Was it any surprise that Wendy’s brought back one the most successful brand statements in commercial history? Perhaps for some it’s a cheap ploy at resurrecting a once giant burger brand that’s been left on the grill for too long or for others a lip-smacking promise of a burger that has more between the bun than the competition. Another take, as Ad Week observed, is the appropriateness of the message at a time of rising obesity and a call for lower calorie food options. We can take from this example that as in any brand positioning strategy, there are any number of approaches with as many interpretations, after all we each hold our own unique set of values and cannot assume one brand image fits all. What we do know is that organizations who invest in understanding the customer through consumer or B2B research are far more likely to succeed than those that fly by on gut feel. Insights are the foundation of any objective business decision and the cornerstone of a sound brand strategy. Many brands fail because they neglect to plan both strategically and tactically. This was well expressed in FastCompany’s article on knowing the difference between strategy and tactics where they observed that strategic brand planning is about establishing a long-term plan with bigger and broader objectives and the brand tactics are the actions intended to forward the brand’s strategic objectives. I’ve told clients there’s no point in being the fastest draw in the west if you always forget to load your gun.

Here are the top 10 considerations an organization can use when launching a new brand or engaging in a rebranding initiative:

1. Put the right person in charge of the process

2. Do not be nostalgic, let go of the past

3. Avoid the Gut Feel – hire a professional brand firm

4. Be objective not subjective – measure against the Brand Strategy

5. Use research to guide strategy – listen to each audience group

6. Let committees have a say not a vote

7. You are never too small to rebrand, every category needs a brand leader

8. The logo is the Visual Identity, not the entire Brand Identity

9. Know the brand’s unique point of difference – avoid being all things to all people

10. Don’t mimic the competition – it’s easy to cheat, it’s more rewarding to win