# How to make a rebrand a successful pivot Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-01-27 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: Why Successful Rebranding Is Essential for Business Growth Meta Description: Learn why WOLF CEO Gary Knight took the leap to transform Palringo into an innovative festival-themed app, embracing changing consumer demands and trends. URL: https://financedigest.com/how-to-make-a-rebrand-a-successful-pivothtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/untitled-design-21-1736838625207-compressed.jpg) _By **Gary Knight,**_ _WOLF CEO,_ _explains what to consider and the questions to ask_ The thing with rebranding is, it has to be done very well to be a success. Transforming a brand and changing perceptions isn’t easy but it’s worthwhile because it can be a significant turning point for many businesses. Typically the decision for a fundamental re-brand is driven by the ever-changing consumer market – something that many brands are having to react to now as we see a new consumer emerging following a global pandemic which has changed everything from how we work, socialise, shop, travel and educate our children. [Technological advancements](https://www.financedigest.com/banks-deploy-ai-3-major-technological-advances.html "Banks Deploy AI – 3 Major Technological Advances            "), competition and environmental issues are some of the other factors that influence and change consumer behaviour, which inevitably prompts a brand to consider its existing proposition. And that is what we’ve done with The World’s Online Festival (WOLF). We’ve [adapted to a changing](https://www.financedigest.com/how-brands-can-adapt-marketing-tactics-to-better-suit-customers-changing-shopping-habits.html "How brands can adapt marketing tactics to better suit customers’ changing shopping habits") marketplace. WOLF is an evolution of Palringo, the first chat application to go live on the [Apple App Store](https://www.financedigest.com/apple-given-fourth-dutch-fine-in-app-store-dispute.html "Apple given fourth Dutch fine in App Store dispute"). After it launched in 2006, Palringo attracted more than 27 [million users](https://www.financedigest.com/zoom-reaches-85-million-settlement-over-user-privacy-zoombombing.html "Zoom reaches million settlement over user privacy, ‘Zoombombing’") across 350,000 user-created social groups. The app saw particular success in the Middle East, where it thrived with users, notably for women, who built communities and made long-term friendships there, based on [shared interests](https://www.financedigest.com/shares-in-uk-chain-sainsburys-jump-11-on-report-of-buyout-interest.html "Shares in UK chain Sainsbury’s jump 11% on report of buyout interest"). So why a rebrand? The [business found itself perfectly situated between two exploding markets](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-create-a-pr-plan-and-link-it-to-your-business-marketing-strategy.html "How to create a PR plan and link it to your business marketing strategy") – online social platforms trending towards real-time rich-media entertainment, and the booming real-world festival phenomenon. This presented a great [opportunity for the business](https://www.financedigest.com/the-metaverse-a-business-opportunity.html "The Metaverse – a Business Opportunity?"), if we could adapt the product’s offering. It would maintain [customer loyalty](https://www.financedigest.com/the-problem-with-measuring-customer-loyalty-and-how-to-overcome-it.html "The problem with measuring customer loyalty; and how to overcome it") but also attract a new audience. WOLF is the first [app of its kind to offer](https://www.financedigest.com/community-fintech-11onze-to-launch-el-canut-a-super-app-offering-universal-banking-accounts-and-digital-debit-cards.html "Community fintech 11Onze to launch – EL CANUT – a super APP offering universal banking accounts and digital debit cards") a user-created festival environment filled with group chat, live audio shows, friendship and entertainment. It’s built on the foundation of Palringo but takes the [business to an exciting next level](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-war-energy-crisis-send-german-business-sentiment-to-lowest-level-since-june-2020.html "Ukraine war, energy crisis send German business sentiment to lowest level since June 2020"). It has been a huge undertaking for myself and the entire business. During the two year [process we have had to ask ourselves some really challenging questions about the ‘why’ of our product](https://www.financedigest.com/how-process-automation-increases-productivity-in-the-insurance-sector-while-giving-employees-room-for-more-high-value-activity.html "How Process Automation increases productivity in the insurance sector while giving employees room for more high value activity") proposition – and ‘why’ we needed a rebrand. **EMBRACING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW** The first thing to understand about rebranding is, it isn’t about a change of colour, a [name change](https://www.financedigest.com/quidditch-becomes-quadball-as-sports-bodies-change-name.html "Quidditch becomes quadball as sport’s bodies change name") or a fancy new logo. It involves a fully encompassing, comprehensive, strategic overhaul, across the entire business.  