Fix Rebrand Briefs That Try to Please Everyone using Get Who To By
Most rebrand briefs are just a landfill of corporate word salad like 'innovative,' 'authentic,' and 'human-centric.' If you're trying to make your brand appeal to everyone from Gen Z TikTokers to retired accountants, you’re not rebranding; you’re just burning money. The Get Who To By framework is the slap in the face your strategy needs. It forces you to stop being a people-pleaser and start being a brand that actually stands for something specific enough to matter.
The TL;DR
Stop the 'everything to everyone' madness. Use Get Who To By to pin down a specific target (GET), identify the psychological friction stopping them (WHO), deliver a message that isn't a riddle (TO), and define the mechanism that forces their hand (BY). It’s strategy, not a group hug.
Why This Framework Beats Your Vague Rebrand Brief
Because your current brief is probably 40 pages of fluff that the creative team will ignore anyway. This keeps it on the rails.
The Four Steps
GET
Who is the one group that actually matters?
Identify the smallest, most winnable group of people who can actually move the needle. If you say 'Global Citizens,' I'm closing the deck. Be specific: who are they, and what's their current relationship with your category?
WHO
What is the specific hang-up they have about you?
This isn't a demographic profile. It's a behavioral insight. Why aren't they buying? What do they believe about you that's wrong (or painfully true)? Find the friction point that your rebrand needs to lubricate.
TO
What is the 'no-duh' message?
Distill your entire rebrand into one clear message. If a customer sees your new look, what is the one thing they should think? If it requires a paragraph to explain, it’s not a message; it’s a lecture.
BY
How are you physically going to make them move?
This is the mechanism. Is it a new visual identity that signals a price shift? A product overhaul? A tactical campaign? This is how the strategy hits the real world.
Why Your Rebrand Will Probably Fail
(Unless You Fix These)
- ×Defining your target as 'anyone with a credit card'
- ×Confusing a 'brand purpose' with an actual behavioral insight
- ×Using the word 'disruptive' in the 'TO' section
- ×Changing the logo but keeping the same crappy customer service
- ×Letting the legal department write the 'TO' message
- ×Ignoring the 'WHO' because the truth hurts your feelings
- ×Thinking a new color palette solves a broken business model
- ×Failing to give the audience a reason to act *now*
Fix these, or just keep the old logo and save everyone the trouble.
Real Examples
Stale B2B Software
A legacy ERP system trying to stay relevant against flashy startups.
GET
IT Directors at mid-sized manufacturing firms who are terrified of downtime.
WHO
They think 'modern' software is buggy and 'legacy' software is slow, leaving them stuck in the middle.
TO
The only platform that's as fast as a startup and as stable as a fortress.
BY
A rebrand that ditches 'corporate blue' for high-contrast engineering aesthetics and a '99.9% uptime' visual guarantee.
Budget Airline Pivot
A low-cost carrier trying to attract business travelers without losing its base.
GET
Self-employed consultants who pay for their own flights.
WHO
They want to save money but feel embarrassed walking off a 'discount' plane into a high-stakes meeting.
TO
The smart way to fly when it's your own money on the line.
BY
Introducing a 'Premium Silence' tier and a sleek, minimalist visual identity that looks more 'tech' than 'budget.'
Old-School CPG Snack
A 50-year-old cracker brand trying to get into the 'healthy' aisle.
GET
Parents who are tired of reading ingredient labels like they're studying for a chemistry final.
WHO
They assume anything that tastes good is full of junk, and anything healthy tastes like cardboard.
TO
The snack that doesn't force you to choose between your kids' health and their happiness.
BY
Stripping the packaging of all cartoon mascots and using transparent windows to show the actual ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have two 'GET' groups if they're similar?
No. Pick one. If you try to talk to two people at once, you'll end up mumbling to yourself. Focus on the one that pays the most.
What if my 'WHO' insight is that people hate our current brand?
Good. That's a real insight. Use it. A rebrand that ignores a bad reputation is just putting a tuxedo on a goat.
Is the 'TO' the same as a tagline?
Usually not. The 'TO' is the strategic intent. The tagline is the creative execution of that intent. Don't get them backwards.
How specific should the 'BY' be?
Specific enough that a junior designer knows exactly what to build. 'By rebranding' is not a 'BY.' That's just a tautology.
Does this work for internal rebranding too?
Yes, but only if you're honest about why your employees currently roll their eyes at your 'culture' initiatives.
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