Top strategies for business debranding in 2023

6 min read
27 February 2023

What usually comes first to mind when you think about your favorite products? Usually, we can remember their brand names. Recognizing that brand images or logos are still used to identify products. A lot of businesses are pursuing a Debranding strategy. 

They will sell products and services without brand names or logos in place of using them. Removing a well-known brand from a product or business is a brilliant marketing move because it gives the brand a less corporate, more consumer-oriented appearance. 

This tactic became popular with businesses looking to grow and set themselves apart from competitors by removing their brand name or logo. The contemporary world is returning to its fundamentals. Everyone gradually realizes the benefits of minimalism and how therapeutic decluttering can be. Debranding's goals are just that; decluttering and minimization. 

What is debranding?

Debranding, at the heart of many marketing campaigns, is the process of streamlining your brand identity by omitting words, simplifying design, or completely changing your company name and logo. Making a brand that is focused on customers is the main objective.

As we transition to a mobile-first culture, debranding is becoming increasingly important. Whereas intricate logos were once the norm, today's logos must fit comfortably on mobile devices while still being recognizable. In addition to being necessary, having a simplified visual representation of your brand gives the designer of marketing campaigns or online media more creative freedom. 

Top 3 strategies for debranding a business

Below are the top 3 strategies for debranding your business in 2023. 

  1. Modern debranding :

This approach is more complex than simply improving a logo. Modern debranding is a successful strategy for acquiring smaller businesses or goods while keeping a positive public perception. This technique makes it possible to reach smaller businesses without disrupting their branding because the company name is completely removed.

With the Lay's/Walkers crisp marketing, we have witnessed this kind of debranding. It illustrates how Lays acquired Walkers while maintaining a consistent visual identity across all marketing and product lines.

You can redesign logos while maintaining their originality by using PosterMyWall, which has an excellent logo maker. You can stick to the basics as Lay's did but add a unique touch to it, and you're good to go.

  1. De-corporatizing: 

It may seem strange to remove your company name and logo, but the idea is to emotionally connect people to your brand, improving perceptions of the business among customers.

Coca-Cola was de-corporatizing when it removed its name and logo from can packaging in 2011 for the "Share a Coke" campaign and replaced them with people's names. Providing customers with a personalized experience with their product was done to appear more consumer-friendly.

Given that young adult consumption increased by 7%, making 2011 the most successful summer ever for Coca-Cola, this campaign serves as an excellent illustration of how debranding can be a highly successful marketing strategy for your brand.

  1. Going generic:

Going generic is a good way to achieve this for some brands that may need to transition to a less specialized appearance. Your marketing will be able to speak for itself and have less of a corporate impact on your customers or clients if you remove or simplify certain elements of your brand.

Companies can now offer additional services or goods that might not have initially fit with the design before a debrand by going generic. Additionally, it enables businesses to remove branding elements they may not agree with.

When KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, debranded to become the acronym we all know today, it was a practical example of this. Debranding correctly, with the proper social media marketing, can do wonders for promoting your business.

Important things to know before debranding a business

Listed below are some important things you should know before deciding to debrand your business. 

  1. Make sure the product is 'mature.'

Your brand should be able to communicate to customers the virtues and advantages of your goods and services. Without a name, your brand won't be able to take a significant portion of the market, and when a debranding strategy is used, your brand won't be able to boast a high level of awareness. 

Going forward, your brand should emphasize raising awareness. Nike, for example, was a mature brand. The debranding strategy they used was successful. In other words, if you're considering using the debranding technique, you should establish your brand.

  1. Adaptability is a must:

Future change readiness should be a priority for your brand—this is the second-most crucial factor after brand maturity. Create your logo in a way that can be altered if necessary in the future. 

The most crucial aspect of brands is flexibility. Your brand may have a deceptive effect if it is rigid. You could lose trust in your credibility, your brand's position and status, and its profitability.

  1. Transparency:

You must maintain brand or company transparency when implementing a debranding strategy so that debranding can be applied to a promotional plan. It shouldn't have any drastic effects on the customers. 

Brand transparency is a crucial component of the debranding process. Transparency is central to everything. Your transparency brand will soar to new heights if it adopts debranding.

Conclusion

Of course, there are a lot of factors to take into account when changing your branding. It can be challenging to get it right if you've developed a strong visual identity that people identify with, so it's critical to comprehend your driving forces.

Launching a campaign that has a strong consumer focus and a less corporate feel is a great place to begin if you're hesitant to debrand your entire visual identity. Allowing your brand to communicate with customers and create a powerful message will help your business gain trust and foster loyalty that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.

In case you have found a mistake in the text, please send a message to the author by selecting the mistake and pressing Ctrl-Enter.
Alex 9.8K
Joined: 4 years ago
Comments (1)
  1. Foster West

    Great article! I agree with the author that rebranding strategies are increasingly being used to increase demand for your product. And recently, I used this approach when developing applications with a team of the best app developers ukraine for the most effective result. After all, Ukrainian developers often collaborate with international clients, which allows them to develop a global perspective and understand the different needs and preferences of users.

    10 months ago ·
    0
You must be logged in to comment.

Sign In / Sign Up