A rebranding of the 1990s beloved Christopher & Banks.

The Rebranding of Christopher & Banks

THE ASK

Develop a rebranding strategy for a client’s brand that has just declared bankruptcy and is in desperate need of a new look and a new way to engage with their customer.

THE PROGRESS

STEP 1: RESEARCH + DEFINE THE PROBLEM

When researching companies that went bankrupt during the pandemic, one brand that stood out to me was Christopher & Banks, many people often don’t remember the name of the store or simply haven’t heard of it. Christopher & Banks is an online women’s specialty retailer. On January 14, 2021, Christopher & Banks voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closing all its brick-and-mortar stores. The reason for bankruptcy was due to past debt issues and Covid-19. The sources that were used when researching were the marketing and SWOT analysis databases such as business source complete and academic source complete and WGSN.

STEP 2: CREATIVE DRIVE + CHANGES

The creative drive for the rebranding of Christopher & Banks was truly inspired by it’s need for change in it’s archetype and target market. Christopher & Bank’s archetype was the “Everyman” Archetype due to its various sizes and visions to deliver style and versatility to every individual. When revising the brand narrative and archetype, Christopher & Banks needed the following: strengthening their representation of all sizes, transitioning to the “Lover” archetype, and expanding on core corporate values. With this in mind, repairing the ”Mary” (target persona) image by decreasing her age range, including a mix of modern and conservative clothing, branding itself on social media, expanding into new customer segments such as new shoppers, bargain hunters, and increasing their brand identity would increase and promote sales.

STEP 3: VISUAL COMPONENTS + CHANGES

The visual components include images from the storefront, local articles, and images from Christopher & Banks website.

He opened it “with ‘her’ in mind: local women who were full of life and wisdom, confident in their beliefs, and in search of styles that made them feel fabulous at a price they would love,” (Christopherandbanks.com). 

Let’s take a look at the rebranding of Christopher & Banks in its entirety.

THE OUTCOME

Throughout the project, I learned a lot about the process, financials, and overall rebranding of a company. Throughout this project, I learned how to utilize WGSN, Business Source Complete, and Statista. With my main focus on Christopher & Banks’ rebranding, I learned that many older women still prefer the idea of going into a brick-and-mortar store. I noticed the change in the demographic and age range of the brand as well. Overall, this project allowed me to express my use of Microsoft Word. It also improved my writing and research skills.

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