Lulu Raghavan, President APAC at Landor, has said that brand strategy has been best understood as “a business strategy made visible,” while emphasising that storytelling must precede visual identity in any rebranding exercise.
She has shared these views in a LinkedIn post, where she has stated that companies often overlook the importance of crafting a clear narrative when undertaking rebranding, focusing instead on logos, typefaces, or colour changes. According to her, a rebrand has extended beyond visual updates and has served as a signal of a brand’s evolution, identity transformation, and future direction.
Raghavan has pointed out that the ultimate aim of rebranding has been to take stakeholders along the journey and make them experience what has changed. She has noted that this aspect has been lacking in the recent rebranding effort by Godrej Group.
She has also acknowledged criticism around the new logo’s resemblance to that of Australian agency Guerilla, adding that while companies should exercise caution, similarities in design can often be found globally. However, she has stressed that focusing solely on logo comparisons has distracted from the more critical issue of narrative clarity.
Raghavan has further said that the necessity of a rebrand must be evident in both internal and external communication, adding that superficial elements such as press releases or video campaigns have not been sufficient to convey transformation.
She has concluded that effective brand strategy has required aligning storytelling with business goals and audience needs, reinforcing the importance of narrative-led branding.
Also read: Godrej Industries Group Unveils New Purpose & Brand Identity
