rebranding the guggenheim recommendation section

Rebranding the Guggenheim

Introduction

Rebranding is a process whereby an organization seeks to alter the public perception of its brand. It may involve changing the brand entirely, or it may be more subtle than that – a shift in perception but maintaining the same brand. The latter tactic fits better with an organization that has high brand recognition but needs to reposition the brand a bit. The Guggenheim is a name known worldwide, but it is underperforming in the sense of not drawing as many visitors as most of the other high-profile museums.

In order to effectively rebrand the Guggenheim, first it is required to take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the current branding. Then, an analysis of the external environment will allow the Guggenheim to develop an objective that the new branding can achieve. Equipped with a vision for where the brand needs to be in the 21st century, the process of rebranding can begin. Key will be to identify which traits of the brand should be removed, and what should replace them in order to convey the desired new branding.

Against This Backdrop…

Against this backdrop, rebranding the Guggenheim will require the following steps. The first step is to formalize and codify the brand message. The message forms the basis for the other elements of the brand.

The next phase is to create the brand voice. The brand voice will highlight how the brand will be conveyed in all written material. But the voice also serves as the brand personality, which will also be conveyed in the graphic design that reflects the brand. Furthermore, the brand voice will be reflected across the different media forms. When implementing the re-branding, it will be necessary to align the brand voice with the different social media channels, the website, all the print material, all to convey the impression that the same brand is speaking, even when it is speaking to different audience utilizing different channels.

The third step in the rebranding process is to create tagline. The tagline will serve two functions. First, it will be the primary emblem of the new brand, but the other is that it has to differentiate from the prior branding, without directly referencing it. The new brand has to be distinguishable clearly, and the new tagline will help with that respect.

Once the verbal branding has been formulated, then the verbal branding and brand voice/personality need to be translated to visual format. This is reflected in the entire graphic design concept, and this graphic design will be instituted across all of the museum's marketing. The centerpiece of the rebranding, along with the tagline, will be the new logo. The logo should reflect the brand message and voice, which means that there will need to be good communication with the graphic design team to translate this vision into visuals.

The next step will be to develop templates and create brand standards for the marketing materials. This is important, because the standards can be used not only between the different people on the marketing team, but externals as well. Outsider agencies like media are going work with the brand guidelines as well, so it is critical that these are aligned.