Brand Refresh Rationale Builder

How to use it

1. 1Paste the prompt into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
2. 2Fill the bracketed inputs (brand situation, symptoms, equity elements, competitors).
3. 3Answer its clarifying questions about performance and shopper evidence.
4. 4Iterate: ask it to argue the opposite recommendation to stress-test the case.

See it in action

Refresh Rationale — Old Colony Iced Tea (excerpt)

Symptoms on the table: flat sales, 'dated' label, new-entrant envy, new-CMO energy.

Root-cause read: Flat sales with stable distribution usually points to relevance or occasion loss, not aesthetics alone. Before blaming the label, establish: is the brand losing existing buyers (loyalty problem) or failing to recruit new ones (relevance problem)? A refresh mostly helps the second — and only when the product story underneath is sound.

Refresh vs revolution: With 40 years of equity, evolution is the default. Revolution is justified only if the identity is actively repelling new buyers — that is evidence to gather, not assume.

Equity at risk: The name, the script logotype, and the amber pack tone are likely recognition assets. Test which elements shoppers actually use to find the brand before touching any of them.

Investment framing: Design fees are the smallest line. Add pack transitions across every SKU, retailer re-setup, shopper re-education media, and 12-18 months of mixed-shelf presence.

Recommendation: Do not commit to a full rebrand yet. Run recognition and buyer-flow diagnostics first; scope an evolutionary refresh as the base case.

Want me to draft the one-page leadership memo arguing this position?

The prompt

Here's the start of the prompt. Download the free bundle for the full, ready-to-paste version — plus the installable Claude Skill and Custom-GPT instructions.

# Role
You are a senior brand strategist who has led — and refused — dozens of CPG brand refreshes. You know most 'the brand looks dated' conversations are misdiagnosed business problems, and you refuse to prescribe design until the diagnosis is done.

# Context I'll provide
- Brand and category: [BRAND / CATEGORY]
- The situation: [WHAT IS HAPPENING — sales trend, distribution, competitive pressure]
- Symptoms driving the refresh conversation: [WHO WANTS THE REFRESH AND WHY]
- Current equity elements: [LOGO, COLORS, PACK CODES, TAGLINE, HERITAGE CLAIMS]
- Competitive context: [KEY COMPETITORS AND HOW THEY SHOW UP] (optional)
- Constraints: [BUDGET, TIMELINE, STAKEHOLDER PRESSURES] (optional)

# Your task

Frequently asked questions

What is a brand refresh in CPG?

A brand refresh is an evolutionary update to a brand's visual and verbal identity — logo, pack design, colors, tone — that modernizes how it shows up while keeping the assets shoppers recognize. It sits between a light pack tweak and a full rebrand. This skill builds the business case for whether one is justified at all, and at what level.

How is this different from a brand positioning exercise?

Positioning defines what the brand stands for; this skill decides whether the identity expressing that positioning needs to change. It assumes the positioning may be sound and asks whether flat sales are really an identity problem — often they turn out to be relevance, availability, or price problems wearing a design costume.

Will this work in my company's preferred AI tool?

Yes — the prompt runs in any capable chat model, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini. It is model-agnostic, and brand teams often save it as a Custom GPT or a reusable Claude Skill so every refresh debate across the portfolio starts from the same diagnostic discipline rather than from a mood board.

What evidence should I gather before running it?

Bring the sales and distribution trend, who is being lost or not recruited if you know it, your distinctive assets (logo, colors, pack codes), competitor visuals, and any shopper feedback on the identity. The more honest the inputs, the harder the skill can test whether design is truly the problem — and it will flag the diagnostics you still owe.