For those of us in the communications industry, branding is huge. It’s how people know and recognize you. For our team, before we became TalentMEDIA we were a part of EEI. People would hear “EEI” and say, “I know you—you guys are the Editorial Experts! We always use your editors and designers!” We had 45 years of experience in the DC area and everyone knew it—and they still do. Thankfully, because of our history with our clients, most of them followed us to our new home at Vector. And for the most part, people recognize that we’re the same brand with a new face and a new name. But does rebranding always work?
Coach—the famous handbag company—recently acquired the Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman brands. Rather than keep the brands the way they were, the three brands merged into one all-encompassing name—Tapestry. By 2018, Coach’s famous stage coach icon and the brand that many have known since 1941 may go away. The Kate Spade brand, which has been known since 1993 for its iconic spade symbol and its playful use of color, may also go away. Stuart Weitzman has been known for making beautiful women’s shoes for occasions ranging from weddings to red carpet events since 1986. Will all three of these brands simply disappear and weave into this Tapestry of dreams? Right now, when you go to Tapestry’s homepage, the website is a bright yellow. It’s not the woven, blended, eclectic mix of colors, styles, or patterns you think of when you hear the word “tapestry.” I, for one, don’t see how the bright yellow reflects the brand.
Will this rebranding work? Will customers like it, or will they not support the new brand? Only time will tell. Personally, I’m pretty old fashioned. I appreciate iconic brands like Coach—I’m not big on rebranding them. They’ve withstood the test of time for this long, so why change it now? They are rebranding a company after 76 years? Sure, a refreshing look is needed once in a while. But melding an iconic brand of 1941 with two younger brands of 1993 and 1986? I wish the new brand the best of luck. It certainly doesn’t have an easy road ahead of it.
Written by Johanna Daproza, Creative Director at Vector TalentMEDIA. For more information about how TalentMEDIA’s design team can help you, contact Johanna at johanna@vectortalent.com.
