A refresh and a rebrand sit at different points on the same scale. A refresh modernises how the brand looks while keeping its core idea. A rebrand changes what the brand means, and the look follows. Choosing the right one saves money, shortens the project and protects goodwill.

What a brand refresh involves

A refresh keeps your name, positioning and personality, and improves the execution. Typical changes include:

• A tidier, more flexible version of the logo

• Updated colours, with accessible contrast

• Better typography and layout

• New imagery and a clearer tone of voice

Customers should recognise you immediately, only with a more polished impression. Colour updates are a good moment to check text against WCAG 2.2 contrast requirements, which many older palettes fail.

What a rebrand involves

A rebrand revisits positioning, messaging and often the name. It suits a major change: a new audience, a different offer, a merger, a new owner or a reputation you need to leave behind. Because it changes what people think of you, a rebrand needs research, clear internal agreement and a proper launch. Our guide to planning a rebrand launch without confusing customers covers that stage.

How to decide

Start with the problem, not the solution. Ask these questions honestly:

• Do customers understand what we do and who we are for?

• Is our offer, audience or ownership significantly different from when the brand was created?

• Do we look weaker than competitors who are no better than us?

• Does our name cause confusion or limit where we can grow?

If customers understand you but find you dated, refresh. If they misunderstand you, or the business has changed shape, rethink the positioning and consider a rebrand. A useful tool here is a clear brand positioning statement: if you can no longer write a convincing one, the problem is probably strategic.

Gather evidence before you commit

Talk to recent customers, lost prospects and staff. Review how your brand is applied across your website, proposals and social channels, and note where it feels inconsistent. Opinions inside the business are useful, but customer evidence is better. Be cautious about changing the brand simply because the team is bored of it. People who see the brand every day tire of it long before customers do.

Protect what you have built

Whichever route you take, identify the assets worth keeping, such as a recognisable colour, a distinctive shape or a phrase customers repeat. If you are changing a name or logo, check for conflicts with existing marks using the UK government's guidance on how to register a trade mark, and take specialist advice where it matters.

Plan the website and search impact

A brand change usually touches the website. If URLs, page titles or the domain will change, set up redirects and monitor performance in Google Search Console afterwards. Our website redesign checklist explains how to protect traffic, and a short set of brand guidelines helps the new look stay consistent once it is live.