by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
Rebranding campaigns have become a popular undertaking for Jacksonville businesses in recent months. From museum name changes to new mall logos, local companies and consumers might wonder why – and how – these changes are taking place.
Rebranding is a marketing process in which a company, product or service developed with one brand identity is given a brand-new one. Rebranding often leads to public changes, like the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art’s recent name change to Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville. But behind surface results like new logos and Web sites, rebranding often requires a variety of research, feedback and money.
“I think economic growth in this market is leading more and more people to see opportunities for themselves,” said Will Ketchum, partner at local marketing and communications firm Burdette Ketchum. “That’s led to this observation of ‘Hey, are we positioning ourselves for where we want to go?’ ”
Ketchum said rebranding can be divided into two efforts: creation and implementation. The first entails researching an organization’s target audiences and developing a new brand that better fits the company and its consumers. The second part varies depending on the group. Ketchum said a law firm might need simple letterhead and Web site changes, while a bank with 20 branches could require new signs, checks and advertisements.
“It really depends on the size and scope and complexity of the industry/situation,” he said. “We don’t price these things off the shelf.
“The rebranding creation process [alone] is probably $15,000 to $100,000 ... It sounds expensive, but some of these same organizations are spending four and five times that for machines and computer systems.”
Organizations typically decide to rebrand because of business changes, according to Larry Fairman. His Atlantic Beach consulting firm, Fairman Consulting, assisted MOCA Jacksonville with its rebranding efforts. He said those changes range from new ownership to new competition, and businesses need to evaluate what’s driving the change – and whether rebranding is necessary at all.
“Make sure that you get at least enough research to validate the assumptions,” he said. “From a sign to a corporate culture, what you say about core values and visions and missions wrap into the branding, so get it right ... If you end up in the same place you were before, you wasted a lot of time and money.”
George Kinghorn, executive director of MOCA Jacksonville, said his organization decided to rebrand – with a new name, Web site and a logo to be revealed Jan. 10 – after plenty of community focus groups and stake holder discussions.
“What that [rebranding] does is aligns us with other major contemporary art museums throughout the United States,” said Kinghorn. “We have a new tag line: ‘Shift your perspective.’ We want it [the museum[ to be an open and inviting environment for people to come in and ask questions about the art and expand their interpretations.”
Fairman said the museum had some ideas developed by its in-house marketing talent. He was hired to advise the group for just a few months’ of discussions and research. He said the amount of talent, time and money required for each rebranding effort varies, but feedback is important in every situation.
“Talking and listening up and down and across the organization: It’s a have to do, that’s not an option,” he said. “You want to have a low-performing organization? Don’t ask anybody how they want to do this, just do it.”
The Landing also started rebranding in late 2006. Rachel Kaltenbach, director of public relations for the downtown mall and entertainment hub, said a new Web site is already up, and plans for a new logo and positioning statement will be revealed in the next six months. The mall has used an outside advertising agency, Spark Inc., for the Web site. Kaltenbach said other efforts have been mostly in-house, which she said keeps motivation high and costs low.
She said the Landing needed to refresh its “look and feel” as it approaches its 20th anniversary. The mall has had two logos and about three tag lines over the last 20 years.
“Rebranding is important,” said Kaltenbach. “It really gives the backbone for what you’re trying to do and reaching the goals you’re trying to reach.
“The brand helps to describe who we are and where we want to be. We’re seeing a new downtown, and I think we’ll continue ... to grow and change.”
Ketchum said rebranding should always produce changes that are “logical and helpful to the consumer.” He said name changes can be particularly difficult to pull off, but can be beneficial if they emphasize a company’s unique strengths.
“You just have to calculate the risk of the dramatic change,” he said. “But I think the merger and acquisition activity of this country in the last 10 years has really conditioned the consumer to name changes. It’s just part of the world now, from your favorite airline to your bank to your mortgage.”