We are all emotionally invested in how we look. Our image. Our visual identity. This investment can often extend to the identity of our employer. Their image. Their identity. Because who we work for, says something about who we are. So it’s not surprising that, for some, when a company rebrands itself it can feel like a personal attack.

But change is good, right? “Never stand still” we say. Regardless of how well a business is doing, it must continually ask itself important questions like ‘Is our story still relevant?’, ‘Is our offer clearly communicated?’ and ‘Are we attracting the best talent?’. If the answer is no, then it might be time for a rebrand.

But rebrands can be controversial. Change is exciting but also unsettling. We sometimes worry our customers will walk away if our brand changes. But they won’t. It’s the service they value, not your logo or strapline or your company values. These things are important, sure. But they are way more important for you than anyone else. Therefore it’s the workforce who are arguably the most important stakeholders in any rebrand. Their emotional buy-in will help provide the positive experience you want your customers to have.

Our fear of rebranding can also be heightened by witnessing negative public discourse — the kind that occurs when a high profile company updates its identity. Such snarkery happens often, online and also in real life. For example I have friends who have very little interest in what I do that will suddenly and passionately berate a new logo or app redesign that they’ve seen. But how much they actually care is debatable. It’s often a combination of ripple effect, (they’ve heard someone else say it), and negative attention seeking, (they want to know what I think).

Brand shaming is rarely triggered by a positive opinion. Positive opinions conclude the moment they’re shared, like a firework: *POP* (gone). Lovely. Whereas a negative opinion is like lighting a firework in a fireworks factory. It’s asking for trouble. But none of it lasts very long. Do you remember Facebook recently announcing that it changed its name to Meta? Well the design Twitterati pulled that one apart for about 24–48 hours. And then, just like that, it was all over. Ironically, the haters had helped familiarise Meta for everyone. And now no one gives a shit. After all, who wants to appear bothered about trivial things like brand? I mean, pfft!

So please, be brave with your rebrand. No one cares.

But if you care… they might!