For 70 years, Old Spice stood as an iconic brand in the antiperspirant industry. When it was purchased by Proctor and Gamble in 1990, Old Spice’s brand had been all but forgotten by an entire generation. The brand had enjoyed a great ride, but soon realized it was missing out on a generation with its outdated marketing and brand image.
Previous Old Spice campaigns touted the nautical theme and focused on the older male demographic. Based on internal research conducted by P&G in the early 2000’s, the company determined it was not reaching males 18-35 because it was perceived as not being trendy or modern.
In 2010, the brand reemerged as a formidable competitor by undergoing a “makeover” of sorts. The company rebranded itself and released new campaigns featured Isaiah Mustafa as the new “Old Spice Guy”. The marketing efforts engaged a new target market leveraging social media and a product line designed for the younger, more modern male.
The social media campaign included the Old Spice Guy making personalized videos for fans and prominent bloggers. After 180+ videos made and over 6 million views, the brand that had once been thought a sleeping giant had put the “spice” back in “Old Spice.”
Sometimes, brands like Old Spice need to hit the refresh button to appeal to a wider audience, different demographic or even reengage its current customer base. Companies that have successful branding strategies recognize that it’s all about telling the story of your company and products.
Successful brands evolve with their business and audience. In a culture where news is old in a matter of minutes thanks to social media, staying fresh is critical to the success of your company. Firms that have introduced a new product or service or had a change in management can benefit from a branding makeover.
There are some questions you should consider during this process help you to evaluate the degree of your makeover.
Are you looking to update your brand or are you looking to reach a different audience? Are you looking to shake a negative image or press? Are you looking to remain relevant with your current audience and reengage them by retelling your story?
Refreshing your brand should be a strategic move and should align with your company’s business goals. Determine what benefits you hope to achieve through this process and work backward to determine the steps you intend to take. It is a big task so be sure to do your research. There is a delicate line between refreshing for the right reasons and appearing to be inconsistent so take your time and think your strategy through.
So if the time and reasons are right, it might be time to consider spicing up your brand!
About me
and Sprint Recruiting
I joined the HR industry in 2004 after working as a sales leader in the Financial Services Industry for eight years. After spending his first couple of years in HR trying to fit in, I found my voice. Now I leverage all of the things I once hated about HR to become a consultant and invaluable partner to the businesses I support. I contribute to the HRGazzette and to DataDrivenInvestor on Medium. WARNING: my writing style is raw and in your face, not what you would expect from an HR executive.
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