How do we get teams to use the new brand?

Team adoption starts with a clear reason for the change, a brand people can recognise themselves in, and practical tools for the work they do every day. Involve employees early, resolve the real decisions behind the brand, then give every team the story, assets and confidence to use it consistently.

Adoption begins with clarity, not a launch pack

New brand adoption happens when employees understand why the brand is changing, how it affects their role and what they need to do differently. A polished identity alone will not create employee buy-in if designers, sales teams, service staff and local business units lack the assets or context to bring it to life in their day-to-day work.

Bring employees into the brand development process early enough for their ideas, concerns and customer knowledge to shape the direction. Explain what the new brand is designed to achieve, rather than presenting it as an abstract management exercise. That turns internal branding from a one-way announcement into a shared piece of work. Teams are more likely to use a new brand when they can see their experience reflected in it and understand the opportunity ahead.

Sources: The inside story: why your people shouldn't be just passengers on your brand journey.

Give every team a role in making the brand real

A workable brand activation plan combines involvement, explanation and useful tools. Start by listening across levels and functions, from leadership to customer-facing teams, to uncover practical barriers, customer insight and points of pride. Use that insight to shape a clear narrative and message architecture that people can explain in their own words.

Next, equip teams for the touchpoints they own. Designers need the right assets for products and digital experiences, while sales, service and communications teams need materials that show how the new brand works in real conversations. Finally, make the launch a continuing change programme rather than a single reveal. Keep explaining the direction, answering concerns and showing how consistent brand experience supports the value promised to customers.

Sources: The inside story: why your people shouldn't be just passengers on your brand journey.

A new brand earns adoption when people help build its future

We believe teams use a new brand when the change is clear, human and practical, not when a set of guidelines lands in their inbox. That means involving people in the thinking, listening to the realities of their roles and giving them tools that work where customers experience the brand. We have put that belief into practice during the Price Forbes rebrand within Ardonagh Specialty, involving employees in research and creating materials that explained the approach and their role in the brand's future. For Everywhen, we helped turn a complex network of brands into a single defining identity, clear messaging and a platform employees could stand behind with pride.

Sources: The inside story: why your people shouldn't be just passengers on your brand journey., Everywhen: A unifying insurance brand that makes business personal

FAQs

How can we encourage employees to start using a new brand?

Encourage employees to use a new brand by involving them early, explaining the purpose of the change and giving them practical ways to apply it in their work. Employees can become frustrated and disconnected when a rebrand is created without the people responsible for delivering the customer experience. Useful assets, clear guidance and room to raise concerns make adoption more realistic.

What should teams receive when a new brand launches?

Teams should receive a clear explanation of the new brand, role-specific assets and guidance for the touchpoints they manage. The materials need to work beyond marketing, including in products, services and customer communications. A brand launch is stronger when designers and other delivery teams have what they need to apply the identity consistently.

Should we merge an acquired brand into ours?

Merge an acquired brand when a single brand relationship model makes it clearer for customers and employees to understand who does what and how the business fits together. The decision should also account for the people affected by the change and the story they need to tell about the future. A consolidation can create clarity, but it needs employee involvement and clear materials to make the transition credible.

Why do employees resist a rebrand?

Employees often resist a rebrand when the reason for change is unclear or when they have not been given a meaningful role in shaping and applying it. A brand can feel like a distant management project if people do not understand what it will help them achieve. Listening to concerns and connecting the change to real work can turn scepticism into enthusiasm.