Interesting Brand Renaming Examples With Key Insights.

The brand renaming is a bold strategic move for any company that can make or break it. Renaming the business can help in many ways, such as shedding off negative associations, expanding to other market areas, or developing a cohesive brand identity for the brand name after a merger. But as helpful as it is, the brand renaming process can risk losing the brand positioning overnight if it is not done right. 

If not properly planned, the brand renaming process can destroy the marketing strategy and turn the rebranding effort into a disaster. Therefore, it is always better to develop an effective strategy before changing the original name of your brand or product line. It helps to ensure that everything goes in the right direction.  

This article discusses practical strategies for renaming business names using recent examples of successful rebranding. You will learn how changing a business name can affect the company’s performance. Whether you are a company owner or a branding expert, this article is for you. So read on to find more!

The Brand Renaming Process

The brand naming process requires a thought strategy. It is a systematic approach that involves multiple stages, from brainstorming sessions to cherry-picking the most relevant naming ideas. There is a proper name-testing system that guides the whole process to maximize the effectiveness of the rebranding process. The performance of the new name is measured through multiple KPIs to see how it aligns with the target customers’ interests compared to the old company name. 

A well-structured brand renaming strategy consists of the following steps:

Research Potential New Names Thoroughly

Every successful brand naming process starts with detailed research. Whether choosing a new company name or renaming the existing one, insights from the study will guide the whole process toward success. During market research, companies learn what naming conventions their competitors are using. It gives insights into picking the most suitable naming strategy during the rebrand. 

Market research helps answer basic questions like who the target audience is and what naming strategies work with them in the current market. Are the target customers more attracted to descriptive names or creative names? Companies may extract data from focus groups, niche-related forums, social media, or surveys when conducting market research for the right name. 

After collecting the data, they can analyze it using data analytic techniques to extract meaningful insights. Tools like Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be helpful and time-saving at this stage.   

Get Input from Stakeholders

After conducting initial market research and developing a list of potential names, the next step is to involve stakeholders. Buy-ins from the internal teams and stakeholders help to refine the list of names and eliminate irrelevant ideas. Involving the stakeholders such as business owners, employees, partners, and most importantly, existing customers helps smoothen the brand or product renaming process. 

The business owner’s input is essential because they best understand the company’s values, objectives, and desired brand positioning. Their approval of the new names is critical for alignment on rebranding goals. Partners and retailers provide buy-ins from an external perspective on how the new name will translate across channels. 

Involving existing customers helps evaluate if the proposed name resonates or causes confusion. Their feedback safeguards the market share by avoiding names alienating or distancing customers. Companies may conduct product naming exercises to keep everyone on the same page. 

Check for Trademark Availability

After getting approval from the stakeholders on the brand name change, it’s time to check the trademark availability of the new name. Conducting a comprehensive trademark search is necessary to avoid potential legal issues. Trademark infringement can lead to litigation, which could derail a renaming initiative. Beyond legal considerations, an unavailable trademark also risks diluting brand identity if another company already uses it.

Checking trademark availability validates that a potential new name is unique in the marketplace. It protects brand equity and eliminates confusion with competitors. It also provides the opportunity to officially register the trademark for the new brand name, securing full legal rights and protections.

Test New Name with Target Audiences

Once the trademark testing gives a green signal, the next essential step in brand renaming is testing the potential new name with the target audience and current customers. Feedback from the target demographic plays a critical role in evaluating how the new name resonates. This testing helps avoid choosing a name that falls flat or confuses the audience. 

Surveying existing customers and potential customers in the target market provides invaluable insights. Feedback from current customers reveals how aptly the new name represents the brand they know. Testing with prospective customers evaluates if the new name effectively attracts new audiences. It measures the new name’s memorability and brand recognition potential. 

Update Branding and Marketing Materials

Once the new name is selected and tested, companies must update all branding and marketing material to reflect the renaming. Executing a seamless transition to the new brand identity across customer touchpoints is essential. Outdated materials referencing the old name can confuse the target audience and undermine the rebranding effort. 

Companies must integrate the new brand name and logo across digital properties like the website, social media, email marketing, and other marketing materials. Print materials such as business cards, signage, packaging, and promotional items must also adopt the new branding. Consistent use of the new name and visual identity builds recognition and trust in the renaming initiative. 

A thoughtful product naming architecture ensures the branding aligns properly across all product lines. Comprehensive updating of visual and written materials to feature the new name is vital to amplify its impact. 

Examples of Brand Renaming

Every niche has successful brand and product naming strategies and band renaming failures to learn from. Let’s discuss some recent brand renaming examples and understand the reasons behind their move and how it went. 

Twitter to X

In October 2022, Elon Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion, and soon after acquiring the brand, he renamed it X. This brand renaming raised questions about the brand strategy and preserving the company’s equity. Twitter built a significant brand equity for a long time. The new brand name, X, lacks meaning and produced a lot of confusion around the business name change. While Musk justified that X represents limitless possibilities, this vague notion does not effectively communicate Twitter’s brand vision. 

Critics argue that this unpredictable name change reflects turmoil inside the company rather than strategic repositioning. Impulsive decisions that undermine established brand value for an abstract concept threaten to alienate Twitter’s audience. The rebranding from a memorable name like Twitter to the vague X demonstrates a questionable approach to brand strategy that prioritizes sudden shifts over preserving brand equity.

Facebook to Meta

In October 2021, Facebook announced a rebranding under the new corporate name Meta. Founder Mark Zuckerberg announced this significant name change as a strategic move to reflect the company’s evolving business focus beyond social media. After 16 years as Facebook, the company changed its name to Meta to better represent its vision for the metaverse and virtual reality space. 

