3 Tips To Engage Your Team in a Rebranding Journey

When Specialized officially rebranded in 2022, they looked for a name and brand that would honor their 37 years of service and tell new customers what they’re all about. With the color palette chosen, logo designed and announcements readied, there was only one thing left to do: get the Specialized team geared up to showcase their new look. Brand Chain spoke with Nathan Goldberg, CEO and president of Specialized, to hear his advice on involving staff to become brand ambassadors, while having some fun along the way.

1. Involve Staff as Partners

Creative teams are often at the forefront of a rebrand, but involving cross-departmental representatives can bring valuable perspectives and identify potential issues. Who knows what potential clients fnd engaging and fun? Who can provide a list of every item in your inventory that needs to be updated? These questions and more, Goldberg says, are key reasons to involve partners at every level. “You want to bring in your stakeholders. I brought in our marketing team and my sales leader and made sure that everybody was on board and didn't see any issues with the redesign. It's also about how it makes people feel when they see it for the first time. That's really what's important to me, and it's what we need to do for our customers too.”

2. Find Your Rebrand Champions

Identifying team members to help lead the charge internally can foster a sense of ownership and generate excitement about a rebrand. Be sure to select someone who can dole out some tough love, for the good of the team. “Just like every other project you have in your company, you need to have an internal champion to make it across the finish line. That may involve someone who walks around and throws away people's old business cards, or literally cuts out the old logo out of people's shirts,” Goldberg says.

3. Provide a Little Unboxing Magic

Letting go of your favorite company mug or t-shirt can feel like a breakup, but Goldberg and team wanted staff to feel like their gear was getting an upgrade. The team planned an unveiling event, gifting branded boxes packed to the brim with swag for every employee.

“We did a big unveiling and had everybody in the office upstairs with the merch laid out. We gave them a full, new kit. Everybody got a couple of shirts including a polo shirt, t-shirt and a hoodie. There were also new tumblers, stickers to put on their laptops and backpacks — just a whole bunch of merch, and remote employees were mailed their kits,” he says.

With the rebrand in place and the team decked out, Goldberg shares they’ve received great feedback.

“We're a branding company, right? When we show up to a customer's office, it’s important that the business card matches the backpack, matches the shirt, matches the notepad. We're getting feedback from some of our longtime customers saying, ‘Hey, I love the new logo. I love the new brand. I love the new colors.’ That feedback has been really positive.”

In case you missed it, check out this deeper dive on Specialized's rebrand process.

By Bethany Larrañaga