Rebrand Strategy Planner

Rebranding strategy

by kostja94 · MIT license · ★ 1,006 on GitHub

When the user wants to plan or execute a rebrand—domain change, 301 redirects, migration, or announcement. Also use when the user mentions "rebranding," "rebrand," "domain change," "domain migration," "301 redirect," "change domain…

---
name: rebranding-strategy
description: When the user wants to plan or execute a rebrand—domain change, 301 redirects, migration, or announcement. Also use when the user mentions "rebranding," "rebrand," "domain change," "domain migration," "301 redirect," "change domain name," "rebrand announcement," "social media rebrand," "brand launch," or "domain redirect." For domain choice, use domain-selection.
metadata:
  version: 1.0.1
---

# Strategy: Rebranding

Guides rebranding execution: domain change, 301 redirects, migration checklist, and communication (social media, internal). Plan for months, not days or weeks. See **domain-selection** for initial domain choice; **domain-architecture** for domain structure decisions; **multi-domain-brand-seo** when multiple domains coexist.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

## Initial Assessment

**Project context:** Read root `contextus.md` when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user-provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system.

Identify:

Overview

Guides rebranding execution: domain change, 301 redirects, migration checklist, and communication (social media, internal). Plan for months, not days or weeks. See domain-selection for initial domain choice; domain-architecture for domain structure decisions; multi-domain-brand-seo when multiple domains coexist.

What you get

Timeline(phases, milestones)
Redirect mappingapproach (template, tools)
Migration checklist(customized)
Social announcement plan(phases, channels, content angles)
Internal communication(briefing, FAQ)

Manual install (npx, ZIP)

Claude Codenpx skills add kostja94/marketing-skills --skill rebranding-strategy -g -a claude-code

Claude Code (degit)npx degit kostja94/marketing-skills/skills/strategies/brand/rebranding#main ~/.claude/skills/rebranding-strategy

Claude.ai / desktopZip the folder and upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Codex, Cursor, other agentsPoint them at SKILL.md. The other files are plain text.

Connects with Agent Alley MCP · agentalley.io/mcp

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Strategy: Rebranding

Guides rebranding execution: domain change, 301 redirects, migration checklist, and communication (social media, internal). Plan for months, not days or weeks. See domain-selection for initial domain choice; domain-architecture for domain structure decisions; multi-domain-brand-seo when multiple domains coexist.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment

Project context: Read root contextus.md when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user-provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system.

Identify:

Scope: Full rebrand (name, domain, identity) vs partial (logo, messaging only)
Domain change: Yes or no; old → new mapping
Timeline: Target launch date; typical 4–12 weeks
Channels: Website, social, product UI, directories, email

Rebranding Timeline (Typical)

Phase	Duration	Focus
Audit & plan	Weeks 1–2	Brand audit; inventory touchpoints; migration plan
Prepare	Weeks 2–6	New assets; redirect mapping; staging; backup
Pre-launch	Week 6–8	Internal announcement; social handle check; teasers
Launch	Week 8+	Go live; 301 redirects; multi-channel announcement
Post-launch	2–4 weeks	Monitor search, traffic; fix 404s; iterate

Principle: Plan for months. Avoid changing domain and major structure in one migration—split into smaller migrations when possible.

301 Redirect Best Practices

Practice	Purpose
1:1 mapping	Each old URL → most relevant new URL; never redirect all to homepage
301 (permanent)	Use 301, not 302; 302 does not fully transfer SEO equity
No chains/loops	Old URL → final destination directly; avoid A→B→C
Redirect mapping sheet	Document every old→new mapping; prevents ~80% of migration failures
Don't block in robots.txt	Redirected URLs should not be disallowed

Common Mistakes

Redirect chains (multiple hops)
Redirect loops
Redirecting everything to homepage
Using 302 for permanent moves
Blocking redirected URLs in robots.txt

Domain Migration Checklist

Pre-Migration

Create SEO migration plan
Collect benchmarks (GA4, GSC, rankings)
Run site crawler; inventory all pages
Create redirect mapping sheet (old URL → new URL)
Purchase new domain; configure DNS
Technical SEO audit
Staging environment; backup
Check for manual penalties on both domains

