In a world obsessed with innovation, novelty, and ‘the next big thing’, it’s tempting to think that reinventing your brand is the key to it staying relevant. Everywhere you look, big brands are playfully tweaking their logos, flipping their packaging, or releasing limited-edition variations of their most iconic products. It’s easy to get swept up in that and assume that you should do the same.

But before you start changing things up, there’s a critical question you need to ask yourself: If no one knows your original brand, why would they care about the remixed version?

At The Conscious Marketing Group, we help brands maximise their marketing impact through creative, strategy-based approaches. And when it comes to branding, one of the biggest mistakes we see businesses make is prioritising reinvention before they’ve built enough recognition.

Big Brands Have Earned the Right to Mix It Up

Take a look at brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Apple. They’ve spent decades building and reinforcing their brand identity, making their logos, colours, fonts, and even sounds instantly recognisable on a global scale. Because of this deep-seeded brand memory, they can afford to tweak and experiment because people will still recognise them.

Think about Coca-Cola’s holiday bottles, McDonald’s minimalistic golden arches campaign, or Apple’s decision to remove the word ‘Macintosh’ from their computers. These brands were able to make these sudden and arguably drastic changes because their foundations are rock solid. The audience familiarity with these brands’ products is so strong that when these companies introduce a playful twist to their packaging or messaging, it grabs attention without causing confusion.

But if a lesser-known brand suddenly changes its logo, messaging, or visual identity, it risks losing whatever recognition it has built. Instead of looking fresh and innovative, it looks inconsistent, leaving customers confused rather than engaged.

Repetition Builds Memory. Memory Builds Trust. Trust Builds Sales.

Marketing is not just about creativity, it’s about strategy. One of the most powerful strategic moves you can make is reinforcing what works before you experiment with it.

If your audience doesn’t recognise your brand yet, your priority should be consistency rather than jumping ahead to reinvention. And here’s why: 

Repetition builds memory.

When people see your brand’s colors, typography, logo, and messaging over and over again, it sticks. The more consistent you are, the more familiar your brand becomes.

Memory builds trust.

Consumers are more likely to choose a brand they recognise and remember. Trust isn’t just built through great products; it’s built through familiarity.

Trust builds sales.

Once people trust your brand, they feel more confident in buying from you as they believe it is reliable and worthwhile. And that’s the goal – turning awareness into action.

Every tweak, change, or refresh should be made with intention. If it disrupts recognition rather than strengthening it, it’s not helping your brand, it’s diluting it.

Before you start pushing boundaries and tweaking your brand codes, take a moment to reflect and ask yourself:

• Are you reinforcing brand memory or diluting it?

If your logo, tagline, or core messaging keeps changing, are you making it harder for people to remember you?

• Is your brand recognised enough for people to notice a change?

If you don’t have strong brand recognition yet, altering your identity could confuse rather than excite your audience.

• Have you built a strong foundation, or are you still introducing yourself?

If you’re still in the early stages of brand awareness, your focus should be on building consistency, not complexity.

If your brand isn’t widely recognised yet, changing things up too soon is like a band releasing a remix of a song no one has heard. It simply won’t resonate because there’s no existing connection.

How to Build Brand Recognition Before Reinvention

At CMG, we believe in creativity with purpose. Instead of changing for the sake of change, we encourage our clients to strengthen their brand foundation first. Here’s three simple rules to stick to to make it work.

1. Get Crystal Clear on Your Brand Codes

Your brand codes are the visual, verbal, and emotional elements that make your brand recognisable. These include:

• Your logo and how it’s used
• Your colour palette
• Your typography and fonts
• Your tone of voice in messaging
• Your taglines and slogans
• Your brand storytelling and core values

Before you start playing around with these, ensure they are strong, consistent, and widely recognised by your audience.

2. Use Consistency to Your Advantage

Repetition isn’t boring, it’s strategic. The more consistent your branding is across all touchpoints, the stronger your recognition will be. This includes:

• Your website and social media visuals
• Your advertising and marketing materials
• Your email campaigns and packaging

The goal is to make your brand unmistakable so that when people see a certain colour, phrase, or image, they immediately think of you.

3. Measure Recognition Before Reinventing

Before you consider a refresh or remix, ask yourself: Do people recognise my brand as it is? You can judge this by looking at key brand awareness metrics such as:

• Brand recall – Can people remember your brand unaided?
• Logo recognition – Can they identify your logo without the brand name?
• Social engagement – Are people associating certain phrases, colours, or visuals with you?

If you answer ‘no’ to these questions then your brand isn’t easily recognised yet, hold off on changes and focus on strengthening awareness first.

Give the Original Enough Play Before You Remix

At CMG, we believe in the power of strategic branding. Reinvention is exciting, but recognition is essential.

Your brand should be so well-known and well-loved that when you do decide to try a remix, your audience instantly understands the reference. Until then, your focus should be on consistency, repetition, and clarity.

So before you tweak your logo, change your colours, or shift your messaging, ask yourself:

Has the original been played enough times to stick?

If not, keep playing it, and make it loud and clear.

If you need help building a brand that sticks, CMG is here to help. Let’s craft a marketing strategy that maximises your impact, builds recognition, and sets the foundation for your brand’s long-term success. Get in touch with us today.