In today’s image-conscious society, everything is judged first by how it looks. Rebranding has become the « cure du jour » for everything from sluggish sales to increased competition and outdated products. So how well do these makeovers work?

It depends. There are times when rebranding is crucial, and times when it’s nothing short of perilous. Remember, branding should be a reflection of your company, not just a projection of what you want it to be. You must ensure that the customer experience equals the expectation, or no amount of image revamping will work, at least in the long run. Before you rebrand, there really does need to be something different about your business, product or service; unless, of course, your image never accurately reflected your company to begin with.

These days it is rare to find a business niche that is not already over saturated, however you don’t need to come up with a new concept to be different. Little tweaks here and there can make you stand out from the crowd and give you a great chance to be successful from the first day.

Shout about your USP (unique selling point) from day one

This may sound obvious but all too often I see and hear about new businesses starting up and unless I really delve into their website I don’t actually know what makes them different, what sets them apart from the competition. Use all your PR channels to shout from the roof tops about your USP(s).

We’ve all witnessed it – the seemingly overnight success of some startups that begs the question “what am I doing wrong here?” Is it the idea? The timing? The commitment? Why do some companies transform into breakout brands, while others struggle along?

In my 25 plus years of working with entrepreneurs and startups, I’ve noticed three similarities between the companies that skyrocket vs. the ones that sputter out. Here are three ingredients that will fortify your brand for immediate growth.

Many global companies, like Coca-Cola, Nike, Google, Intel and Microsoft, choose to use the same brand name in multiple countries.

This is not possible for every brand, but it can often be an advantage. Think of the degree to which a single brand name simplifies marketing and increases return on advertising investment. By comparison, how much more would one of these companies need to spend to achieve the same results with a different localised brand name in every market?

Whether you call it event marketing, experiential marketing, live marketing, participatory advertising, or any other moniker, this is a brave new world of blowing things up, building in a technological overlay to real-world places, and convincing otherwise sane passers-by to dance or change clothes in the street—all with the motive of engaging consumers.

We talked with some of the smartest minds in experiential marketing to find out how they pull off memorable events—and make sure there’s significant consumer engagement long after the event is over.

Here’s what they told us:

Create an event within an event

Try to create an event within an event where you can touch a consumer one-on-one, where you can engage directly, and teach them about your product, and do so by interacting in a quality way. Have a truth-or-dare themed campaign, ask people to dance in the middle of the street, etc.