Evolve your brand without losing its essence
Build Mode™ Issue 03.2025
Hello and welcome to this issue of Build Mode, a monthly update with brand insights to help you level up your business. We have an ambitious group of professionals working in real estate, architecture, engineering, construction, marketing, design, and development. You all inspire me to keep sharing, so thank you for being here.
Haven’t subscribed yet? Consider joining us below and get the next issue delivered straight to your inbox on the first of the month.Airbnb just isn’t what it used to be (in a good way). Maybe you’re already familiar with the origin story of the biggest hospitality brand on the planet. From their humble beginnings renting air mattresses to conference attendees in San Francisco, they quickly evolved. Instead of appealing to scrappy travelers looking for cheap stays on couches and spare bedrooms, they realized their users valued unique experiences, local connections, and a sense of belonging. So, they repositioned and rebranded. Their messaging shifted from saving money on a place to stay, to a platform they call Belong Anywhere, founded on curated experiences and boutique stays, which enabled a future of massive growth.
Side note: Have you seen some of the latest Vrbo ads? They’re a fine brand, but I think it’s funny that Vrbo uses Airbnb’s old positioning against them as an attempt to remind people where Airbnb started, though, they’re a far cry from those early days
What is brand repositioning?
And how is it different from rebranding??You might be familiar with the term repositioning as it relates to building repositioning. In real estate, the process of transforming an existing asset with select, strategic actions to make it more attractive and add value — like renovating common areas or adding new amenities — is typically referred to as repositioning.
In branding, repositioning is similar.
While I don’t want to split hairs on this (I have none to split), there are different levels of brand transformations.
Repositioning is about shifting perception — changing how your brand is seen in the market, selectively and strategically. It’s possible to reposition a brand without significantly changing its visual presence, much like you can reposition a building while leaving much of its core presence intact. Repositioning is more about defining a new stance, a new way to present yourself, a new way to be seen. It’s a strategic shift, not necessarily an aesthetic one.
However, if you are repositioning, you may actually want to signal change in the market, and signal it in a big way. If so, rebrand.
Rebranding is about changing a brand’s expression in a significant way — this could be a new name, a new story, or a complete overhaul of how the brand presents itself visually and verbally. A rebrand is the outward expression of intentional transformation of a business.
Side note: another term you might hear, though not quite a transformation, is ‘brand refresh.’ A brand refresh is about refinement — visible changes to the brand’s expression while keeping the brand’s core intact. It’s a fresh coat of paint to brighten the place up and avoid feeling stagnant (not a renovation or rebuild).
So, where does your brand stand? Are things fine the way they are? Or, are you in need of a reposition or rebrand? Let’s find out.
Why is repositioning important?
If repositioning is about changing perception, and perception is a human behavior we can’t control… well, this is going to be difficult!
People form mental models of your brand over time. A rebrand or repositioning effort won’t flip the switch on perception overnight. Sure, you can have a launch party, a press release, make a big splash… but the real change happens in the months (or years) that follow, as you reinforce your new position through marketing, messaging, and brand experiences.
If you feel like you’re leaving opportunities on the table, it might be because your brand — not just your business — is falling behind. Here are some reasons you might want to go through a reposition or rebrand:
The market is changing
If your audience, or other industry players, or the industry itself is evolving, your brand may need to evolve and reposition simply to stay relevant.
The business is growing
If your business is expanding into new markets or offering new services, and the current brand is stifling or hindering your expansion, you may need to reposition the brand to better connect with your growth plans.
Businesses are merging
If your company is merging, acquiring, (or is the target of an acquisition), a new brand identity or position is often necessary to reflect the combined entity (see the Build Mode issue on brand architecture if so).
Performance is declining
If your brand is struggling, failing to attract the right people, or suffering from a less-than-positive reputation — a rebrand effort can help reinvigorate it.
Repositioning could be transformational! However, it could also be a futile and costly effort. You shouldn’t reposition or rebrand just because a new leader takes the helm, someone in the organization has a personal disdain for the brand color, or the company is performing well but wants to make an incremental improvement. Rebrands and repositioning efforts should be rooted in fundamental shifts in business needs and objectives, like those listed above.
So, if you’re struggling to break into a new market… or if you’ve outgrown your initial brand… or if your audience sees you one way but you need to be seen differently… repositioning is worth considering.
What you can do next
if you're thinking about repositioningBefore you do anything drastic, take a step back, and define where you are today so you can determine where you want to go tomorrow. The brand strategy exercise below is one I use whenever I’m working with brands that are going through a transformation. It works best on a white board with sticky notes you can move. I call it Past / Present / Future.
Draw a Venn diagram with two overlapping circles.
Label the left circle PAST, the right circle FUTURE, and the overlap in the middle PRESENT.
Now, ask yourself: What defines our brand today? How are we currently perceived? Place your answers in the left circle labeled PAST.
Next, ask yourself: What are we striving toward? How do we want to be perceived? Place these answers on the right circle labeled FUTURE.
Then, ask yourself: What about us must remain? What is core to our identity and shouldn’t change? Place these answers in the overlap labeled PRESENT, or move them from the left circle into the overlap.
An example of what Past / Present / Future might look like
Once you go through this exercise, you’ll find the things that no longer serve your business are the ones left in PAST. Are there a lot of items you want to let go of? Maybe it’s an old reputation you want to leave behind. Maybe it’s messaging that’s no longer relevant. Maybe it’s an audience segment you’ve outgrown. Maybe it’s a market position that no longer fits you. Whatever it may be, you can visually see where you’ve come from and where you want to go next.
The key to repositioning is shifting perception, and change — as I’ve mentioned — doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through consistent messaging, marketing, and experiences over time.
So, if you’re considering a rebrand or repositioning effort, you’ll need to focus on reinforcing your FUTURE aspirations over and over and over again, through your actions and through brand expressions, until perception starts to change. Repositioning isn’t just about what you do or say — it’s about who you become over time.
That’s all for this edition of Build Mode! If this resonated with you and you think it might help others, feel free to forward it to a colleague. And if you want to discuss a brand repositioning or full-on rebrand, just reply here — I’d love to hear from you.
Best.
Kenny Isidoro
See my latest on Instagram, LinkedIn, or feel free to book a call.
We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are.
— Max De Pree
Work zone
Some other things I've been up toRepositioning:
That’s right. I’ve used a current project as inspiration for this month’s article. I’m really excited to have kicked off a reposition of a historic mill building in the Boston area that hasn’t gotten the tender loving care that it really deserves. Through this process, we aim to change how it’s been perceived in the market and highlight its true character.
Adventuring:
For one of my latest brand identity projects, I've ventured slightly outside of my comfort zone. While most of the brands I develop have a limited set of logo variations, I saw an opportunity here to create a suite of marks, resulting in a dynamic system that is consistent in its visual expression yet interchangeable for a variety of uses.
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