30 Sep 2008, 10am - 5pm
Re-Branding Out of Trouble
Venue: SBF Seminar Room 1 (22nd level, Keppel Towers)
Fees: S$120 (SBF Member) / S$190 (Non Member)

The Basic Rule of Re-Branding is this – DON’T. It takes time to build a brand, to make it stand for something in the minds of customers. But the position that a brand occupies in the mind is a fragile one that can be easily destroyed with clumsy re-branding exercises. Furthermore, once a brand is well-known for something, it is an uphill task to try to convince people that it stands for something else.

What is an Osim? Chances are, you will say massage chairs. If Osim were to re-brand itself as an integrated health spa, would you accept it? No, you won’t because in your mind, Osim stands for massage chairs. But, some experts might argue that massage is about health, and spas are about health, so why can’t you re-brand Osim as an integrated health spa? This is because even the most fickle-minded of customers don’t change their minds so easily when it comes to brands.
But there are times when a re-branding exercise cannot be avoided. In situations of a Joint-Venture (a marriage of equals), Merger and Acquisition, Public Listing or even for “shedding of historical baggage”, a re-branding exercise would be needed.

If a company’s category becomes obsolete – such as Polaroid’s instant cameras, Brother’s electric typewriter, Wang’s word processor, Kodak’s photographic film, etc. – it would require re-branding for the company to move into a new category. Most companies in such situations don’t do it well and hence they either get into serious trouble or they die. Some companies have neglected or abused their brand, and as a result the brand is in trouble and needs to be rescued through a thorough re-branding exercise.

Programme Outline