critical to ensuring that the brand doesn’t lose existing equity and remains meaningful to its audience.”
That said, it’s even more important to deep dive into impetus for change as well as the goals. “In cases where a rebrand is a totally new look,” she says. “I still need to know how the brand started so that the new identity is effective in taking the brand where it wants to go.”
What are some of your favorite brand refreshes of full rebrands? Share this post on LinkedIn and let us know in the comments.
Either way, if you think it’s time for your brand refresh, or if your world has changed enough to warrant a full-on rebrand. Let us know. We’re happy to help.