Launch

Implement 301 redirects
Update Google Search Console (change of address)
Update sitemaps, robots.txt
Verify new site works; test redirects (curl, Screaming Frog)
Add GA4 annotation for migration date

Post-Migration

Monitor GSC coverage; fix "Page with Redirect" issues
Fix 404s immediately
Expect temporary ranking fluctuation (2–4 weeks)
Do not delete old site as fallback

Three Phases

Phase	Actions
Pre-Launch	Finalize new identity; audit social presence; secure handles across platforms; internal alignment
Build Anticipation	Tease with sneak peeks; cryptic visuals; influencer/ambassador previews; avoid announcing too soon
Execute	All platforms updated together; new bios, handles, visuals; compelling rebrand story (why, not what)

What to Avoid

Don't list steps or technical details—focus on story and benefit
Don't announce before all pieces are in place (mixed messaging)
Don't rely on one channel—multi-channel rollout
Don't bombard with "why we rebranded" unless it resonates

Rebrand Story

Anchor: Emotionally resonating narrative; why now; how it benefits customers
Avoid: "We changed our logo" / "We updated our website" without context

Internal Communication

Brief all employees before public launch
Explain strategic reasons; equip them to answer customer questions
Update email signatures, Slack, internal docs
Internal FAQ for common rebrand questions

Output Format

Timeline (phases, milestones)
Redirect mapping approach (template, tools)
Migration checklist (customized)
Social announcement plan (phases, channels, content angles)
Internal communication (briefing, FAQ)

domain-selection: Domain choice (Brand/PMD/EMD, TLD); informs new domain choice when rebranding
domain-architecture: Domain structure before/after rebrand
website-structure: New site structure after migration
schema-markup: Update Organization schema on new domain
multi-domain-brand-seo: When old and new domains coexist during transition
branding: Brand strategy, identity; rebranding implements the change
brand-protection: Sync impersonation checks when rebranding; update official domain declaration
gtm-strategy: Repositioning GTM; when repositioning includes rebrand

