Consignia lasted 15 months before the Royal Mail had to rebrand back. The name change cost £1.5 million. When your name becomes the story, here's the 4-week framework for deciding if you can save it or must abandon it.
Week 1: Damage Assessment
Media coverage volume, sentiment analysis, customer survey, sales impact. Quantify the actual damage vs perception.
Week 2: Root Cause Analysis
Name problem or execution problem? Consignia failed because no one understood it. Different from offensive name that must change.
Saveable Scenarios
Poor launch execution, lack of awareness, fixable pronunciation. Double down with marketing, don't rebrand.
Week 3: Rebrand Cost Analysis
New name search £5,000, trademark £400, signage £10,000-50,000, website £5,000, customer communication £20,000, brand equity loss £100,000+.
Week 4: Decision Point
If rebrand costs less than fixing the current name, change. If current name can be salvaged for less, keep it.
Warning: Rebrand announcements create second wave of negative press. Timing and messaging critical to avoid compounding damage.
Generic Names Can't Be Trademarked
If you want legal protection and a name competitors can't copy, make it distinctive from day one. Generic names can't be salvaged from crises.