Review of literature on rebranding
| Authors | External factors | Internal factors | Main findings | Theoretical basis | International differences | B2B or B2C context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muzellec et al. (2003) | No explicit mention of external factors | The execution of rebranding is discussed as mainly a marketing function, which involves internal processes such as repositioning, renaming, redesign and relaunch | Conceptual review of rebranding, factors leading to it, and the process and examination of rebranding cases | Corporate rebranding | Secondary data from the UK, USA, the EU and others | Focus on both B2B and B2C industries |
| Kaikati and Kaikati (2003) | Focuses on logo reception in different cultures and marketplace standing | The study centers on how internal stakeholders – management, employees and other internal agents – are involved in, affected by and responsive to the rebranding process | Effective communication from top management is crucial in guiding employees through the rebranding process. Additionally, selecting unique symbols and appropriate colors for the new brand name can significantly enhance visibility and distinction in a competitive marketplace | Brand awareness and brand equity | Secondary data from examples from multiple countries | Focus on B2C context |
| Daly and Moloney (2005) | Discusses brand’s communication of values and target audience, including external audiences | Highlights employee consideration in the communication strategy | Framework for rebranding management: analysis, planning and evaluation | Corporate rebranding | International rebranding campaign, focus on Ireland, without directly comparing international differences | Focus on B2C context |
| Muzellec and Lambkin (2006) | No explicit mention of external factors | Importance of organization culture and structure in shaping corporate brand | Focuses on the drivers and implications of corporate rebranding, including the reasons behind rebranding decisions, the impact on brand equity and the proposed conceptual model for understanding corporate rebranding | Rebranding; brand hierarchy and brand equity | International rebranding campaigns, without directly comparing international differences | Focus on B2C context |
| Gotsi and Andriopoulos (2007) | No explicit mention of external factors | Emphasizes the importance of aligning internal processes and systems to encourage employees to endorse the new corporate brand values through their attitudes and behaviors | Insights into pitfalls of corporate rebranding and important factors. These are: disconnecting with the core; stakeholder myopia; emphasis on labels, not meanings; one company, one voice: the challenge of multiple identities | Corporate brand management; brand identity and equity; organizational culture | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Merrilees and Miller (2008) | No explicit mention of external factors | Focus on internal approach and alignment of values and culture with rebranding | Indicates the need for maintaining core values and cultivating the brand, linking the existing brand with the revised brand, targeting new segments, getting stakeholder “buy-in,” achieving alignment of brand elements and promoting awareness building | Corporate rebranding | Primary data from Canada, with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Lambkin and Muzellec (2008) | No explicit mention of external factors | Oriented toward understanding and improving internal brand management strategies and decisions within the context of M&As | Branding problem varies with size and international status of the acquiring company and national identity of the acquirer and the acquired brand play an important role in the decision as to whether to rebrand | Rebranding, brand hierarchy; and branded-house strategy | Secondary data from multiple banks from different countries | Focus on B2C context |
| Gotsi et al. (2008) | No explicit mention of external factors | Internal segmentation in the culture of an organization affects overall alignment with brand values | Aligning corporate culture with new brand values is a complex process that requires integration of various subcultures in an organization | Corporate brand management; cultural alignment and corporate rebranding | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Lambkin and Muzellec (2008) | Since corporate reputation drives brand equity in B2B markets, the adoption of a single name across an entire product line is recognised as having some major benefit for both buyers and suppliers | B2B stakeholders (customers, employees and financial analysts) welcome acquirer brand redeployment, particularly where there is a perceived benefit from the infusion of value from the new owner | Transfer of a brand name during acquisitions encapsulates significant brand equity, often supported by a broader transfer of marketing assets | Brand equity and brand transfer | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2B context |
| Lee (2013) | Mentions balancing market requirements with organizational identity in nonprofit sector | Discusses tensions in managing rebranding and internal stakeholder reactions | Identify, describe and explain the tensions involved in managing the process in which organizations must meet expectations from different stakeholders | Corporate rebranding and brand orientation | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Nonprofit sector |
| Miller et al. (2014) | No explicit mention of external factors | Importance of strong internal leadership as an enabler of successful corporate rebranding. Discusses how internal leaders who possess strategic relevance and commitment to rebranding can differentiate strong from weak outcome cases | Critical to successful corporate rebranding are the identification and application of six major enablers, including strong rebranding leadership and coordination among multiple functions and stakeholder groups | Corporate rebranding | Review with no direct international comparison | Literature review |
