Brand strategy & identity
Brand refresh and rebrand
A brand refresh updates how an established business looks and sounds while keeping what people already recognise. A rebrand changes more, sometimes including the name. Zelexis starts by deciding which the business needs, based on how it is perceived and where it is heading, then changes only what the strategy calls for and rolls it out across every channel.
How much changes in a refresh.
An illustrated refresh for an established business, with each part of the brand placed by how much it changes, from kept as it is to replaced.
Who it is for
A refresh or rebrand suits an established business whose identity no longer matches the work, the clients or the direction. Most of the businesses we work with need a refresh rather than a full rebrand, because their name and core identity carry recognition that is valuable and hard to rebuild.
How it works
We start by deciding how much should change, based on how the business is perceived today and where it is heading. Every part of the brand, from the name and logo to the colours, type, photography and messaging, is placed on a simple scale: keep, sharpen or replace. Only then does design begin, so the new identity is built on the agreed position rather than on taste.
What you receive
A refined or new identity, updated messaging and voice, guidelines the team can follow and templates for the documents used most. We plan the rollout with you, so the website, proposals, signage and social channels change in a sensible order and customers see one consistent brand. Our guide on what brand guidelines should include explains the part guidelines play.
Questions about this service.
Straight answers, written to make sense on their own.
Still deciding?
You do not need a finished brief. We can talk through what you need and where to start.
What is the difference between a brand refresh and a rebrand?
A refresh keeps the core of an established brand, such as the name and the main elements people recognise, and sharpens the rest. A rebrand changes the brand more fundamentally, sometimes including the name, usually because the business has changed direction or its current brand actively works against it.
Can a rebrand cost a business existing customers?
It can, if elements customers recognise are replaced without good reason or the change is not explained. Most established businesses need a refresh rather than a full rebrand. Keeping the recognised parts, changing only what holds the business back and telling customers what has changed protects the recognition already earned.
How long does a brand refresh take?
Usually six to twelve weeks for the strategy, identity and guidelines, followed by a rollout across the website, documents, signage and social channels. The rollout depends on how many places the brand appears, and Zelexis plans it so the most visible channels change first.
Related reading.
The service behind this page, the guides that go deeper, and the pages nearby.
- Brand strategy & identity A position people remember, and an identity that holds it.
- Rebrand or brand refresh: which does your business need? How a brand refresh differs from a rebrand, what changes in each, and a practical way to decide which one your business needs.
- How to rebrand without losing customers How to change the way your business is presented while keeping the recognition and trust it has built, with a rollout sequence existing customers can follow.
- How much does a rebrand cost in Australia? What drives the cost of a rebrand for an established business, which parts are fixed and which you control, and how to budget without paying for work you do not need.
Tell us what you are working on.
We will tell you honestly whether this is the right place to start, and what can wait.
Discuss a project 5.0 on Google, from client reviews- You tell us the problemA short form. No finished brief needed.
- We reply within 1 to 2 business daysWith a time to talk, or a few questions first.
- A clear scope and tailored quoteThe work, the timing and the investment, before anything begins.