It requires a huge amount of work, resource and [investment so it’s vital companies](https://www.financedigest.com/wait-and-see-u-s-companies-curb-investment-as-they-await-fed-moves.html "Wait and see: U.S. companies curb investment as they await Fed moves") take it seriously. For us, the reality is that today’s consumer is almost unrecognisable from the one we were targeting when Palringo [launched 14 years](https://www.financedigest.com/musk-says-tesla-will-launch-prototype-of-humanoid-robot-next-year.html "Musk says Tesla will launch prototype of humanoid robot next year") ago. Technological change is accelerating at an unprecedented speed, which is [changing the way consumers](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-retail-and-the-ways-that-retail-has-changed-for-consumers-during-the-pandemic.html "The future of retail and the ways that retail has changed for consumers during the pandemic") interact with the apps, brands, products and services that they choose to buy. [Consumers want experience](https://www.financedigest.com/what-vrps-should-do-to-improve-the-experiences-of-open-banking-consumers.html "What VRPs should do to improve the experiences of Open Banking consumers"). They want entertainment. They constantly want more because they’re sold more. We saw an [opportunity to embrace this change and adapt our offering to meet the new demand](https://www.financedigest.com/rna-based-therapeutics-and-vaccines-market-trends-on-going-demand-opportunities-segmentation-and-forecast-till-2026.html "RNA based Therapeutics and Vaccines Market Trends, On-going Demand, Opportunities, Segmentation, and Forecast till 2026"). For us, a rebrand gave us a license to take centre stage once again and make some noise. **UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET** [Talk to your market](https://www.financedigest.com/walking-the-digitized-talk-to-be-the-idea-behind-the-growth-of-veterinary-treadmills-market.html "Walking the digitized talk to be the idea behind the growth of Veterinary Treadmills Market"). Existing and prospective. [Don’t rely on what you think they need](https://www.financedigest.com/you-dont-need-magic-to-anticipate-your-customers-needs-just-the-right-tech.html "You don’t need magic to anticipate your customers’ needs, just the right tech"). Ask them. At WOLF, we spent a year conducting extensive [market research and testing which revealed the parallel that our digital product](https://www.financedigest.com/the-wound-cleanser-products-market-to-climb-up-the-ladder-based-on-digitization.html "The Wound Cleanser Products Market to climb up the ladder based on digitization") offered with real-life festivals. From here we evolved the WOLF app that allows users to create shows and chat using audio, as a layer on [top of the group text chat that had been the company’s](https://www.financedigest.com/title-rubber-gloves-market-research-report-2030-top-companies-market-size-and-forecast.html "Rubber Gloves Market Research Report 2030: Top Companies, Market Size and Forecast") foundation. We got to this point by taking our audience on the journey with us. We talked to them. We asked. Without that, how do you know what a rebrand should be, or if there is even a need for one? **LIVING YOUR BRAND VALUES** Every rebrand story [must start with defining the core values and living them internally in the business](https://www.financedigest.com/a-taxing-issue-ten-tax-invoicing-pitfalls-that-international-businesses-must-avoid.html "A taxing issue: Ten tax invoicing pitfalls that international businesses must avoid"). The brand itself is the visual asset but it’ll only be successful because of the product, the proposition and most importantly the people behind it. Ask yourself and your team where the brand is now, then ask, where does it need to be?  