My Opinion On Why a Brand Refresh Is Often the Sharpest Move
by Simon Browne
Let me be blunt: if your brand still looks like it was designed in 2015, you are signalling decline, not legacy. I believe that for most established businesses, a brand refresh is one of the smartest strategic moves you can make. Not a risky restart, but a considered evolution. In fact, the data supports this thinking.
According to research, 74% of S&P 100 companies rebranded within their first seven years. * That’s not because they wake up one day and want a new logo. It’s because staying static is an active risk. The market changes, customer expectations shift, and a brand that does not adapt gradually becomes a relic.
My Case for the Refresh over Radical Rebrand
Here is where I take a stand: brand refresh is underrated. It’s not sexy, but it is strategic. Let me tell you why I think you should be considering it instead of overhauling everything.
1. You preserve the memory, not erase it
Your brand is not a blank slate. It carries recognition, trust, and reputation. A full rebrand can “reset” too much. A refresh lets you keep what works, visual cues, essence, and connection, while eliminating what drags you down. You don’t risk confusing your audience or alienating steady customers.
2. Less cost, less disruption
A full rebrand often means a new name, a new identity, and repositioning, which entails considerable risk and a higher price. However, the cost is not just direct. You risk inconsistent rollout, confusion in teams, and misalignment across touchpoints. With a refresh, you fine‑tune rather than reinvent. That makes rollout simpler, safer, and more manageable.
3. You can move with agility
The business environment today changes fast. Consumer attitudes shift, design norms evolve, and platforms shift. Even big brands now opt for refreshes or repositioning instead of radical redesigns. *: A refresh gives you room to evolve continuously rather than waiting for the next major overhaul.
4. It’s a sign of confidence, not weakness
Some leaders shy away from refreshes because they see them as cosmetic. I disagree. Doing it well requires confidence, clarity, and discipline. It says, “We care that this matters.” It also keeps you honest. If you are not willing to adjust, perhaps you are already further along than you thought you were.
What Makes a Refresh Powerful – Not Just Pretty
If you treat a refresh like a facelift, it will feel shallow. Here is what makes it strategic:
Start with a high‑precision brief.
Don’t begin with “make it look nicer.” Begin with questions: What is wrong? What is holding us back? What must we keep? Moreover, where do we need to change? Without this, you drift.
Audit ruthlessly
You need to know what is gold in your current brand, what is muddled, and what poisons your clarity. Do not guess. Consider real usage, feedback, and market perception.
Ideate with constraints
Rather than dozens of scattershot ideas, generate fewer, sharper directions. Each option must respect what is working while pushing toward what is needed.
Nail the execution
The final files, layout rules, consistency checks, and identity guide are not afterthoughts. The difference between success and flop lies in execution.
Plan rollout like a campaign.
A refresh only matters when people see it, absorb it, and adopt it. Upgrading collateral, digital assets, and internal systems must all be coordinated.
Measure, adjust, defend
You cannot just launch and move on. Track perception, consistency, and adoption. Patch where things break. Protect the new version from dilution.
When a Refresh Is (Almost Certainly) the Right Move
I would not advocate for a refresh in every case. However, in my experience, here are situations that strongly signal you need it:
- Your brand looks dated, but still holds recognition
- You are launching in new formats (digital, app, packaging), and your current identity struggles to support them.
- You are drifting. Different vendors, teams, and suppliers apply your brand inconsistently
- Feedback is dropping off, people say it “feels old”
- You need to reposition slightly without alienating your base
If most of those apply, a refresh is almost always the smarter path. You get clarity, relevance, upgrade, not a disruptive restart.
The Risk of Doing Nothing Is Worse than Getting It “Wrong”
Let us return to that statistic: 74 % of S&P 100 brands have rebranded within seven years. Those are established, successful corporations, not startups chasing trends. * They are not doing it lightly; they see stagnation as a far bigger danger.
Moreover, the cost of doing nothing is subtle. Your brand becomes tired. You lose relevance. You get squeezed by newer, sharper competitors: no dramatic collapse, but a slow fade.
I often see clients waiting for a “breaking crisis” to force change. In my view, that is backwards. You should refresh before the crack appears.
Cases That Validate the Refresh Mindset
You do not have to take my word alone:
- Domino’s, for example, recently launched a significant update, but emphasised continuity: a new logo, packaging, and tone, while leaning on their heritage. *
- Nearly half of businesses surveyed after COVID-19 had updated their branding strategy, with 51 % having made a branding change since the pandemic’s start. *
- Many agencies now report that clients prefer refreshes and repositionings over splashy reinventions, because they allow agility and continuity. *
These show that even big brands are leaning into evolution instead of revolution.
How Toast Approaches the Refresh You Actually Use
When we lead a brand refresh, here is how we bring the opinion to execution:
- Scope & Intent – we dig into what must change, what must carry forward, and write a precise brief.
- Audit & Insight – we map what your brand is versus what it could be.
- Concept Work – we generate a tight set of directions, each respecting legacy and pushing into relevance.
- Refinement & Testing – We refine our designs with real-world context tests (print, web, signage) to ensure we do not surprise you with visual failures.
- Final Art & Guide – We deliver master files, plus rules, so teams apply consistently.
- Rollout Strategy – We plan how the refreshed identity will appear everywhere, including print, digital, and internal tools.
- Support & Stewardship – post-launch, we monitor, adjust, and help you protect the new identity from creeping drift.
By doing all of that, we help avoid this all-too-common fate: a refresh that looks good on paper, but never fully lands in the real world.
My Challenge to You: Do not Let Your Brand Age Without Thought
If you have read this far, do not let that be guilt. Let it be an opportunity. Your brand today is not the same as it was ten years ago, nor will it be in ten more. Strategic refresh is not a sign of indecision; it is a sign of care.
So ask yourself: are you up to date, or already behind? Are people still excited? Do they recognise you the moment they see you? If not, do not wait for the cliff to fall. Reach out, examine what you need to evolve, and make the move while you still have control.