1	---
2	name: rebranding-strategy
3	description: When the user wants to plan or execute a rebrand—domain change, 301 redirects, migration, or announcement. Also use when the user mentions "rebranding," "rebrand," "domain change," "domain migration," "301 redirect," "change domain name," "rebrand announcement," "social media rebrand," "brand launch," or "domain redirect." For domain choice, use domain-selection.
4	metadata:
5	version: 1.0.1
6	---
7
8	# Strategy: Rebranding
9
10	Guides rebranding execution: domain change, 301 redirects, migration checklist, and communication (social media, internal). Plan for months, not days or weeks. See domain-selection for initial domain choice; domain-architecture for domain structure decisions; multi-domain-brand-seo when multiple domains coexist.
11
12	When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
13
14	## Initial Assessment
15
16	Project context: Read root `contextus.md` when present and load only the modules relevant to this task. Without Contextus, use available project material or user-provided facts and ask for missing information; do not create a parallel context system.
17
18	Identify:
19	1. Scope: Full rebrand (name, domain, identity) vs partial (logo, messaging only)
20	2. Domain change: Yes or no; old → new mapping
21	3. Timeline: Target launch date; typical 4–12 weeks
22	4. Channels: Website, social, product UI, directories, email
23
24	## Rebranding Timeline (Typical)
25
26	\| Phase \| Duration \| Focus \|
27	\|-------\|----------\|-------\|
28	\| Audit & plan \| Weeks 1–2 \| Brand audit; inventory touchpoints; migration plan \|
29	\| Prepare \| Weeks 2–6 \| New assets; redirect mapping; staging; backup \|
30	\| Pre-launch \| Week 6–8 \| Internal announcement; social handle check; teasers \|
31	\| Launch \| Week 8+ \| Go live; 301 redirects; multi-channel announcement \|
32	\| Post-launch \| 2–4 weeks \| Monitor search, traffic; fix 404s; iterate \|
33
34	Principle: Plan for months. Avoid changing domain and major structure in one migration—split into smaller migrations when possible.
35
36	## 301 Redirect Best Practices
37
38	\| Practice \| Purpose \|
39	\|----------\|---------\|
40	\| 1:1 mapping \| Each old URL → most relevant new URL; never redirect all to homepage \|
41	\| 301 (permanent) \| Use 301, not 302; 302 does not fully transfer SEO equity \|
42	\| No chains/loops \| Old URL → final destination directly; avoid A→B→C \|
43	\| Redirect mapping sheet \| Document every old→new mapping; prevents ~80% of migration failures \|
44	\| Don't block in robots.txt \| Redirected URLs should not be disallowed \|
45
46	### Common Mistakes
47
48	- Redirect chains (multiple hops)
49	- Redirect loops
50	- Redirecting everything to homepage
51	- Using 302 for permanent moves
52	- Blocking redirected URLs in robots.txt
53
54	## Domain Migration Checklist
55
56	### Pre-Migration
57
58	- [ ] Create SEO migration plan
59	- [ ] Collect benchmarks (GA4, GSC, rankings)
60	- [ ] Run site crawler; inventory all pages
61	- [ ] Create redirect mapping sheet (old URL → new URL)
62	- [ ] Purchase new domain; configure DNS
63	- [ ] Technical SEO audit
64	- [ ] Staging environment; backup
65	- [ ] Check for manual penalties on both domains
66
67	### Launch
68
69	- [ ] Implement 301 redirects
70	- [ ] Update Google Search Console (change of address)
71	- [ ] Update sitemaps, robots.txt
72	- [ ] Verify new site works; test redirects (curl, Screaming Frog)
73	- [ ] Add GA4 annotation for migration date
74
75	### Post-Migration
76
77	- [ ] Monitor GSC coverage; fix "Page with Redirect" issues
78	- [ ] Fix 404s immediately
79	- [ ] Expect temporary ranking fluctuation (2–4 weeks)
80	- [ ] Do not delete old site as fallback
81
82	## Social Media Announcement
83
84	### Three Phases
85
86	\| Phase \| Actions \|
87	\|-------\|---------\|
88	\| Pre-Launch \| Finalize new identity; audit social presence; secure handles across platforms; internal alignment \|
89	\| Build Anticipation \| Tease with sneak peeks; cryptic visuals; influencer/ambassador previews; avoid announcing too soon \|
90	\| Execute \| All platforms updated together; new bios, handles, visuals; compelling rebrand story (why, not what) \|
91
92	### What to Avoid
93
94	- Don't list steps or technical details—focus on story and benefit
95	- Don't announce before all pieces are in place (mixed messaging)
96	- Don't rely on one channel—multi-channel rollout
97	- Don't bombard with "why we rebranded" unless it resonates
98
99	### Rebrand Story
100
101	- Anchor: Emotionally resonating narrative; why now; how it benefits customers
102	- Avoid: "We changed our logo" / "We updated our website" without context
103
104	## Internal Communication
105
106	- Brief all employees before public launch
107	- Explain strategic reasons; equip them to answer customer questions
108	- Update email signatures, Slack, internal docs
109	- Internal FAQ for common rebrand questions
110
111	## Output Format
112
113	- Timeline (phases, milestones)
114	- Redirect mapping approach (template, tools)
115	- Migration checklist (customized)
116	- Social announcement plan (phases, channels, content angles)
117	- Internal communication (briefing, FAQ)
118
119	## Related Skills
120
121	- domain-selection: Domain choice (Brand/PMD/EMD, TLD); informs new domain choice when rebranding
122	- domain-architecture: Domain structure before/after rebrand
123	- website-structure: New site structure after migration
124	- schema-markup: Update Organization schema on new domain
125	- multi-domain-brand-seo: When old and new domains coexist during transition
126	- branding: Brand strategy, identity; rebranding implements the change
127	- brand-protection: Sync impersonation checks when rebranding; update official domain declaration
128	- gtm-strategy: Repositioning GTM; when repositioning includes rebrand
129