In our experience with luxury travel businesses, we’ve found there are two main categories of brands looking for an update: they’re either well-established brands that have started to feel a little dated, or they’re newer brands looking to differentiate themselves and ensure their identity reflects the premium, bespoke experiences they offer.
The challenge for both is the same: how do you change your brand without alienating the clients who already love and trust you? A poorly executed update can confuse your audience, dilute your unique value, or even make loyal clients question whether your service quality has changed.
The good news is that there is a solution: a brand refresh.
What is a brand refresh?
A brand refresh is a strategic update to your existing brand identity that modernises or adjusts your look, messaging, and digital presence without completely overhauling who you are as a company.
It might include updating your logo, typography, colour palette, imagery, or website design, while keeping your core brand values and personality intact. The goal is to make your brand feel current and relevant, while maintaining the trust and recognition you’ve built with existing clients.
What’s the difference between a rebrand and a refresh?
A full rebrand is a ground-up approach: it often involves redefining your brand strategy, target audience, visual identity, messaging, and even your company name in some cases. This is often used by businesses facing significant challenges like outdated positioning, negative associations, or major strategic pivots.
A refresh, on the other hand, focuses on evolution rather than revolution. It’s about refining and updating what already works, not replacing it.
When should a luxury brand choose a refresh over a full rebrand?
A refresh is typically the right choice when your luxury brand:
- Has strong recognition and loyalty among existing clients.
- Feels slightly dated but still communicates your core values effectively.
- Needs to modernise visuals or messaging to reflect evolving market trends.
- Wants to improve digital presence, usability, or storytelling without confusing your audience.
A full rebrand is better suited for brands that have significant strategic shifts, like entering new markets, merging with another company, or changing their business model entirely.
For more on this, check out our article “Should you rebrand or refresh? A guide for travel brands”
What are the risks of a refresh?
While less risky than a full rebrand, a refresh still carries potential risks. These can include:
- Alienating loyal clients by changing familiar elements too drastically.
- Creating inconsistency across touchpoints, which can dilute brand trust.
- Failing to clearly communicate the purpose and benefits of the update.
These risks can be mitigated through thoughtful planning, clear communication, and incremental updates that maintain continuity while bringing your brand up to date.
What are the best ways to refresh a luxury travel brand without losing clients?
Every brand will have different needs when it comes to a refresh. What works for one luxury travel company might not suit another, depending on your history, target audience, and the type of experiences you offer.
These five strategies represent just some of the lessons we’ve learned through our work with multiple luxury travel brands, but each project is bespoke, tailored to the specific goals and challenges of the client.
For brands looking to refresh successfully without alienating their loyal clientele, partnering with an agency that has experience in the luxury travel sector can make all the difference. Your agency will help ensure updates feel thoughtful, strategic, and aligned with both your brand’s identity and your clients’ expectations.
1. Update visuals thoughtfully
Visuals are the most immediate way your clients perceive your brand. Updating your logo, typography, colour palette, or photography can modernise your identity and make your brand feel fresh, but only if it’s done carefully.
For luxury travel brands, small adjustments often have the biggest impact. Instead of replacing your logo entirely, consider refining it. This can mean introducing a richer or more contemporary colour palette, or commissioning new photography that better reflects the experiences you offer today. Clients should recognise your brand instantly, even with these subtle updates.
High-end imagery is particularly important: visuals should capture the quality, exclusivity, and emotion of the journeys you sell. When done correctly, a visual refresh reinforces your brand’s premium positioning without causing confusion or disconnect with existing clients.
2. Refine messaging and tone
Your brand’s words are just as important as its visuals. All your messaging should reflect both the current market expectations and the bespoke experiences you provide. A refresh is an opportunity to sharpen your tone of voice, clarify your unique selling points, and ensure that every piece of copy conveys the trustworthiness and exclusivity your clients expect.
This might include updating website copy to highlight curated, experience-driven travel rather than focusing solely on destinations or logistics. Email campaigns and social media posts should reinforce the same refined tone, ensuring continuity across all touchpoints.
3. Improve your digital presence
Your website is often the first touchpoint a client has with your brand. A dated or cumbersome site can make even the most loyal clients question your attention to detail. A refresh should focus on improving usability, accessibility, and storytelling online. But this doesn’t necessarily mean a full website overhaul. You can achieve impact with targeted updates rather than a complete rebuild.
Platforms like Webflow allow luxury travel brands to incorporate responsive design, smooth navigation, rich media, and interactive elements that show experiences rather than just features. Even minor changes like simplifying booking flows, better image optimisation, updating layouts for mobile-first browsing, or refreshing key content can make a huge difference in conveying quality and professionalism.
And of course, for brands ready to take the next step, a full redesign can be incorporated as part of a refresh strategy.
4. Communicate and involve your audience
One of the most effective ways to refresh without losing clients is to communicate transparently and involve them in the process. Let loyal clients know why you’re updating your brand, what elements will stay the same, and how the changes add to their experience.
You can involve clients subtly through surveys, early previews of new visuals, or storytelling about your brand’s evolution. This approach reinforces trust and makes clients feel valued, rather than excluded. Even something as simple as a behind-the-scenes blog post or personalised email explaining the refresh can turn potential uncertainty into excitement.
5. Monitor your changes and adapt
Refreshing a luxury travel brand isn’t a one-and-done exercise. Even small updates can have an impact on client perception, engagement, and booking behaviour. It’s important to track how your audience responds to the changes and be ready to adjust where necessary.
Use analytics and feedback tools to measure key metrics like website traffic, social media engagement, newsletter open rates, and client inquiries. Pay attention to subtle signals too, like are long-time clients engaging with new messaging or imagery as expected? Are there areas of confusion or friction emerging?
Regularly reviewing this data allows you to make incremental improvements, ensuring your refresh enhances your brand without alienating existing clients. Working with a partner or agency experienced in luxury travel branding can help interpret these insights and fine-tune your approach efficiently.
Ready for a refresh?
Successfully refreshing your luxury travel brand requires careful planning and timing. Begin by auditing your current brand perception among existing clients through surveys, interviews, or informal conversations. This baseline understanding will make sure your refresh is addressing real opportunities rather than perceived needs.
Prioritise changes that will have the greatest positive impact on client experience while requiring minimal disruption to established operations. In some cases, we’d also recommend implementing updates in phases. This allows time to gauge client response and make adjustments as needed.
Thinking about refreshing your luxury travel brand? Our team at Boost Brands specialises in helping premium travel companies evolve their identity while keeping loyal clients engaged. Get in touch to discuss a tailored refresh strategy that balances innovation with continuity.
