Consumer-Led Rebrand Test
Build a friendlier brand by testing audience pain and creative choices
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
The Consumer-Led Rebrand Test is the research process DeCiantis describes behind UWM's move from FindAMortgageBroker.com to Mortgage Matchup. First, define the next audience the brand needs to reach. Interview people across different stages, including those who have bought before and those who have not, to identify confusion, intimidation, and disliked parts of the experience. Translate those findings into several candidate names and visual systems, including iconography and colour. Put the alternatives back in front of consumers instead of selecting only through internal opinion. Choose the identity that makes the category friendlier and more accessible while still supporting the business objective. The mechanism turns audience evidence into concrete naming and design decisions.
Origin
UWM used this process after recognising for years that FindAMortgageBroker.com was long, clunky, and unfamiliar to many consumers.
Core principles
- 01Research the audience before selecting the new identity
- 02Include people at different stages of the customer journey
- 03Use previous customer pain to shape the brand
- 04Test names and visual elements rather than relying on internal taste
How to run it
- 1
Define the next audience
Identify the group the rebrand must make more willing to engage. UWM focused on the next generation of home buyers.
Pro tip Describe the audience by journey stage as well as demographics.
Watch out Do not begin by choosing a name before defining who it must work for.
- 2
Interview across stages
Speak with both experienced customers and people who have not yet completed the journey. Ask what they wanted, disliked, or found intimidating.
Pro tip Past customers can identify actual friction while prospective customers reveal perceived barriers.
Watch out One audience stage gives an incomplete view of the category.
- 3
Turn pain into criteria
Convert the research into clear requirements for the new brand, such as friendliness, clarity, and reduced intimidation.
Pro tip Keep the criteria tied to recurring interview language.
Watch out Avoid vague goals such as making the brand feel more modern without defining the audience effect.
- 4
Create multiple directions
Develop a range of names, icons, colours, and related brand elements that address the research criteria.
Pro tip Vary meaningful strategic directions, not just cosmetic details.
Watch out A single concept cannot reveal whether consumers prefer it to a credible alternative.
- 5
Test and select
Show the alternatives to consumers and use their reactions to identify the most impactful fit. Select the direction that best resolves the documented barriers.
Pro tip Evaluate the full identity rather than the name in isolation.
Watch out Do not let internal familiarity with the old category language override consumer comprehension.
In the wild
UWM knew the existing consumer brand was long and clunky and that many people did not know what a mortgage broker was. The team interviewed consumers who had and had not purchased homes, asked about intimidating parts of the process, and showed them different names, iconography, and colours. That research led to Mortgage Matchup.
→ UWM selected a researched identity intended to feel friendlier and more accessible to future home buyers.
Common mistakes
Treating the name as decoration
A new name should solve an audience comprehension or perception problem, not merely sound newer.
Testing only existing customers
People who completed the journey may not expose the barriers that keep prospective customers away.
Choosing through internal taste
Skipping consumer comparison leaves the team without evidence that the identity improves audience fit.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for consumer brands whose existing name, visuals, or category language creates confusion or intimidation.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when the brand problem has not been established or when the team cannot act on research findings.
From the transcript
“we did a lot of research we we interviewed a lot of consumers at a lot of different stages in life people who have purchased…”
“what was intimidating about the process what didn't they like about the process how could we have make it more friendly”
“we showed them a variety of different brand names a variety of different um iconography and colors”
From the episode
UWM’s Marketing Success ft. Sarah DeCiantis
Sarah DeCiantis