Why Did Instagram Rebrand?

The Instagram Rebrand response is varied. Some people loved it, some people didn’t.

People don’t like change, so it’s predictable that there would be backlash to a drastic change to a brand people are very intimate with.

Instagram’s new brand is a good one in our opinion. However, our opinion on the rebrand has less to do with the new colors, and more to do with the strategic reasons Instagram decided to rebrand.

For starters, Instagram isn’t just Instagram anymore. They have a suite of sub-brands including Layout, Boomerang, and HyperLapse. As you can see below, the entire suite of brands has been unified to have the same look and feel.

Instagram Rebrand Icons

Instagram now has a family of likeminded and related brands. Most people didn’t even know Layout, Boomerang and HyperLapse existed. Now people not only know that they exist, but that they are connected to and integrated with the Instagram brand people already know and love.

A fundamental part of the Brand Strategy is Brand Architecture. Instagram needed to rebrand due to the brand’s growth and change in its architecture. It’s common for business to outgrow their branding.

Instagram solved their brand architecture problem while simultaneously making their suite of brands seem more integral to the mobile experience. Compare the aesthetic of the Instagram suite of brands to the native Apple apps that come standard on the iPhone and you will find them quite similar. This is just speculation, but it is our opinion that Instagram did this so that Instagram feels as vital to the iPhone experience as the music app and the iTunes store app.

 

Branding is not just about colors, logos, and fonts. It’s equally about strategy, so that your brand fuels your performance. Time will tell, but we think Instagram has done a fine job in their rebranding efforts.

Check out our blog section for more insights and branding resources for your business.

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