The Role of PR in Successful Rebranding

Public relations (PR) by definition is a communication process that brands use to build positive, loyal relationships with their stakeholders. These include customers, employees, the media and other communities. PR practitioners protect the brand's positive image ferociously.

A rebrand is when a brand changes its corporate image, sometimes more drastically than others. Usually, it changes the way a brand is visually perceived in its logos, designs, colours and messaging.

Because PR practitioners defend a brand's image as if their career depends on it (well, it sort of does), they are naturally on the defence when discussions of rebranding arise. Public image thrives on familiarity, and a rebrand can easily disrupt that.

media update's Joreke Kleynhans outlines the role of PR before, during and after a rebrand to ensure its success.

Writing the rebranding story

Any successful rebrand requires one thing to win over the public: A relatable story. PR professionals are brilliant at finding the story behind any new event or launch and will play a key role in the successful launch of your brand's new look.

This story will explain why you are rebranding in a clear and compelling way. This can help prevent any suspicion about your rebrand and ensure that it is positively received and accepted by the public.

A well-crafted story will also instill a feeling of inclusion in your audience. Keeping your target audience well-informed even before the process is in full swing will ensure that you don't unintentionally alienate them in the process of change.

A rebrand should never cost you more loyalty than it generates!

Even though publicity is sometimes deemed the boring little sister between marketing, advertising and PR, there's so much more than press releases out there for PR professionals to use!

Some PR tools are fun, and you're going to want to use them in this scenario. 

Video news releases are more interactive than written press releases and are perfect for launching something new — just like the new look your brand is planning. This option is perfect for building anticipation if you don't want to give away too much yet. Use it to hint at a new colour scheme, brand expansion or even a new slogan!

PR events can also generate excitement among media practitioners, brand ambassadors, or even members of the public. They are the ideal option for exposing your audience to a full experience of your new brand image. This is also a great opportunity to communicate your rebranding story to attendees.

Excitement for your brand's new look among different stakeholders can ensure that the transition between the old and the new isn't too much of a shock on your audience's system.

Consistent messaging

During the rebranding process, it will be important for the PR team to ensure that their communication is consistent with the new changes to branding. All press kits, media relations, website content and internal communication should align with recent changes.

Keeping consistent in your messaging will help reinforce the brand's new image in the minds of your audience, and this will strengthen your new brand identity. Remember, public image thrives on familiarity.

A strong brand identity has many benefits, the biggest being the higher effectiveness of marketing and advertising, which drives sales and audience loyalty.

Part of your rebranding checklist will be evaluating the success of your efforts. Without evaluation and insight, improvement is much less likely than with it.

With a rebrand, the best way to evaluate how your efforts were received is to have a media and sentiment analysis report compiled.

These reports are beneficial because of the insight they provide into what people in traditional and social media are saying and feeling about your brand. They can also provide information on the amount of media coverage you have received since your rebrand launched compared to beforehand.

Rebranding inevitably allows for critique and pushback from different audience members and media. PR can help manage any issues that arise by engaging in active media relations.

To ensure that any concerns are addressed properly, PR professionals need to be prepared to:

In any brand endeavour that involves the public, relationships and a brand's image, PR is the reinforcement that keeps the building upright.