Insights

If doing things the way you’ve always done them works for you, that’s great. But if that were really true, I doubt you’d be reading this. Chances are you’ve got a nagging feeling your brand isn’t performing at its full potential.

If you’re a brand or marketing director in an established firm, you’ll know that ‘letting go’ is easier said than done. For many senior partners the brand represents years of hard work and success, making it all the more challenging to evolve.

Clear the clutter

Branding from scratch can be straightforward – you get to work on a blank canvas. Rebranding, though, can be far trickier. You’re not just creating something new, you’re navigating people’s long-held beliefs, unwritten rules, entrenched habits, even an aversion to risk. It calls for empathy and patience.

But long before logos and websites, there’s a step many firms overlook – questioning assumptions and shedding what no longer serves them. We call this debranding. 

It’s a way of letting go of the elements that no longer serve the business today. Debranding gives you a chance to reflect on what still has value, what needs recycling and what needs to go. 

Only then does rebranding make sense.

Embracing change

Every organisation carries brand baggage. Visual identities fall behind, messaging speaks to yesterday’s market and processes survive because ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’.

People form attachments to symbols, language, colours and traditions. Understandably – these things represent continuity and stability. 

But change isn’t about shedding positive brand equity.

It’s about evolution. Markets shift, audiences expect more and competitors move fast. Brands that cling too tightly to the past risk standing still while the world keeps spinning.

Debranding with purpose

Our work with leading IP firm Venner Shipley provides a case in point. It became evident they weren’t ‘just’ providing core services – they were supporting innovators who are changing the world.

Yet a glance at their communications didn’t celebrate this at all. Stakeholders had grown comfortable with a traditional-looking narrative – a functional approach that focused more on their world than their clients.

Debranding allowed them to confront this. Through reflection, a central proposition emerged: “Empowering the next generation of innovators.”

This insight didn’t sit on the sidelines as a slogan. It became the foundation of the rebrand, shaping the story, logo, typeface, colour palette, imagery, photography and web design.

That transformation could never have happened without letting go of ingrained habits – and attitudes to change.

“Ascend created a paradigm shift in our mindset. No longer are we just another IP firm – we are empowering creators for the next generation of innovation.”

From friction to clarity

Expect some friction – debranding challenges habits, and we tend to resist change. But success comes from prioritising strategic clarity over personal preference, listening carefully and communicating decisions transparently.

Framing change in terms of human outcomes – how clients feel, how employees connect, how the firm’s perceived – makes the process more engaging.

For firms that commit, the benefits are clear: a more focused and more relevant future. A new identity built on solid ground, not outdated assumptions. Firms that embrace this process don’t just refresh their image, they redefine their trajectory.

If you’re asking what the future of your business should look like, first ask: what are you prepared to let go of?

 When is debranding most effective?


• Market evolution: changes in the market or consumer behaviour that make the old brand less effective.

• Company growth: evolution of your mission, vision or product.

• Negativity: the need to overcome perceptions or reputational damage.

• M&As: deconstructing old brands to form a cohesive new identity.

• Outdated image: modernising to stay relevant.

To see how a brand strategy and identity update could help your firm, contact us on info@ascendstudio.co.uk or 020 7419 1170.