“God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion.” Thomas Jefferson uttered this famous phrase about Shay’s Rebellion, an uprising against the U.S. government led by disillusioned Massachusetts (where else?) farmers soon after the American Revolution was won. Some prominent marketers executives, it seems, are even more anxious than the third President to shake things up. According to a recent poll by Luth Research and the MiresBall graphic design firm, high-level marketers are acutely aware of the need to keep their brand vital in the face of heated competition, fragmenting media and market demographics, and pricing pressures. Indeed, the survey concludes: (1) brand revitalizations are essential and effective when conducted every three to five years; (2) companies are devoting more attention and money to their brand; and (3) brands must be continually fine-tuned in order to remain relevant. This means opportunity for graphic designers who can convince staid clients to anticipate change rather than wait for the inevitable consumer rebellion. Jefferson, himself, appreciated the need to periodically cleanse and renew, and may well have become a first-rate brand strategist, had he not gotten sidetracked with the whole Declaration of Independence thing.
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