Initially published in 2020 and updated in 2025.
Any conversation about the cost of rebranding or a new logo design should begin with this reminder: rebranding isn’t just an expense; it’s a strategic investment. When done well, it can deliver exponential returns over the life of your business.
Still, “How much does a rebrand cost?” is one of the most common questions — and the honest answer is, “It depends.” A general rule of thumb is to allocate a portion of your marketing budget, typically 10-20%, toward rebranding efforts.
Let’s take a closer look at the key factors that influence the total cost.
Start by answering these questions to help determine what type of rebranding approach is best for your company and how much it might cost:
The answers to these questions will help you determine the best approach, timeline, and expected costs for a rebrand. While there’s often a correlation between a company’s size and how much it should invest, what matters more are the specific challenges and opportunities it faces. Small companies may have complex needs or ambitious goals, while large companies might have simpler needs and more straightforward objectives.
There’s a significant difference in both scope and cost between a brand refresh and a complete rebrand—and your choice will have a major impact on your investment.
A brand refresh is typically less complex. It builds on existing brand elements with minor updates to modernize or refocus the brand, making it more cost-effective. Since much of the original strategy and creative work remains intact, you’re refining rather than reinventing. For example, you might redesign just your logo to emphasize otherwise marginalized brand elements, like Mountain Dew did with its 2024 brand refresh — a strategy that paid off, with 69% of people preferring the new logo.
A full rebrand, on the other hand, is a deeper, more strategic process. It involves comprehensive research and redefinition of your brand’s core: values, mission, vision, objectives, and most importantly, purpose. The goal is to ensure your company is fully aligned and has a solid foundation for a bold new brand direction.
The cost of a rebrand can vary significantly depending on factors like the size of your market and the reach of your customer base. If your company offers multiple products or services, you may also face a broader range of competitors and customer segments — both of which can increase complexity and cost.
One of the most impactful cost variables is renaming. Has your company outgrown its current name? Does the name limit how your services are perceived? Is it too similar to a competitor’s? Was there a merger or acquisition? Are there any negative associations that need to be addressed?
Renaming adds time and expense to the process, as it involves in-depth research, creative brainstorming, and thorough vetting. But when it’s truly necessary, a new name can be a powerful tool — and often, an essential one — for repositioning your brand and unlocking new opportunities.
Rebranding goes far beyond updating your logo. As you move through the process, ask yourself: “Did the company’s values or personality change?” and “Is the target persona the same?” If these have changed, it’s time to revisit not just your visual identity but also your messaging and imagery.
Your tagline, headlines and overall brand voice should align with your new identity. This is where a content strategy expert can provide valuable guidance — and it’s an important cost to factor in. Beyond core messaging, it’s essential to update all written content across your website, blog, email campaigns and social media channels to maintain consistency.
Developing new content to support your refreshed brand may increase the overall investment, but it’s crucial if you want your message to resonate clearly and cohesively across every touchpoint.
Another element to consider in a rebrand is photography and videography. Your audience will best relate to authentic photos representing your brand’s personality. Does your current imagery meet those standards?
Original photography that captures your team, environment and culture creates an authenticity that stock photos simply can’t match. Likewise, custom video content helps humanize your brand, tell your story and accelerate the sales process. With video use continuing to grow across platforms, this is an investment that can offer lasting value.
Finally, don’t forget to consider your website. If you’re rolling out a beautiful, modern new brand onto a dated and clunky website, it won’t pack much of a punch.
A rebrand is the perfect opportunity to review your website’s look, feel and functionality. In some cases, a full redesign may not be necessary — targeted updates to your existing site can be an efficient, cost-effective way to bring things up to speed. But if your site no longer meets modern standards or your customers’ expectations, a full rebuild may be the right call.
Either way, your website should support your new brand and create a seamless, engaging experience for your audience.
Whether you decide on a brand refresh or a full rebrand, the implementation of your new identity could cost more or less the same. When thinking about all the places where your logo, company name, messaging and visuals appear, they will all need to be updated to match your new brand.
The more collateral and digital space your company has, the larger the cost will be to update all of these items. So, a small business may have a smaller cost to rebrand compared to a larger brand with more employees, advertisements, web pages and print collateral.
To ensure you’ve covered all the necessary rebranding elements, we put together a simple checklist for all the items you should consider updating once your new brand is ready to roll out.
When it comes to rebranding, no two companies’ needs are alike. A rebranding strategy must be tailored to your company’s unique challenges and complexity. Remember, rebranding comes at a cost, but the investment is worthwhile. If not now, then when?
At Marketing Essentials, we’re ready to bring new life to your brand! Learn more about our logo design and branding services.