Corporate branding is not a new concept in marketing. It is as old as the hills. Companies have re rebranded countless times taking into account new brand concepts. I was driving home the other day listening to Zi FM Stereo, my favorite station when a question dawned on me. Someone from German may like Devera Ngwena Jazz Band but will he remember the name? Why do few Zimbabwean musicians fail to make it big on the International scene? Or maybe they do, but do their names stick?

Rebranded soccer players – a case study of Brazil

Ever since I started following soccer, I have known Brazilian soccer legends for using brand names. From the legendary Pele right up to today’s Brazilian legends, they prefer to use just one single name. Remember Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka and recently Osca. I bet it’s easier to recall Edmundos Arendes do naSimendo as simply Pele and Victor Babosa Fereira as Rivaldo. Iam not even sure if I spelt the names right. These are simple examples of re branded individuals in football.

Re branded actors and musicians

Which is easier to remember, Tongai Moyo and Utakataka Express and Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou? None. What of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou and George Michael; Marshall Bruce Mathers III and Eminem; Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez and Martin Sheen; Stevland Hardaway Morris And Steve Wonder; Yvette Marie Stevens And Chaka Khan; Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta And Lady Gaga; Your guess is right. These are people who used a simple variant of their name or a different name altogether to rebrand themselves into an international icon.

By the time Ashantie did her next album, I don’t think I would have remembered her as Shaquoya Douglas nor would I have remembered Nicholas Cage’s movie collection when I rent a DVD as Nicholas Kim Coppola’s collection. I wonder what would happen if Gringo’s lead actor call himself Lazzie B. Years ago, I had an original CD of Reginald Kenneth Dwight – Sir Elton John. I think Oliver Mutukudzi could have been more popular with maybe Oliver Twist as a stage name and Tuku music as Twist Music. Rebranding to a world class well known character would have made his name reach every corner of the earth – in my opinion.
Most Zimbabwean artists don’t want to part with their last names but surprisingly many were called by nicknames as they grew up. I think Mathius Mhere should have simply branded himself to “Mathew”, a good variant of the disciple Mathew who wrote the first book in the New Testament. Famous pop icon Madonna Louise Ciccone dropped her middle and last name to be known world over as simply Madonna whilst the most celebrated of all actresses and singer Norma Jean Baker changed her name completely to Marilyn Monroe. I have admired Kireni Zulu’s music but I honestly do not like the Marabi band Part. It could have been better as the Zulu Kay and the KwaZulu Band. Maybe they have forgotten the successful brand of Mr Bulk and the Bulk family. I have no idea why my childhood hero Carlos Ray changed his name to Chuck Norris but it does sound better and nicer. Michael Sylvester Enzio Stallone and William Bradley Pitt are a common example of the effects of rebranding. Anna Mae Bullock and Eileen Regina Edwards are Tina Turner and Shania Twain respectively.
Could the slight change in Jose Antonio Dominguez Banderas to Antonio Banderas be responsible for the change in fortunes? If you know Caryn Elaine Johnson’s stage name, write it in our comments tab below.

New Age Re branded Zimbabwean Musicians

The new crop of Zimbabwean artists might have learnt a few lessons from their founding fathers. They have taken the challenge of rebranding from their birth names to stage names. Dance hall king, Winky D and gospel Outfit Worship Addicts have picked stage names which appeal well on the international scene. However, most local artists do not know the core principles used in name selection and they end up worse off than if they had used their original names.
Some artists on the other hand who have found success on rebranded names have damaged the brands by their way ward social living and appearing on the wrong side of the law. Despite having worked on a brand name, there is need to rebranding in this case. Beyonce who has rebranded herself successfully over and over from Destiny Child to Beyonce Knowles and later on dropped the last name to a singular Beyonce is now calling herself Mrs. Carter. It does put in picture the wife, mother and singer all in one. This has the effect of following up on all her fans who are now fathers and mothers but were little boys and girls when they started listening to her music.
A lot of artists who have had their reputation painted black should consider rebranding to boost their dying careers.

Corporate rebranding in Zimbabwe

Rebranding and name changing is not a new business concept. It has been used to give the customers a new perception of the company and how the company has transformed and evolved completely mainly from its past failures. Football teams are known to introduce a new kit design at least once every season to show the determination they have to win the league. Companies have used it worldwide and sometimes as a last card to breathe life in a damaged brand. Federal Express changed its brand name to Fedex Corp and Research in Motion also rebranded to BlackBery. Local bank TN Bank is in the process of rebranding to Steward Bank whilst others simply changed their logos. Harvard University Press and Nivea are international examples of logo change. Other companies like Apple and Ford only changed their names slightly. Telecel Zimbabwe changed its colors to red whilst G Tide rebranded completely to Gtel.Re branding through changed domain names
In today’s business, a company can be forced to change its name to line up with its domain name or change its domain name completely. Domain switch is a painful process which some companies may fail to survive. Changing your domain name is more or less like changing your phone number. Google, originally build on the Stanford website had the domain registered as google.stanford.edu but re launched it as google.com a year later whilst X.com changed to paypal.com. Founders of twttr.com had to fork out more than $5,000.00 to get the name to twitter.com. I urge Zimbabwean businesses who do not see a need to buy a domain name now to just do it anyway. Just buy a domain name the moment you register a company because the time will come when domains will be flipped. I will write an article on domain flipping as a business in Zimbabwe. Imagine registering your company in Zimbabwe as Nyevhe Pvt Ltd. Five years letter, a need arises for you to create a website and you discover that the domain nyevhe.co.zw is being used by a traditional food enthusiast who writes about recipes to cook nyevhe and related African dishes. Using a different domain name could be difficult for clients. Buying him out could cost more than $10,000.00 which would have been reduced to a figure below a $100.00 had the company chose to register the domain and do nothing.

Biblical Re Branded Individuals

What does the Bible have to say about rebranding? A lot of examples of rebranded characters are seen in the Bible from Genesis right up to Revelations. Most influential people in the Bible were either branded before birth or re branded by being given a new name at a turning point of their life. Jacob, a trickster, who stole his brother’s birthright before fleeing to a faraway country, had his story changed. His life which depicts a villain is altered and transformed when he meets an Angel who rebrands him to Israel meaning one who rules. At this point, even his walk changed. His image changes completely. His brand story has changed and so has his brand name. What do you think this means in your marketing world? If you can’t figure out how to rebrand, seek the services of a brand angel. Saul was changed to Paul whilst John the Baptist was named before he was born. Abram and Sarai were rebranded to Abraham and Sarah respectively because God had given them a special assignment and an important responsibility. Jesus rebranded Simon one of his disciples to Peter.

If you know Caryn Elaine Johnson’s stage name, write it in our comments tab below. If you have rebranding suggestions for existing businesses and individuals post below. Like our page and share us on facebook, twitter and other social platforms.

To your continued success