The success of a rebranding depends on many factors. The team responsible for handling the project is one of the most important. Its structure is designed to involve company departments, manage internal steering, and ensure coordination among all stakeholders in order to control the timeline and budget.

It naturally depends on the structure and context of the rebranding. Here, we will focus on the complete rebranding of an entity within a group.

First, a steering committee is required at each level of the organization involved. If the company is part of or acquired by a group, several decision-making levels will be established. There will therefore be a Group Steering Committee with a more strategic view of the rebranding. It will have made the decision and defined the framework. The Local Steering Committee, on the other hand, will be responsible for precisely defining the timeline, identifying the forces to be mobilized, assessing costs under different scenarios, and ensuring project follow-up.

### Composition of the Group Steering Committee (at group level)

The Group Steering Committee includes at least four members: the executive closest to the company concerned (depending on the case, either the Group CEO or a Divisional Managing Director with authority over financial commitments), the Group Head of Communication and/or Brand, the person appointed to lead the project, and the external project lead, who will act as the link between the two committees.

### Composition of the Local Steering Committee (at company level)

The Local Steering Committee must include the company CEO, the CFO, the internal Project Director, the Project Lead (external prime contractor), and the Group-level resource person (often the Group Brand and/or Communications Director).

The Steering Committee must be able to define the strategy, closely monitor operations, and make decisions whenever required.

It holds full authority for steering and implementation. When issues arise, it either makes decisions independently, works with the extended Executive Committee, or seeks arbitration from the Group Steering Committee.

### The Extended Executive Committee

The Extended Executive Committee, which regularly reviews progress, consists of Executive Committee (ExCom) members, department directors, and members of the Steering Committee. Some individuals may belong to several of these groups. It is within the Extended ExCom that arbitrations involving all departments are made: postponing a product launch, reallocating resources between departments, suspending operations until launch, and so on.

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## Two Critical Roles to Consider

Two key players are essential to the success of the rebranding—one internal and one external. Their cooperation ensures the change is delivered on time and within budget.

### The Internal Project Director

Appointing a senior company executive with a global vision of the organization and the trust of top management to this role is a guarantee of success. This person must be respected by peers, empathetic enough to listen to all departments, and capable of making decisions regarding required actions.

They must also have strong organizational skills, as they will lead meetings, consolidate schedules from the different streams, ensure deadlines are met, and defend both departmental and ExCom perspectives. They generally hold a strategic position within the company, enabling them to understand all its components.

### The Rebranding Project Lead

To succeed, another pillar must be put in place: the Rebranding Project Lead, the true prime contractor of the project. This person must be external to the organization, as their expertise is crucial to success.

They act as the counterpart to the Internal Project Director, liaising with all external stakeholders (agencies, consultants, developers, etc.) and internal directors. They guide everyone throughout the project and serve as both guardian of the brand codes and overseer of their deployment.

Often proposed by the agency in charge of the rebranding, this person is appointed by the CEO and ExCom. They have the legitimacy to organize and execute the project and serve as the transmission belt between all stakeholders.

In total, a core team of five to six people is established, supported by the necessary teams for implementation.

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## 12 Activity Streams to Mobilize

To successfully complete this project, it must be organized into streams (generally corresponding to major company departments). The department director is appointed head of the stream. If several departments are grouped together, one is chosen to lead implementation.

Each department becomes responsible for its own changes within the overall project. The department head is directly accountable for the actions to be taken. Together with their teams, they list required changes, validate the timeline, and ensure successful delivery. They are members of the Extended Steering Committee, which meets monthly to review progress.

Each organization adapts its streams to its own reality. However, the following twelve have proven effective and cover most key issues. Some may be grouped together, but none should be overlooked.

The twelve streams are:

* Regulatory & Legal
* B2B Marketing
* B2C Marketing
* Communication
* Human Resources
* IT
* Web & Apps
* Sales & Stores
* Finance
* Customer Service
* Network (resellers, partners)
* Customer Experience & Projects (cross-functional, linking all others; includes the Project Director and team)

Each Stream Director must determine which teams will be dedicated to the rebranding. This cannot occur before the comprehensive inventory phase (covered in the next section), during which tasks are identified.

Team allocations or new hires must be included in the budget and validated by the CFO and CEO. Operational calendars outside of rebranding must also be taken into account.

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## Internal and External Resources

In addition to internal organization, it is necessary to involve external expertise suited to the scope and ambition of the rebranding. Depending on the format and objectives, the team and roles will vary. One or multiple agencies may be involved, provided their responsibilities are clearly defined.

Possible partners include:

* The agency responsible for the new brand (or the replacing brand)
* The brand creation agency (guardian of brand codes)
* Brand architects (adapting the brand across applications)
* The local communication agency (messages and launch campaigns)
* The PR agency (media relations)
* The App/Web design agency (UX/UI and development, if not available internally)

### Internal or External?

If the expertise exists internally, it must be leveraged. If possible, the internal team should work on the rebranding while a temporary substitute team manages daily operations. This can apply to areas such as customer service or web/app development. This approach motivates employees, unlike excluding them from what they consider meaningful work.

Whether for a minor project (e.g., invoice updates) or a major one (e.g., redesigning the company’s e-commerce site), a project manager must always be appointed for each initiative included in the rebranding. They are integrated into or recruited within the relevant departments.

All Stream Leaders remain in daily contact with the Internal Project Director and the Rebranding Project Lead, who form a tandem responsible for ensuring success.