What If These Famous Brands Switched Identities? AI Rebranding
Imagine a world where Nike sells smartphones, and Apple makes running shoes.
It sounds absurd. But what if these iconic brands suddenly swapped their core products? What would happen to their identities, their messaging, their very essence?
This isn't just a thought experiment. It's a window into the DNA of branding itself.
We often think of famous brands as inseparable from their products. But is that true? Or is a brand something more – a promise, a feeling, a set of expectations that transcends the physical item sold?
Using AI, we've created a parallel universe of brand identity swaps. It's more than just slapping logos onto different products. It's about reimagining entire brand philosophies, visual languages, and value propositions.
What we found might surprise you. It may change how you think about the brands you interact with daily.
Welcome to the upside-down world of AI rebranding. Things are about to get weird – and insightful.
What if Nike made Computers?
Of course, had Nike the capacity and will, they would think it possible as a potential area of revenue: making good computers.
This, however, would be quite a break from the existing areas of focus and their established strengths. Nike does make good – and selling – sports apparel, and unless they come across a pretty original angle linking this to their identity, placing chips in their cups may not sit well with their geographical positioning.
Yet if Nike opted to venture into the tech industry, it would be more logical for them to target solutions that do not make them deviate from their already existing platform, such as smart gadgets or sporting tools that mesh well with their established brand image as an athletic market.
And Apple got into Sportswear?
While Apple's transformation into a sportswear brand may sound unbelievable initially, it cannot be entirely ruled out. Apple has a history of diversifying into new territory and changing its business model. More often than not, it does so by exploiting its excellent brand name, design, and innovation.
Should Apple enter the apparel business, its crux would be technology and wearables, making exclusive advanced gadgets focused towards a particular utility.
On the contrary, the company will have a rough time in this case, including acquiring the skills required and entering the rivalry.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the potential to overcome fashion & sportswear-related markets and make the best use of its known technology and design-oriented capabilities.
Will Coca-Cola replace Google?
While Coca-Cola has ample resources to develop a search engine, it cannot create a better one than Google owing to the enormous disparities in knowledge, skill, and place in the market.
It is built on decades of experience, sophisticated techniques, and the company brand features of reliability and progressiveness, which are hard to imitate or supersede. Google has enjoyed this in the search engine category.
For Coca-Cola to be able to penetrate this market, it would be essential to search for an interesting niche or a way of doing things that the company has not been associated with previously, soothing to the company image and still face a third kind of hardship, which is winning the consumers trust and the market itself.
In general, the idea of Coca-Cola moving into the search engine industry is an entirely different line of operation, and it is unlikely that a product that is better than Google will be realised.
And Google made the Cool-ade?
Theoretically, Google may venture into the drinks sector, but it would not be easy to compete with Coca-Cola in making “better” drinks. Coca-Cola has not merely developed a pleasant drink since it is composed instead of its drink history, network of wholesalers, advertising effectiveness, and emotional engagement with its audience.
Instead of being tech and data-driven, Google would have to adopt a different approach to develop a universally appreciated drink. This would involve meaningful capital outlays, a sharp learning curve, and a call to compete in a place where achieving any favourable ends is not a sure matter.
Eventually, while it is safe to say that Google can reinvent and present a new beverage, this will not be the same as outdoing Coca-Cola. Making a great beverage is not the only requirement; there has to be something that alters and builds the whole brand image in an industry in which Coca-Cola has been at the helm for more than a century.
Would you buy a McDonalds Car?
The idea of McDonald’s crossing over to the automobile industry seems technically impossible, and realistically, it would never happen. The benefits are hardly worth considering, considering the dissimilarities in skills, brand equity, and market presence that such a venture would encompass.
McDonald’s is a company that is purely involved in the restaurant business, and its intense development program emphasises replication and integrated processing of fast foods as well as the brand value of food and services.
It would be a massive departure from its core competencies if McDonald’s were to enter into the production of vehicles, and it would have to deal with formidable forces in a saturated market.