| Collange and Bonache (2015) | Comprehensive model of consumer attitudes toward the practice of product rebranding has been proposed and tested | No explicit mention of internal factors | Surprise impacts attitudes toward product rebranding through a three-way process (automatic, higher-order cognitive, higher-order affective): a direct negative effect, an indirect effect mediated by incomprehension about the reasons for the change and an indirect effect mediated by the negative emotions generated by the change | Consumer attitudes and surprise | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Roy and Sarkar (2015) | Assesses impact of rebranding on customer-based brand equity and consumer attitudes | No explicit mention of internal factors | Customer-based brand equity of an established brand diminishes following rebranding news, while that of a less-established brand is enhanced | Rebranding and brand equity | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Bolhuis et al. (2018) | Corporate visual identity can significantly impact the impressions of external stakeholders, primarily concerning the modernity and visual appeal of the organization | Employees, being more consistently exposed to and integrally involved with the organization, experience a more profound influence from changes in corporate visual identity | Organizations should incorporate the input of internal and external stakeholders in the rebranding process and communicate well about the new corporate visual identity, both to their internal and to their external stakeholders | Corporate visual identity | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on both contexts |
| Bamfo et al. (2018) | Rebranding had no statistically significant effect on perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty | No explicit mention of internal factors | Rebranding activities in the Ghanaian banking industry had no significant effect on customers’ attitude towards the brand | Branding; customer satisfaction and loyalty | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Marques et al. (2020) | Underscores the importance of consistent interaction with the brand in facilitating the adaptation to and acceptance of new brand images and structures | No explicit mention of internal factors | Brand awareness and loyalty are the factors that relate the most to consumers’ perceptions of the brand before its rebranding | Private label brand; rebranding and consumer-based brand equity | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Joseph et al. (2021) | No explicit mention of external factors | Focus on internal perspectives of employees on rebranding efforts | Emphasizes importance of rebranding communication by leadership and employee buy-in | Internal branding; corporate brand identification; employee engagement | Primary data from UK with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context |
| Beise-Zee (2022) | Leveraging the visible and tangible elements of a spin-off in a rebranding campaign is essential | No explicit mention of internal factors | Perceived corporate resources play a critical role in retaining brand equity during rebranding efforts | Rebranding brand equity and resource-based view | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2B context |
| Authors | External factors | Internal factors | Main findings | Theoretical basis | International differences | B2B or B2C context |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No explicit mention of external factors | The execution of rebranding is discussed as mainly a marketing function, which involves internal processes such as repositioning, renaming, redesign and relaunch | Conceptual review of rebranding, factors leading to it, and the process and examination of rebranding cases | Corporate rebranding | Secondary data from the UK, USA, the EU and others | Focus on both B2B and B2C industries | |
| Focuses on logo reception in different cultures and marketplace standing | The study centers on how internal stakeholders – management, employees and other internal agents – are involved in, affected by and responsive to the rebranding process | Effective communication from top management is crucial in guiding employees through the rebranding process. Additionally, selecting unique symbols and appropriate colors for the new brand name can significantly enhance visibility and distinction in a competitive marketplace | Brand awareness and brand equity | Secondary data from examples from multiple countries | Focus on B2C context | |
| Discusses brand’s communication of values and target audience, including external audiences | Highlights employee consideration in the communication strategy | Framework for rebranding management: analysis, planning and evaluation | Corporate rebranding | International rebranding campaign, focus on Ireland, without directly comparing international differences | Focus on B2C context | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Importance of organization culture and structure in shaping corporate brand | Focuses on the drivers and implications of corporate rebranding, including the reasons behind rebranding decisions, the impact on brand equity and the proposed conceptual model for understanding corporate rebranding | Rebranding; brand hierarchy and brand equity | International rebranding campaigns, without directly comparing international differences | Focus on B2C context | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Emphasizes the importance of aligning internal processes and systems to encourage employees to endorse the new corporate brand values through their attitudes and behaviors | Insights into pitfalls of corporate rebranding and important factors. These are: disconnecting with the core; stakeholder myopia; emphasis on labels, not meanings; one company, one voice: the challenge of multiple identities | Corporate brand management; brand identity and equity; organizational culture | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Focus on internal approach and alignment of values and culture with rebranding | Indicates the need for maintaining core