Does your product, vision and culture [support the new brand](https://www.financedigest.com/tech-amigos-provides-unrivalled-aws-cloud-service-support-for-autorama-groups-leading-brand-vanarama-2.html "Tech Amigos provides unrivalled AWS cloud service support for Autorama Group’s leading brand, Vanarama") values. Are you authentic in living the new brand values? The rebrand we’ve just gone through presented a great [opportunity for us to talk to all of our employees and revisit our company vision and brand values](https://www.financedigest.com/fluid-coolers-market-by-covid-19-impact-analysis-volume-and-value-revenue-business-opportunity-future-projections-and-key-trends.html "Fluid Coolers Market By Covid-19 Impact Analysis – Volume And Value, Revenue, Business Opportunity, Future Projections, And Key Trends") together. Engraining those values into the [business means](https://www.financedigest.com/carbon-zero-what-it-means-for-business-owners.html "Carbon Zero: What it Means for Business Owners") everything that we do is aligned to what we want WOLF to be. The values play out in our [product because the people behind it are living](https://www.financedigest.com/broadcast-switchers-market-increasing-adoption-of-ip-live-production-technology-to-positively-impact-growth.html "Broadcast Switchers Market: Increasing Adoption of IP Live Production Technology to Positively Impact Growth") them. So, start inside, then work towards the outside and instil the [values when going to market](https://www.financedigest.com/analgesics-market-value-surpasses-us-77-3-bn-as-demand-for-nsaids-rise-at-4-1-fmi.html "Analgesics Market Value Surpasses US$ 77.3 Bn as Demand for NSAID’s Rise at 4.1%: FMI"). **EMBRACING THE RISK OF ‘CHANGE’** Of course, [change always exposes some degree of risk](https://www.financedigest.com/insurers-must-reimagine-traditional-risk-models-to-adapt-to-climate-change.html "Insurers Must Reimagine Traditional Risk Models to Adapt to Climate Change "). While a new [offering and brand](https://www.financedigest.com/why-insurers-have-started-listening-to-what-sonic-branding-has-to-offer.html "Why insurers have started listening to what sonic branding has to offer") identity can attract a new audience, there is a threat that the loyalty of some existing customers may decline.  As the saying goes, ‘You can’t please everyone’, and you can’t. A brand must do its homework on the [market and only embark on the change when the risk is minimal and doesn’t exceed the opportunity](https://www.financedigest.com/new-report-of-fuel-conditioning-system-market-with-size-growth-drivers-market-opportunities-business-trends-and-forecast-to-2028.html "New Report Of Fuel Conditioning System Market With Size, Growth Drivers, Market Opportunities, Business Trends And Forecast To 2028"). Luckily, since launching the rebranding, we have received a positive reaction and surprisingly [little vocal resistance to the change](https://www.financedigest.com/sterling-little-changed-after-mixed-labour-market-data.html "Sterling little changed after mixed labour market data"). **FULLY COMMITTING – TOP TO BOTTOM** When you’re thinking about a rebrand, you have to pull out all the stops. It is vital to have full commitment across the business and to enjoy the chance to [create and work in the arena of uncertainty](https://www.financedigest.com/banning-russian-aluminium-would-create-uncertainty-about-lmes-role-rusal.html "Banning Russian aluminium would create uncertainty about LME’s role -Rusal") again. It’s exciting. If the budget doesn’t allow for a comprehensive [research programme and potential product](https://www.financedigest.com/polyols-and-sorbitols-products-market-industry-research-segmentation-key-players-analysis-and-forecast-to-2029.html "Polyols and Sorbitols Products Market Industry Research, Segmentation, Key Players Analysis and Forecast to 2029") overhaul, then you might be better to wait.  Remember, a new logo won’t fix a fundamental [business problem](https://www.financedigest.com/no-collateral-no-problem-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-to-secure-a-business-loan.html "No Collateral, No Problem: Here is What You Need to Know to Secure a Business Loan"). Product-Market fit remains the absolute priority as ever. We did it.  It wasn’t straight forward but it was fun and invigorating to the whole business. We embraced the risk and we’re not looking back.  We have a whole new set of challenges ahead of us but this is the [next chapter of our story and we’re excited to see](https://www.financedigest.com/the-next-decade-to-see-the-humanized-liver-mice-model-market-detonate-innovation.html "The Next Decade To See The Humanized Liver Mice Model Market Detonate Innovation") where WOLF will take us. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---