In the end, while McDonald’s could seek out possible alternative means of marketing or unlikely co-branding strategies with firms in the car industry, doing it themselves was out of the question and didn’t fit into the nature of the business that McDonald’s is in.
Or eat at Toyota’s new restaurant?
Toyota’s strengths in terms of operational effectiveness, product quality, and innovative approaches could be leveraged to provide a different kind of fast food.
Nonetheless, the difficulties associated with diversifying into fast food, a sector that is extraordinarily different from automotive manufacturing, would be substantial.
To be successful, Toyota would have to deal with brand establishment challenges, learn within the food service industry, purchase the required structures or brands, and tiptoe around claims in such a highly regarded field.
Toyota could even open up an excellent fast-food joint, applying its operational competitiveness and emphasis on quality. Despite this, such a shift would be too radical for the company as it is currently structured, which would also mean they would have to heap more finances and focus on the strategy.
Is Microsoft the Future of Beverages?
Microsoft finds itself in a position where it has strengths in innovation, data, and analytics, and it also commits to sustainable development, which can be utilised to develop some new beverages. However, the beverage industry is quite different from their actual business activity.
Therefore, any such consideration of business expansion would need to be careful and entail brand considerations and investments to bring in the necessary skills and compete.
If Microsoft chose to pursue the innovative drink idea, it would probably partner with another company or introduce a new sub-brand whose values would complement the existing brand but whose focus would not be in competition with the other alcoholic beverages.
However, the success of this type of business will strongly depend on Microsoft employing its technological edge to develop a drink that possesses a competitive advantage in the market.
Or should Pepsi get back to drinks?
Companies are also looking for options that take them away from their business activities.
If Pepsi were to delve into computers, it would require a clear market entry strategy, covering essential facets such as establishing a good reputation, introducing new products and using its corporate identity to establish a foothold in the technology market.
However, such an endeavour would entail many risks and challenges, risking losing high costs and time.
Get all your favourite shows on Mercedes TV!
Although Mercedes-Benz has little in common with Netflix due to their differing industries, Mercedes-Benz can launch a television channel with a proper strategy in place.
The brand must match its available content to luxury branding, spend several million on its technology and production, and develop a feasible marketing strategy to achieve objectives within the challenging media marketplace.
Such a brand image for Mercedes-Benz will allow it to explore outside the automotive sector and design its brand-focused television channel, which addresses various interests, including luxury lifestyle, travel, automotive interests, etc.
This, however, did not come quickly as it would call for elaborate planning, enormous capital investment, and a clear roadmap on how the channel would be integrated into the company’s existing brand and clientele.
Or drive home to watch it in your Netflix?
It would be rather hard to believe that these circumstances will lead Netflix, which primarily deals with its content and streaming services, to manufacture cars.
Netflix’s strength is in content production and streaming.
This strength would be better applied in developing automotive entertainment systems or partnerships with actual automotive manufacturers rather than in direct car manufacturing when the competition and complexity levels are high.
Would you Wear the new IBM line?
IBM's main field of activity is technology and consulting. However, it is not entirely impossible for the company to venture into the fashion wear industry, especially if the move is well coordinated.
Specifically, the firm could use the company's technological know-how to bring innovations in intelligent clothing, technology in fashion, and tech-made clothing. Achieving these, though, requires a considerable investment in knowledge, partnerships, and entirely new business models.
In this scenario, IBM would have to work overtime to protect how people perceive the brand, develop competence to fill the skills gap and understand where the company would compete in the fashion industry.
There may be many options that strategic partnerships, integration of technology, and increasing opportunities in the direction of fashion that incorporate technology may help the company venture into the clothing business successfully.
Or run your business on Gucci servers?
The primary division in core business areas is in the Gucci and IBM companies, where in Gucci, the emphasis is on industrial fashion, whereas, in IBM, the attention is on providing technology solutions.
There will be overlap, especially regarding the incorporation of fashion technology.
Instead, each firm has its competitive advantages that are beneficial.
