BrandStruck’s goal has always been to serve as a reliable source of knowledge and inspiration for brand strategists, marketers, and academics. We strongly believe that the best insights come from exploring categories beyond our own, which is why we place such a strong emphasis on practical examples.
Over the years, we’ve analysed some of the most influential case studies in repositioning and rebranding, highlighted successful brand launches, iconic strategies, and much more.
Today, we’ve curated a list of what we consider to be the 10 most essential and timeless case studies every strategist should know. These examples cover topics such as creating entirely new categories, executing brand extensions, structuring brand architecture, revitalising stagnant brands, and delivering essential lessons in rebranding – both what to do and what to avoid.
1. Apple – Building an ecosystem brand
There are many reasons why Apple deserves recognition as an influential case study. However, what we admire most about Apple is how it has intentionally launched brand extensions to create a seamless, vertically integrated ecosystem encompassing devices, software, content, and services.
While Apple may not necessarily be the best or the biggest in each of these categories, it has introduced numerous upselling opportunities, crafted a sticky customer experience, and made it difficult – if not painful – for users to leave its ecosystem.
Why care?
It’s rare to find a business that is highly successful in both hardware and software (let alone content) and capable of integrating them to the extent that Apple has. Many companies have struggled, and even come close to bankruptcy, when attempting to expand into new categories.
Our take
Brand extensions should always reinforce your umbrella brand and the core of your business, never detract from them.
2. Red Bull – Creating a new category
Red Bull was launched in 1987 in Austria by Dietrich Mateschitz, who got the idea for an energy drink while traveling in Thailand. There, he discovered Krating Daeng (Red Bull in English), a product targeted at blue-collar workers that helped him combat jet lag. In collaboration with its creators, Mateschitz modified the formula for Western tastes, making it fizzy and less sweet, translated the name into English, redesigned the packaging, and positioned it as a premium brand known for extreme sports sponsorships.
Why care?
Creating a new category is rare and challenging, especially in established markets like soft drinks. Many brands have tried and failed, so when one succeeds, it’s worth understanding how they did it.
Our take
To succeed in a new market, know your audience inside out – adapt your product, packaging, and story to meet their needs
3. Dove – Bold repositioning
For many years, Dove’s communication centred on its moisturising and nourishing benefits, highlighting lotion as a key ingredient in its products. While these functional benefits remain central to the brand, Dove’s focus shifted in 2004 with a bold repositioning. The brand began empowering women to feel confident in their own skin, regardless of shape, colour, or age, which set it apart in a beauty category often criticised for promoting unattainable standards. Dove’s purpose was defined as making beauty “a source of confidence, not anxiety” and “helping women everywhere develop a positive relationship with the way they look, helping them raise their self-esteem and realise their full potential”.
Why care?
Dove’s shift to emotional messaging made the brand more famous and boosted its financial performance – it achieved this primarily through communication, as the product formula remained unchanged. By adopting a purpose-driven approach, Dove set a new standard for authenticity and inclusivity, inspiring a wave of change across the beauty industry.
Our take
Never underestimate the power of emotional branding rooted in deep consumer insight (purpose-driven or not) – it will always leave a lasting impact.
4. Aviva – Recipe for a successful rebranding
When Norwich Union and CGU merged, the newly created company was initially called CGNU before rebranding to Aviva, a name invented by the company’s employees. The global rebranding was approached with precision, delaying the name change in key markets like the UK, Ireland, and Poland to protect established brand equity and minimise financial risk. Each market adopted a tailored transition strategy, ranging from a direct switch (Norwich Union in the UK) to gradual, multi-stage rebrands (e.g., Commercial Union in Poland).
Why Care?
Aviva’s rebranding is one of the largest and most meticulously planned in history. Backed by a significant budget, Aviva combined external communication (such as the UK’s celebrity-driven awareness campaign featuring Elle Macpherson, Ringo Starr and Bruce Willis) with an internal stakeholder management programme that directly engaged 700 employees in the process. The result? A seamless transition, with no customer losses and brand awareness in key markets restored within three months.
Our take
Rebranding isn’t just a name change – it’s a comprehensive transformation. Success requires substantial investment, strong leadership alignment, and employee buy-in at every level.
5. Tropicana – The most infamous rebranding
In 2009, Tropicana changed its iconic packaging, replacing the familiar image of an orange with a straw with a more contemporary design. However, the change was so drastic that the brand became almost unrecognisable on the shelf. As a result, Tropicana’s sales dropped by 20% year-on-year, despite being backed by a massive advertising campaign. Recognising the severity of the impact on its performance, the company reverted to its original branding within two months.
Why care?
This is a textbook example of the importance of protecting distinctive brand assets, especially in the FMCG category. Supermarket shoppers often operate on autopilot, gravitating toward familiar, easy-to-spot brands. It doesn’t matter how visually appealing your new designs are – if they deviate too far from what customers recognise, it’s as if you’re launching a new brand, which, as Tropicana’s case demonstrated, can be a costly mistake.
Our take
If you’re an FMCG brand sold in retail and need a visual identity refresh, ensure it capitalises on your existing distinctive brand assets rather than removing them entirely. Always test the changes in retail environments with real customers before rolling them out.
