Debranding: The quiet revolution reshaping consumerism

Debranding should be more than a shtick; it is a step towards shaping a genuinely connected global community. By acting thoughtfully, companies can enrich the market and foster deeper connections without disturbing their intentions

By Prof M Geetha and Vallari Naik

Published: Mar 24, 2025 01:39:18 PM IST

Updated: Mar 24, 2025 02:00:01 PM IST

Debranding involves removing a company's name from its advertising and marketing and instead focusing on visual elements that convey the brand's essence. Image: Shutterstock

In the age of consumerism, a silent revolution is underway. Major brands are stripping down their logos and embracing minimalism—a way to connect more authentically with their customers who particularly belong to Generation Z. This movement, known as debranding, is neither an advertising gimmick nor a mere response to evolving market trends; it's a strategic movement aimed at fostering deeper connections with a generation that values authenticity over flamboyance.

A New Approach to Branding

Debranding involves removing a company's name from its advertising and marketing and instead focusing on visual elements that convey the brand's essence. This strategy aims to create a more personal and less commercial relationship with consumers.

One of the most notable examples is Coca-Cola's decision to replace its iconic logo with common first names on its packaging. This move tapped into consumers' desire for individuality and drove a surge in sales across markets like India, the Middle East, and Australia.https://medium.com/marketing-and-advertising/share-a-coke-its-all-in-a-name-8700a7e30df5

Similarly, Starbucks retained only its emblematic siren logo, removing the company name altogether. This timeless symbol has become instantly recognizable worldwide, embodying the brand's identity without needing text.

The Impact on Sales and Recognition

In another example, Pringles joined the trend by simplifying its mascot, Mr P, to a minimal, sleeker design with his appearance and eyes reflecting different chip flavours. This move hugely resonated with consumers, resulting in an improvement in sales for the iconic chip maker.

Toyota converted its logo to a minimal 2D version after 2020. This move resulted from Toyota's belief that its graphical logo was renowned and would be able to stand without the brand name, and since then, there has been a sustained increase in sales.

This is not all. Debranding, often misunderstood as just removing the brand name, also includes changing logos, fonts, watermarks, or brand pages. Many luxury brands like Gucci and Valentino have changed their fonts to appeal to more Gen Zs.

Gen Z's Thirst for Authenticity

Generation Z, born between 1998 and the early 2010s, is reshaping the marketplace with its preference for authenticity and simplicity. For them, luxury is associated with chic, minimalism, and classy designs, which the brands are trying to focus on by redirecting their attention to core values and removing clutter.

With small, clean, and minimal logos, brands will also be able to cater to small-screen marketing, taking advantage of the increasing smartphone penetration and increasing need for identifiability.

Also read: IPL 2025: How the brand game gets bigger and better

The Risks and Rewards of Debranding

While debranding can enhance brand awareness and trust among Gen Z consumers, it's not a guaranteed path to success. Research suggests that debranding doesn't immediately alter purchasing behaviour but alters perception, which can influence the purchase.

Brands must tread carefully to avoid eroding brand recognition. Stripping away too much can dilute a brand's identity and threaten its value proposition. Debranding isn't a one-size-fits-all solution; its effectiveness varies across different industries and sectors. An example of a situation in which debranding serves as a cautionary tale is a recent advertisement for Jaguar. To appeal to younger audiences and increase sales, Jaguar changed their decades-old logo and rebranded them as an EV-only brand. In the new logo, emphasis is given to the pronunciation of "Jag-you-are" rather than the earlier "Jag-whar". Through this advertisement and rebranding effort, Jaguar didn't want to please everyone, but they wanted to "please and seduce only a few". As was expected, within minutes of its release, the new advertisement attracted traction but of the wrong kind. The new logo and positioning did not sit well with Jaguar fans, and the trolls soon started coming in. Elon Musk went on to ask if Jaguar still sells cars, and some trollers also commented about how this could be the end of the company. The brand Nothing also jokingly changed their Twitter handle to "Copy Jaguar". However, some experts are hopeful that this rebranding could help Jaguar and that such revolutionary creatives could go on to become iconic. It is too soon to comment on the sales number, so only time will tell if the big cat has leapt far enough.

Another such example is Kia's logo redesign in 2021. The new stylized font confused customers, with some mistaking the logo for an "N" and believing the company had changed its name.

Balancing Minimalism with Substance

In an ever-evolving competitive environment, brands must balance minimalism and brand equity. Success in debranding hinges on a company's ability to uphold substance over style, preserving its core qualities and competencies.

Gen Z consumers hold significant market power. They value brands that embody their stated values over those that merely adopt a minimalist aesthetic for attention's sake. Hence, brands should focus on genuine engagement, ensuring their debranding efforts reflect a deeper commitment to integrity and transparency.

A Quiet Revolution in Consumerism

Debranding is a generational shift towards valuing substance over display. As brands strive to declutter their branding and marketing, they should strive for a balance between elegant design choices and the authenticity and transparency that modern consumers demand.

This movement should be more than a shtick; it is a step towards shaping a genuinely connected global community. By acting thoughtfully, companies can enrich the market and foster deeper connections without disturbing their intentions.

In this delicate dance between belief and truth, both brands and consumers have a role to play. By moving carefully and with integrity, they can strengthen relationships and contribute to a market that prizes genuinity above all.

M Geetha, Professor, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

Vallari Naik, Student, PGP -BL, Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode