Rebranding business case, with handy checklist

How do you build a strong business case for your rebranding project? We share a checklist with the key metrics.

For many smaller businesses, rebranding is not all that difficult in itself. You reconsider your company’s positioning, develop a new identity, and ensure that this new identity is reflected everywhere. Yet, this appearance is often deceiving, as identity turns out to reappear in multiple areas. Think, for example, of sponsorships of shirts, boards or events. Or letters or emails automatically sent from a system. Or the various online platforms where your logo and old positioning story may still be displayed. Suddenly, rebranding turns out to be quite a task after all.

Rebranding projects and advice

In addition to our marketing advice, we have set up and executed various rebranding and (re)naming processes. Always based on the need for a strong positioning. In recent years, we have done this for, among others:

• Freek Hypotheek (NL)(naming & (re)branding, 2016)
• Marbels (naming & branding, 2016)
• GMP+ International (NL)(rebranding, 2017)
• Aster ICT (NL)(naming & rebranding, 2017)
• Jurable (NL)(naming & rebranding, 2019)
• Eneco eMobility (business case rebranding for the German market, 2019-2020)
• LikiFin (naming & (re)branding, 2020-2021)
• Vivine (naming & branding, 2020-2021)
• Shiperone.com (naming & branding, 2022-2023)
• Projective Group (branding & campaigning, 2023)

The rebranding business case

Ultimately, you want to know which resources need to be equipped with the new identity and the new story. And of course, you want to know what costs you can expect. We have outlined the factors you need to consider if you want to build a clear business case and where you might be able to save. In our whitepaper, you will find the parameters we use for calculations.

For building a solid business case, we consider the following points:

• The spontaneous brand awareness among the target audience;
• Estimated brand value reflected on the balance sheet, and the planned write-offs over the years;
• Whether the new brand has no (international) legal objections;
• An estimate of the costs for the rebranding on brand carriers such as
  • Advertisements;
  • Automotive;
  • Printed materials;
  • Buildings;
• The impact on the required FTEs for and during the rebranding project:
  • For the inventory phase;
  • For project leadership;
  • For the project team (include representatives from all departments);
  • Other FTEs who are indirectly involved.
• An estimate of the potential churn of customers;
• The communication costs and advertising budgets related to the rebranding of the acquired company.

Savings potential

Based on existing brand carriers, an estimate of the potential cost savings when rebranding

• Advertisements;
• Automotive;
• Printed materials;
• Buildings;
• IT systems;
• Online sites, platforms & apps;
• Radio and television (narrow and broad casting);
• Sponsoring.
• The impact/savings on the regular staffing after the completion of the rebranding project;
• An estimation of the savings from potentially reallocating roles and tasks.