6. Amazon – Masterclass in brand stretchability
Amazon is a great example of a brand that capitalises on the benefits of a brand architecture primarily based on the branded house and sub-brands frameworks, leveraging the fame of its umbrella brand. The company has successfully extended its brand across a wide range of industries, including cloud computing (AWS – Amazon Web Services), entertainment (Amazon Prime Video), smart home technology (Alexa), groceries (Amazon Fresh), and fashion (Amazon Fashion). Interestingly, Amazon’s brand extensions have succeeded even in categories where it initially seemed to lack brand equity.
Why Care?
Many companies opt to launch new products or services under entirely new names, often underestimating the time and cost required to build brand awareness from scratch. Amazon shows that leveraging an existing, trusted brand can significantly accelerate success in new categories, even in those not immediately associated with the brand.
Our take
Brand awareness is a more powerful asset to leverage than brand equity. As a default strategy, use the fame of the masterbrand for brand extensions, unless you have the resources of conglomerates like Procter & Gamble or Unilever to build entirely new brands from scratch.
7. Procter & Gamble – House of brands benchmark
Procter & Gamble (P&G) is a classic example of a company applying the house of brands architecture, making a clear distinction between its corporate brand (P&G) and a portfolio of around 80 individual brands. Operating in only 10 product categories, its brands often compete with each other – for example, Tide, Ariel, and Gain in fabric care, or Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and Herbal Essences in hair care.
P&G’s strategy is built on delivering superior products with the best performance across every price tier in which it competes. Brands that fail to meet P&G’s strict criteria are either retired or sold. For instance, in 2014, P&G divested 100 brands, including Duracell (sold to Berkshire Hathaway), Wella (sold to Coty), and Camay and Zest (sold to Unilever).
Why Care?
By having a number of brands compete in the same space, P&G captured a larger combined market share than any one brand could achieve alone. Not many companies can pull off a house of brands architecture because few have the resources and brand management expertise that P&G does. P&G is simply best-in-class when it comes to FMCG brand portfolio management, which has allowed the company to maintain a healthy roster of exceptionally strong brands, each with a single-minded proposition.
Our take
More brands are not necessarily better when it comes to the house of brands model. P&G’s portfolio is relatively lean, which is a key reason for the company’s success with this approach. P&G manages around 80 brands, while Unilever oversees more than 400. You can see the impact reflected in their financial performance: P&G’s adjusted net margin stands at approximately 19%, compared to Unilever’s 10% (according to Forbes). That’s a significant difference.
8. IKEA – The power of a great brand strategy
IKEA should be praised not only for how it articulates its positioning but also for how it executes it. However, here we want to spotlight its brand strategy, which is rooted in recognising the importance of celebrating everyday life and acknowledging that one’s home, big or small, is the most important place on Earth. The home is perceived as a key factor influencing quality of life, which, in turn, directly affects well-being and happiness.
IKEA defines its brand vision as “creating a better everyday life for the many people,” highlighting its focus on both great design and functionality (“better everyday life”) as well as affordability (“for the many people”). This vision permeates every level of the organisation – from IKEA’s business model to its product development and marketing strategy.
Why Care?
Many companies articulate their brand strategies in ways that are often difficult to understand. IKEA, however, is an outstanding example of a company that has made its brand strategy both self-explanatory and practical. Because it is rooted in a timeless and universal consumer insight, it is likely to remain relevant for years to come.
Our take
A great brand strategy serves as a set of guiding principles that simplify decision-making across an organisation.
9. Patagonia – Purpose-driven branding at its finest
Patagonia was practising purpose-driven branding long before the concept became a buzzword in marketing. It sees itself as an activist company and defines its mission as “We’re in business to save our home planet”. Privately held and operating as a benefit corporation in the US, Patagonia is legally required to “create a material positive impact on society and the environment” and to publicly report on its social and environmental performance.
Why Care?
Patagonia’s focus on its environmental mission is more than just a strategy to position its brand and market its products – it is the company’s very reason for being. Since 1985, the company has donated a portion of its profits to environmental organisations. It has launched initiatives like Patagonia Action Works, which connects environmentally conscious individuals with non-profits, and invested in green start-ups. The company actively encourages consumers to buy second-hand clothing, repair what they own, and think critically about their consumption habits. Despite its commitment, Patagonia openly acknowledges the inherent conflict of being a consumer goods company while striving to minimise environmental harm.
Our take
Purpose only makes sense when it is at the heart of a business strategy, not just a marketing message.
10. Microsoft – Exponential growth of brand value under strong leadership
When Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014, Microsoft was seen as an uncool, arrogant giant losing relevance. Under his leadership, the company pivoted to cloud computing and AI, embraced open-source technologies and partnerships with rivals like Linux, and fostered a more open culture. Microsoft’s mission was redefined as “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more”, and its communication style shifted from product-centric messaging to a focus on empowerment and customer benefits. As a result, Microsoft evolved from a struggling legacy brand into one of tech’s coolest and most innovative players.
Why Care?
According to Interbrand’s ranking, Microsoft’s brand value in 2014 was lower than IBM’s ($61 billion vs. $72 billion). However, by 2024, it was almost ten times higher ($352.5 billion vs. $37 billion). This nearly six-fold growth made Microsoft the second most valuable brand in the world. Could it one day overtake Apple and secure the top spot?
Our take
A high-ambition and low-ego leader can do wonders for a brand.
This list isn’t final; we see it as a living document and would love your help in updating it. If you believe there are other case studies that deserve a spot, please email Magda – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Magda Adamska is the founder of BrandStruck.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/magda-adamska-32379048/
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