Keys to Successful Creative Direction Changes

Up to 60% of rebrands fail. The usual cause? Chasing a new look without a real plan. I’ve studied over 200+ rebrand case studies. The winners share four traits. The failures? They almost always prioritized aesthetics over strategy. 1. Strategy before beauty Three out of four consumers remember brands by their logo. That’s why most failed rebrands start there and end there. The successful ones invest months building a strategic foundation before touching design. 2. Voice that connects Brand voice isn’t just copy. It’s your personality across every channel. Nike doesn’t just sell shoes. Their voice is empowering, motivational, slightly rebellious, and it’s consistent everywhere. Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club both sell razors. Harry’s uses refined sophistication for premium buyers. Dollar Shave Club leans into irreverent humor for cost-conscious millennials. Same product category, opposite voices. Voice comes from knowing your audience, not guessing. 3. Visual identity with purpose Visuals work only after strategy and voice are clear. Tropicana learned this in 2009. They replaced recognizable packaging with a clean, minimal design. Customers didn’t recognize it. Sales fell 20% in six weeks. Royal Mail made the same mistake in 2001. They ditched 500 years of equity for a meaningless name: Consignia. The public mocked it. Within 15 months, they reverted, wasting millions. Visual identity should strengthen your strategy, not erase your history. 4. Live the change internally first If your team doesn’t believe in the rebrand, it will never take flight. Every employee must understand and live the new direction before the public sees it. McKinsey found that change programs with strong employee buy-in are 30% more likely to succeed. Internal alignment before external launch, always. Ignore this, and you won’t just waste money. You’ll destroy trust. LESSON: A rebrand isn’t about looking different. Kia proved it in 2021. They didn’t just tweak a logo. They redefined their purpose: “Movement that Inspires” and backed it with product innovation. Revenue jumped 18% to a record $60 billion. Kia invested in transformation, not cosmetics, and hit historic growth. In an example of what not to do, Gap launched a new logo on October 6, 2010. By October 12 - just 6 days later - they reversed it. Cost: $100 million down the drain. A new look only works if it’s built on a strong foundation. When you’re clear on why your brand exists and what it stands for, the visuals have power. They signal meaning people can feel. Get the meaning right, and the look will matter. Motto®

𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱? We’ve all been there! You’ve put in hours, maybe days, crafting the perfect flow. And just when you think you’ve nailed it... the requirements change. Suddenly, everything needs a rethink, and it feels like you’re back to square one. Frustrating, right? You don't have to start from scratch; here’s how to get up to speed quickly: 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 → Take a moment to breathe, then clarify what's changed and why. Not everything needs to be thrown out. What’s still relevant from the old design? Are there new constraints or opportunities to consider? Write it down. 𝗨𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 → Think about how the new flow fits into the overall user experience. Are there transition points that need extra attention? Don’t forget about the expectations the previous flow set—your users will notice any big shifts, so aim to make it feel seamless. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 → Changes usually happen because business priorities shift. Make sure the new design still aligns with these evolving goals. Get your stakeholders on board early so everyone is clear and on the same page. No surprises down the line. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 → Keep what’s working. Use established design patterns so your users feel grounded, but don’t be afraid to tweak where it’s needed. The new flow should evolve but still feel like part of the same ecosystem. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻→ Don’t design in a bubble. Check-in with your developers, product managers, and the rest of your team. Are there any technical limitations you need to know about? This saves time (and headaches) later. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀→ What does “better” look like? Be specific. Is it a faster flow? Better user engagement? Clearer conversions? Defining success early on helps you and your team stay focused and on track. 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻→ Test, test, and test again. Consider usability testing before fully rolling it out. This way, you can validate your choices and catch any issues early. 𝗕𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 → Whether it’s a phased rollout or a big launch, think about how you’ll communicate the change. Your users need to be ready for it, so set them up for success.

Valuable insights to share from my meeting with Daniel Lamarre (Executive Vice Chairman of the Board) at the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group HQ in Montreal. 1 - Foster a Culture of Creativity: Create an environment where creativity thrives, including trusting employees, encouraging risk-taking, and promoting open dialogue. 2- Lead with Passion and Vision: Inspire your teams by having a clear vision and maintaining enthusiasm for the mission. 3- Develop Resilience: Building resilience to handle the inevitable challenges in creative endeavors, noting that resilience fuels persistence and adaptability. 4-Align Creativity with Strategy: Successful creativity should be grounded in business strategy; creativity without purpose risks being ineffective. 5- Continuously Learn and Grow: it is important to learn from every experience, good or bad, and to stay open to new knowledge and perspectives.

