Rebrands are easy to get excited about. New name. New logo. Fresh colors. A chance to “modernize” how you show up.
However, too often they revolve more around chasing a new, trendier aesthetic without an updated brand promise to back up the optics. In the energy and industrial markets, that’s dangerous water. When long-term clients see an updated logo, they associate real, XXX change.
And if that doesn’t align with reality, clients can end up more disappointed than impressed. Same brand, new lipstick.
To unpack what actually works, Arnaud Desprez, CEO and founder of HexaGroup, sat down with energy branding expert Peter Lyall on The HEX-Files podcast. Peter is Director of Ascent Advisory Services, a Doctoral Student at Henley Business School, and former Group Director of Strategy at Fifth Ring. He’s spent decades guiding leadership teams through rebrands tied to mergers, the energy transition, and major organizational change
Keep reading to learn what Lyall has to say about reimagined branding that actually stands the test of time and lives up to clients’ expectations.
Spoiler alert: it’s a lot more than a slight shift of HEX (pun intended) on your logo’s color wheel. More of a listener? Hit play on the full recording now.
You rebrand when your company has clearly shifted in ways the outside world needs to see and understand. Not when it’s a slow Tuesday, and you’ve just hired a new marketing director who prefers pastels.
Examples of when it might make sense to rebrand:
In all of these cases, the brand story has shifted in some way. As a result, the visual and verbal identity should also change. When “we’re bored with the logo” is the single driver in decision-making, that’s not a branding problem.
Peter’s advice? Wait until there’s a truly business-critical reason to change. Then design the brand to express that shift with clarity, not to decorate it.