Rebranding through the Lens of RiverFest
By Angela Rodriguez
Texas State University announced an April event called RiverFest. However, many of the current students have never heard of the event before.
Last year, Texas State hosted what was then called “Gaillardia Fest” which diverged significantly in their themes. While the term ‘Gaillardia’ is referred to as a flower with orange and yellow hues, it represents culture and traditions.
However, in April 2024 this event was rebranded to RiverFest, which centered its image differently in comparison to Gaillardi Fest. It leaned more towards a blue and yellow Coachella festival setting. In addition, it’s worth mentioning that vendors at RiverFest operated on a paid basis, whereas at Gaillardia Fest, vendor participation incurred no cost. This distinction underscores the accessibility and community-centric nature of Gaillardia Fest, in comparison with the commercial approach of River Fest. It placed more emphasis on the musical performances rather than the activities and community engagement.
Maintaining consistency in branding is crucial, especially during a name change. It’s important to ensure that key elements like font, logo, and color scheme are aligned with the original brand to preserve recognition and familiarity.
An example of failed rebrands is the company GAP, which was known for its basic t-shirts and classic jeans. They initiated their rebrand with only recreating their logo, which did not respond well with consumers. The main mistakes the GAP made was not announcing the change of the logo to consumers or what the main idea of the rebranding was intended for. Lastly, the company used the same font that was also utilized by GAP’s main competitor American Apparel. The font was helvetica which was in no way a unique brand feature.
Here are tips to make a comfortable rebranding transition for your business.
Before committing towards rebranding your business do your research on the criteria of your business and what makes your brand exceptional to find your true identity. Look at what the audience is saying about your competitors and incorporate that into your rebranding.
Finding inspiration in customers is a strong foundation as a rebrand strategy because consumers can point to what makes a brand authentic. However while making that change, brands should never lose sight of their core values and avoid trying to be something they’re not.
Another big tip is to always have some originality from your past rebrands and distribute that inspiration of change into a modern lens. It’s not ideal to change the whole brand from the ground but a brand that blends nostalgia with modern thinking gives consumers a bit of excitement when they see a rebrand.
Lastly, your launch of your rebrand should be as big as you can make it when pushing out the product, with social media, website, influencers, press releases, or reaching out to media outlets. Consumers deserve a launch for the hard work and dedication put into this rebrand.
In an ever-evolving market, rebranding isn’t just about a new look- it’s about resonating with your audience, and positioning your brand for future growth. By embracing change and staying true to your core values, rebranding can feel like breathing in a new life but it also means paving the way for long-term success.
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