Big changes. Bold ideas. Ever wonder why they fall flat? You launched an innovative project... Tried to streamline operations... Pushed for a cultural shift... And then… nothing. No traction. Why? Lippitt-Knoster Model answers that brilliantly. It shows that change needs 6 elements: 1. Vision 2. Consensus 3. Skills 4. Incentives 5. Resources 6. Action Plan Miss even ONE, and you’re headed for trouble. Here’s how: ↳ No Vision   You say, “We need to be more innovative!”   (But nobody knows what that means)   Result: CONFUSION 😕 ↳ No Consensus   You say, “Everyone’s on board, right?”   (But key people aren’t aligned)   Result: SABOTAGE 🔥 ↳ No Skills   You say, “Let’s go agile!”   (Without training the team)   Result: ANXIETY 😰 ↳ No Incentives   You say, “We’re implementing a new CRM!”   (But the team sees no benefit)   Result: RESISTANCE 🛑 ↳ No Resources   You say, “Let’s scale operations!”   (But expect the same team to do more)   Result: FRUSTRATION 😤 ↳ No Action Plan   You say, “We’re going digital!”   (Without clear steps or timelines)   Result: TREADMILL 🔄 Now, you see why your initiatives fail. The solution? Address the gaps directly: - Confusion? → Clarify the vision.   - Sabotage? → Get alignment.   - Anxiety? → Provide training.   - Resistance? → Show personal benefits.   - Frustration? → Add resources.   - Treadmill? → Make a clear roadmap. For any change initiative, check for these. Missing one? Your success is at risk. All 6 align? Change is unstoppable. Which element do you see missing most often? Found this valuable? ♻️ Repost to your network and follow Surabhi Shenoy for more. Thank you! -- Ready to level up as a CEO? Join my weekly newsletter —CEO Mastery. (It’s free) Every Thursday, I share 1 actionable tip to grow your business, increase its valuation, and have fun while doing it. 🎁 𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗦: You’ll get instant access to my 27 exclusive Growth Cheatsheets Click the "𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" link at the top of this post👆

Ever tried to change a tire while the car's still moving? That's what implementing organizational change can feel like for you and your team. We've all been there. 😅 Pushing through changes without a clear strategy, hoping sheer determination and long nights would be enough. But nope. The change initiative ended in confusion, resistance, or maybe didn't make it across the finish line before everyone abandoned ship. I've been there—from implementing organization wide learning programs to updating team policies. And let me tell you, without a roadmap, it's chaos. 🌪️ ---From Chaos to Smoother Sailing---- Enter the Knoster Model for Managing Complex Change. It's like GPS for navigating the treacherous waters of change management. This model has been hanging in my office for the last 10 years, serving as a visual cue to ensure I have all 5 elements covered before taking on change initiatives. ----Here's the Model---- Vision + Skills + Incentives + Resources + Action Plan = Successful Change 🔹 Vision: Where we want to go 🔹 Skills: What we need to know 🔹 Incentives: Why we should care 🔹 Resources: What we need to use 🔹 Action Plan: How we'll get there -----The Impact of Missing an Element---- 🚫No Vision? Confusion reigns 🚫Lacking Skills? Anxiety spikes 🚫Forget Incentives? Resistance grows 🚫Skimp on Resources? Frustration builds 🚫Skip the Action Plan? False starts abound Over the years, this model has become my diagnostic tool. When I hear confusion about where we're going or what we're trying to achieve, I immediately know I haven't been clear on the vision element. 🚩 It's like a red flag waving, telling me to step back and refocus on communicating our goals and business objectives. Similarly, when I notice people are confused about how they're going to meet the vision, it's a clear sign that I haven't properly set them up for success with the right skills. This realization always prompts me to pause and reassess where I can improve. 🔄 It's a simple framework and can also be used as a self-assessment tool. Now, it's your turn to put this model into action: Think about a change initiative you're currently planning or struggling with. Which of the five elements needs your attention most? Is your vision crystal clear? Are your team's skills up to par? Which element are you excellent at?