I’d like to offer to re-brand some job titles in our industry – I was going to list them here but got really scared that many of these titles form my client-base. Best move on. A recent posting for a ‘Head of Brand and Social Media’ has however troubled me to the point of almost applying for the post, merely to be able to leave the interview room in a strategic huff. “How dare you pre-suppose channel and budget?” would be the verbal plan as I flounced for the door, flinging it open only to be confronted with the very reason I wouldn’t even get an interview. Yes, a veritable gallery of Younger Marketing Things, all of whom seem to understand that brand building = content + social. Apparently.
So, imagine the relief when something else worth commentary caught my eye. The emergence of #renamebrexit on the Twittersphere (see how comfortable I am with social…) as proposed by Channel 4’s The Last Leg. This feed is worth a glance, although highlighting my favourite suggestions would of course out me on one side of le fence and that would never do, mes amis. Non, far more important is the fact that we have ourselves a title in the form of Brexit, supported in no way by a vacuous and excruciating strapline – “Brexit means Brexit”. And, as is so often the case when things are going, well, abysmally, the thought is floated that a coat of re-branding paint might help re-launch things, clear up the mess and lack of direction and shift public perception. Tempting in this case? Not in the slightest. A complete waste of time in fact.
A reminder of when it’s a good idea to consider a name change:
The lawyers are circling. Trade mark infringement can be costly and cause far more long-term business damage than an early decision to accept it’s a FairCop™, pro-actively make the decision to re-brand and use the opportunity to review and refresh communications
Events, dear Reader… if things are just so overridingly negative that doing business under the current name becomes an insurmountable PR nightmare. Take heed however that these days the public can sniff an insincere paint job from a fair distance. Have the very credible and sincere narrative ready, the name change is merely the detail
A change in strategic focus, be that product or industry or a commercial conclusion that the name is absolutely incapable of flexing to support delivery of the business plan
The name is just so non-distinctive and generic that achieving leverage over the competition will always be uphill and beyond fixable with the communications budget to hand
Problems with legacy. A person, place or a thing that no longer exists and has become irrelevant or harmful to the business.
That’s kinda it. Five circumstances and even then management may decide that things can be overcome – Carphone Warehouse springs to mind. In summary, these five criteria are all things that can be classed as damaging to the commercial objectives or strategic plan of a business. In no way do subjective likes or dislikes of a name figure, and least of all a new Marketing Director’s desire to do something smartish, whilst figuring out what else (s)he can do to make their mark on a non brand-savvy organisation.
Importantly, name change is not allowed when things are just not going terribly well and no-one seems to have control or the vaguest idea where to go next. On that basis let’s not #renamebrexit.
Caxit next then? For Madrid and Brussels probably a fair assumption of the impact….