On one hand, Gucci has established itself and its brand and design expertise anchor it in the luxury space. On the other hand, IBM has strengths in technologies which can be used to develop innovative products in fashion tech.
It may be worthwhile for both Gucci and IBM to think outside the box, avoid head-on competition, and instead try and pool their competitive advantages.
Therefore, Gucci would complement its offerings by integrating IBM's functional capabilities. In this way, IBM would also seek to move into the fashion industry through synergies or technological solutions.
Would you start your day with a hot L’Oreal?
L'Oreal's main line of products is beauty and personal care, so it could imagine itself moving into the coffee segment, leveraging its brand, consumer behaviour, and marketing knowledge.
The challenge would be creating unique coffee positioning, partnering with coffee industry experts, and delivering a well-defined and consistent brand strategy.
For example, L’Oréal could develop a particular strategy for the coffee segment, whether premium, sustainable, or creative. Nevertheless, the firm would have to deal with the hurdles of diversification, which include acquiring industry knowledge, brand positioning, and competitive rivalry in the already flooded market.
Or remove those wrinkles with Starbucks?
Starbucks is remarkably well-known in the coffee and beverage industry. However, the firm could still seek and expand into new avenues, such as the beauty business, by using its existing brand presence, customer base and indulgence factors.
The strategy is to identify any unusual positioning that will enhance Starbucks's core services and products while still reaching the intended consumer base.
Starbucks could seek entry into the beauty market by developing coffee beauty products, engaging with industry stakeholders and designers, and using an eco-friendly approach. The brand could still escape some restraining factors, such as access to the required levels of industry know-how, customer perception of the brand and competition within the market.
In the end, though the odds may not be high for it owing to the nature of the business being highly divergent from the core business of Starbucks, there may be some possibility of doing such an expansion if there is proper implementation of the strategies and a good understanding of the brand strategy.
Finish up your day with a big bowl of Adidas.
While it is pretty clear that venturing into cereal line production is undoubtedly a move that would be made in a different direction from Adidas’ core business, there also comes an excellent opportunity for creating innovative and strategic growth.
Adidas would establish a market niche like no other through its unused resources to the brand’s strength and stressing performance-centred, lifestyle, or trend-driven cereals.
The key to success would be establishing strategic alliances, adapting marketing efforts, and developing products. However, specific issues are associated with gaining self-sufficiency in the cereal market, such as industry know-how, brand image, and rivalry.
And change out of your sweaty Kellogg’s gear before bed!
It would not be a traditional direction to shift Kellogg’s brand towards sportswear, but it would be seen as a daring and risky agenda with pros and cons.
There was scope for Kellogg’s brand equity and marketing resources to enhance the sportswear line. Still, much work must be done concerning industry knowledge, consumer acceptance and market competition.
To achieve that goal, Kellogg’s will have to develop some decent rebranding activities; this can be done in conjunction with some consultants, creating products with a distinct feature or evaluating customer attractiveness.
However, the overhaul will require a lot of financial backing and proper brand management to avoid the dilution of Kellogg's brand.
Wrapping Up These Famous Brands Rebrands
AI does not merely act as a means to an end; it is a doorway into new, much more exciting, and ever-more creative lands and vistas. It is the paintbrush with which a tech company is transformed into a culinary delight, and a sports company becomes a space exploration company.
But here is the natural alchemy of the exercise: It is not about AI. It is about you. You can look past the obvious and strive to answer ‘why not.’
In a situation where the only permanent thing is change, the famous brands that will last will not be those with the most resources or the loudest marketing. They will dare to reinvent themselves, journey into the unknown, and dare to be different from what they once knew.
So here is your assignment — select a brand. It's such a brand. Now, without any supporting evidence (or perhaps just some creative and artificial), abduct it to another industry. Make it painful. Make it foreign. Make it unusual.
Because when it boils down to it, you will not change the brand. That is how you would be changing the brand shift.
Do you want to join hands? The future of branding has yet to arrive, and what does it not even intend to show?