values and cultivating the brand, linking the existing brand with the revised brand, targeting new segments, getting stakeholder “buy-in,” achieving alignment of brand elements and promoting awareness building | Corporate rebranding | Primary data from Canada, with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Oriented toward understanding and improving internal brand management strategies and decisions within the context of M&As | Branding problem varies with size and international status of the acquiring company and national identity of the acquirer and the acquired brand play an important role in the decision as to whether to rebrand | Rebranding, brand hierarchy; and branded-house strategy | Secondary data from multiple banks from different countries | Focus on B2C context | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Internal segmentation in the culture of an organization affects overall alignment with brand values | Aligning corporate culture with new brand values is a complex process that requires integration of various subcultures in an organization | Corporate brand management; cultural alignment and corporate rebranding | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| Since corporate reputation drives brand equity in B2B markets, the adoption of a single name across an entire product line is recognised as having some major benefit for both buyers and suppliers | B2B stakeholders (customers, employees and financial analysts) welcome acquirer brand redeployment, particularly where there is a perceived benefit from the infusion of value from the new owner | Transfer of a brand name during acquisitions encapsulates significant brand equity, often supported by a broader transfer of marketing assets | Brand equity and brand transfer | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2B context | |
| Mentions balancing market requirements with organizational identity in nonprofit sector | Discusses tensions in managing rebranding and internal stakeholder reactions | Identify, describe and explain the tensions involved in managing the process in which organizations must meet expectations from different stakeholders | Corporate rebranding and brand orientation | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Nonprofit sector | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Importance of strong internal leadership as an enabler of successful corporate rebranding. Discusses how internal leaders who possess strategic relevance and commitment to rebranding can differentiate strong from weak outcome cases | Critical to successful corporate rebranding are the identification and application of six major enablers, including strong rebranding leadership and coordination among multiple functions and stakeholder groups | Corporate rebranding | Review with no direct international comparison | Literature review | |
| Comprehensive model of consumer attitudes toward the practice of product rebranding has been proposed and tested | No explicit mention of internal factors | Surprise impacts attitudes toward product rebranding through a three-way process (automatic, higher-order cognitive, higher-order affective): a direct negative effect, an indirect effect mediated by incomprehension about the reasons for the change and an indirect effect mediated by the negative emotions generated by the change | Consumer attitudes and surprise | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| Assesses impact of rebranding on customer-based brand equity and consumer attitudes | No explicit mention of internal factors | Customer-based brand equity of an established brand diminishes following rebranding news, while that of a less-established brand is enhanced | Rebranding and brand equity | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| Corporate visual identity can significantly impact the impressions of external stakeholders, primarily concerning the modernity and visual appeal of the organization | Employees, being more consistently exposed to and integrally involved with the organization, experience a more profound influence from changes in corporate visual identity | Organizations should incorporate the input of internal and external stakeholders in the rebranding process and communicate well about the new corporate visual identity, both to their internal and to their external stakeholders | Corporate visual identity | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on both contexts | |
| Rebranding had no statistically significant effect on perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty | No explicit mention of internal factors | Rebranding activities in the Ghanaian banking industry had no significant effect on customers’ attitude towards the brand | Branding; customer satisfaction and loyalty | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| Underscores the importance of consistent interaction with the brand in facilitating the adaptation to and acceptance of new brand images and structures | No explicit mention of internal factors | Brand awareness and loyalty are the factors that relate the most to consumers’ perceptions of the brand before its rebranding | Private label brand; rebranding and consumer-based brand equity | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| No explicit mention of external factors | Focus on internal perspectives of employees on rebranding efforts | Emphasizes importance of rebranding communication by leadership and employee buy-in | Internal branding; corporate brand identification; employee engagement | Primary data from UK with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2C context | |
| Leveraging the visible and tangible elements of a spin-off in a rebranding campaign is essential | No explicit mention of internal factors | Perceived corporate resources play a critical role in retaining brand equity during rebranding efforts | Rebranding brand equity and resource-based view | Primary data with no direct international comparison | Focus on B2B context |
Source(s): Created by authors
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