When should a brand reinvent itself? Michael Gietzen explores the bold world of reinvention, why it’s risky business, and how events can offer a safer way to test new ideas before you go all in.
Sometimes it is a bold stroke of genius that propels a brand into a dazzling new future. Other times, it is like pulling up the roots of something well‑loved and wondering if it will ever take hold again.
Take Jaguar’s recent rebrand. The iconic British marque stripped away its growler logo, embraced stark minimalism, and unveiled a creative direction that divided opinion instantly. Some hailed it as visionary, a necessary break from heritage constraints. Others questioned whether the brand had abandoned the very essence that made it desirable in the first place.
Bold? Undeniably. Risky? Absolutely. And the verdict? Still being written.
Reinvention doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It stretches teams, creates new dynamics, and invites customers and audiences alike to reconsider what the brand stands for. Some applaud the boldness. Others quietly wonder if the change was necessary at all. But the bigger question remains: when should a brand take that risk in the first place?
Most of us are used to subtle shifts, the small, calculated moves that gently nudge a brand in a new direction. But there are moments when the dial needs more than a nudge. It needs a full rotation. The trick is knowing when to embrace the gamble and when to let well enough alone.
Why reinvention is sometimes necessary
Let us face it, standing still is rarely an option. Audiences change. Markets evolve. What worked five years ago may now feel stale. Reinvention becomes essential when the risk of doing nothing is greater than the risk of change.
For CMOs, this pressure is relentless. You are expected to keep the brand relevant, drive growth, and navigate shifting consumer expectations, all while protecting brand equity built over decades. It is a tightrope walk between evolution and erosion.
The brands that get this right understand that reinvention isn’t about abandoning what made them successful. It is about amplifying it, evolving it, and making sure it stays relevant in a world that never stops moving. The ones that get it wrong? They often mistake novelty for strategy, or worse, change for change’s sake.
Events as a testing ground
This is where events and experiences come into their own. Unlike a complete rebrand, an event offers a low commitment, high impact way to test new ideas, engage with a different audience, and see what sticks.
Imagine if that famous automotive marque had tested that provocative new direction through a series of experiential activations first. A pop-up showcasing the minimalist aesthetic. An immersive brand experience that let audiences feel the new positioning before it was carved in stone. Instant feedback. Real reactions. The chance to refine before committing millions to a transformation that is now irreversible.
This is the power of experiential as strategic R&D. Thinking of repositioning your brand as edgy and forward thinking? Create a pop-up event that reflects that shift. Want to explore a new market segment? Design an experiential activation aimed directly at them. Considering a provocative new visual identity? Test it in a controlled environment where you can read the room in real time.
Events are an ideal proving ground because the feedback is instant and the stakes are far lower than overhauling your entire brand. You get to see how people respond, what resonates, and what falls flat, all before committing to a transformation that could cost millions and years to reverse.
But here is the catch: you have to be prepared for answers you might not like.
What if it does not work?
Reinvention is risky precisely because it does not always succeed. The hardest part is recognising when something has not landed and having the courage to pivot again. But the best brands learn from failure, refine their approach, and come back stronger.
Events make this easier. You can tweak, refine, and reframe in a way that is far harder to do with a full-scale rebrand. Every experience is a learning opportunity, giving you valuable insight into what resonates with your audience and what does not.
Think of it as brand R&D. Would you launch a product without prototyping? Would you roll out a new service without a pilot programme? Reinvention deserves the same rigour, the same careful testing before you bet everything on a single throw of the dice.
For CMOs navigating board pressure to innovate while protecting brand value, this approach offers something rare: the ability to be bold without being reckless. To test transformation before committing to it. To show leadership that you are moving forward, but with evidence, not just instinct.
The takeaway
So, when should you take the risk to reinvent yourself? When the need for change outweighs the comfort of the familiar. When you can test the waters through experiences rather than committing to wholesale transformation overnight. And when you are willing to embrace the possibility of failure, not as the end of the road, but as part of the journey.
Because in the end, the boldest brands are not the ones who play it safe. They are the ones who know when to roll the dice, how to test their instincts first, and how to learn from the result, no matter what it is.
And for CMOs, that might just be the difference between a career-defining success and a cautionary tale.