While the Facebook app and platform retained their original branding, the parent company overseeing Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other properties adopted Meta as the new brand. This renaming enabled the company to distance itself from controversies associated with the Facebook name while signaling its expanded technology ambitions. 

Despite keeping iconic Facebook branding intact, the parent company’s transition from its longstanding moniker to the new Meta name marked a bold repositioning for Zuckerberg’s tech empire. The rebranding remains controversial but demonstrates a prominent company’s ability to reinvent its corporate identity while preserving the brand equity of core products like Facebook.

Matchbox to Tinder

The dating app Tinder was launched initially in 2012 under the name Matchbox. After a few months, the company rebranded to Tinder to better appeal to its target demographic. Matchbox’s name sounded generic and didn’t reflect the flirty, swipe-based matching experience the app offered users.

Switching to the edgier, more vibrant name Tinder helped cement the app’s brand identity as a platform for no-strings-attached dating adventures and new connections. The name change also came alongside a new logo that resonated with youthful social media audiences.

Since renaming to Tinder, the app has become one of the most popular dating services worldwide. The new brand product naming helped attract millions of users seeking the fun, casual dating experience embodied by the Tinder name. The more memorable, on-brand name has been vital to Tinder’s ability to define and dominate the online dating space.

Aunt Jemima to Pearl Milling Co.

Aunt Jemima’s renaming to Pearl Milling Co. was part of the brand’s rebranding process to move away from racist roots. Inspired by racial stereotypes, the original name and logo had sparked controversy for decades. Switching to Pearl Milling Co. helped establish a new brand identity that was not based on offensive origins. 

This business name change was necessary for an equitable future while honoring the brand’s history. The new name allows the company to build an inclusive identity and reconnect with its origins when it was founded as Pearl Milling Company before being rebranded as Aunt Jemima in 1890. This thoughtful renaming and rebranding aims to progress racial justice. 

Uncle Ben’s to Ben’s Original

The brand naming of Uncle Ben’s to Ben’s Original was another effort to move away from racial stereotypes associated with the original brand name and logo. The new name aims to build a solid brand identity not rooted in problematic perceptions. It conveys a clear message and the goals of the company. This change involved extensive research and naming workshops to find a new name that resonates with target audiences without offensive connotations and alienating the brand positioning. 

Changing from Uncle Ben’s to Ben’s Original was a strategic renaming to reinvent brand identity, align with company values, and establish a name free of negative associations from the past. This careful rebranding process exemplifies how renaming and revamping brand identity can help companies progress and realign with shifting societal expectations around racial depictions.

SurveyMonkey to Momentive

In 2021, SurveyMonkey rebranded as Momentive, aiming to expand beyond surveys into enterprise software. This strategic rebrand was intended to target a new audience, but just two years later, SurveyMonkey reverted to its original name. The initial rebrand faced challenges in conveying the desired sophisticated image to enterprise clients. SurveyMonkey’s strong brand recognition in surveys and simplicity did not align with the new positioning. 

Ultimately, the reversal highlights the complexity of rebranding, as an established brand name may hinder category pivots. Despite ambitions to broaden offerings, SurveyMonkey’s equity remained tied to surveys, undermining the Momentive rebrand. The return to SurveyMonkey suggests the risks of diluting brand identity during significant repositioning efforts. 

While renaming can powerfully signal change, it cannot override entrenched brand perceptions. SurveyMonkey’s unsuccessful rebrand as Momentive exemplifies the difficulties of fundamentally altering a well-known brand’s image. 

Philip Morris to Altria

After over a century as Philip Morris, the tobacco giant rebranded as Altria in 2003 following extensive research and naming workshops. This strategic name change distanced the parent company from the controversial tobacco business amid growing backlash. Altria’s new name aimed to reinvent brand identity and downplay Philip Morris’s long association with cigarettes. Overall, the renaming from Philip Morris to Altria enabled the company to alter its image through rebranding while leveraging existing brand equity.

Weight Watchers to WW

After decades as Weight Watchers, the company rebranded as WW in 2018 to shift brand perception beyond dieting. Extensive research preceded this strategic name change aimed at reinventing brand identity and signaling a broader focus on overall wellness. The new name, WW, allows the company to maintain brand recognition while conveying a more holistic approach to health. The rebranding from Weight Watchers to WW enabled the company to reposition its branding to emphasize wellness over weight loss.

Key Takeaways and Considerations

• Conduct thorough research and hold naming workshops to ideate new brand names that align with business goals and target audience. Involve key stakeholders in the brand renaming process.
• For small business rebranding, leverage existing brand equity while signaling change. Drastic name changes can confuse customers.
• Ensure the new brand name evokes the desired positioning and conveys brand identity—test names extensively before finalizing.
• Plan a thoughtful branding and marketing strategy to transition customers to the new brand name smoothly. Maintain visual identity cues.
• Rebranding is complex. Set clear objectives, research perceptions, and analyze competitors when initiating a brand name change.
• An outdated existing brand name can hinder category pivots. But established names also hold value. Balance change with continuity.
• Avoid generic or descriptive brand names. Distinctive and memorable names perform better. Consider extensions like taglines.
• Integrate renaming into overall rebranding plans. New brand naming alone cannot override entrenched brand perceptions.
• Leverage naming and branding experts to maximize the impact of new brand name and identity. But retain control over the final decision.

Data-Driven Brand Renaming Strategies

If you need a new name or rename with performance predictability, we can help. SmashBrand is a brand development agency that researches, designs, and tests all brand assets to ensure peak shelf performance. Book a time to learn more about how we can help you find the right name and to discuss your project with our team.