Navigating change: Sumeet Bhojani on Godrej's strategic rebranding for modern relevance

Over a century old yet not shy of reinventing itself. Late last year, the Godrej Enterprises Group unveiled a new brand identity, marking more than just a visual refresh. The rebranding came on the heels of the Godrej Group’s structural split, which saw the family-owned conglomerate reorganise into two separate entities: Godrej Enterprises Group and Godrej Industries Group.

Godrej Enterprises Group, now functioning as a stand-alone conglomerate, boasts a diverse portfolio that includes aerospace, defence, energy solutions, locks and security, furniture, consumer durables, intralogistics, and real estate.

In an era where conglomerates are repositioning themselves not just for relevance but resonance, how does a legacy brand like Godrej navigate the tightrope between continuity and reinvention?

In a conversation with Sumeet Bhojani, head of brand and strategic insights at Godrej Enterprises Group, we decode the new brand playbook from internal storytelling to external rollout and how behavioural data, employee alignment, and stakeholder trust are shaping the next chapter for one of India’s most respected business houses.

From tricolour to purple: The symbolism of change

One of the most visible shifts was the move from GEG’s iconic tricolour palette to a singular lead colour: purple. Chosen deliberately, purple stands for aspiration, confidence, and consistency—a unifying element across touchpoints in a highly diversified portfolio.

“By using a single lead colour, we ensured a cleaner, more distinctive identity. It also makes our communication a lot more coherent across businesses and channels,” Bhojani explains.

To complement the colour shift, the group retained its signature Godrej wordmark but introduced a bespoke font, a refreshed tone of voice, and modern visual cues, including imagery and design principles that cut across sectors and platforms.

A creative reboot—and the agencies behind it

The repositioning journey was supported by a strong agency ecosystem. UK-based brand consultancy The Clearing helped shape GEG’s brand strategy, identity system, tone of voice, and visual storytelling framework.

For the campaign's creative, Lowe Lintas took charge, bringing the new brand promise to life with a multimedia campaign titled Unlock New Worlds. Directed by Katie Bell and produced by Entourage Films, the campaign was designed to capture the imagination of a new generation of consumers while staying true to GEG’s legacy.

Rolling it out—without rolling eyes

But rebranding a legacy business with deep offline presence isn’t just about visuals—it’s also about internal storytelling and operational finesse. One of the bigger challenges, Bhojani admits, was balancing uniformity with flexibility.

“We wanted consistency in our identity but also needed it to be adaptable for different business contexts—from aerospace to furniture.” 

To solve this, GEG kept its design principles simple and scalable. The rollout was also staggered across high-impact phases—starting with the website, social platforms, intranet, and internal mailers before moving on to physical signage and ATL campaigns like “Unlock New Worlds”.

The phased approach helped gather real-time feedback, allowing course correction along the way. “This not only enhanced adoption but also gave our teams and customers a sense of ownership in the transition,” Bhojani notes.

Beyond brand: Relevance, resonance & revenue

The business's broader vision, which prioritises personalisation, sustainability, and digital ease, also anchors the repositioning.

For example, over 37% of GEG’s revenue today comes from its “Good & Green” product range, with a target of hitting 50% by 2032. Meanwhile, digital tools like WhatsApp bots and omnichannel furniture discovery features are helping personalise the customer experience, whether online or instore.

The brand is also leveraging behavioural data to fine-tune marketing, inventory planning, and even store-level stock. “If a certain SKU is trending online, that data is fed to retail so that offline touchpoints mirror digital demand,” Bhojani says.

From lockers to loyalty: Consumer insights drive creativity

GEG’s post-rebrand storytelling leans heavily on insight-led narratives—where category challenges are translated into culturally relevant, emotionally resonant campaigns.

Consider their recent advertisement for home lockers. The campaign turned the widely relatable insight that Indians often stash valuables in unconventional (and insecure) places—such as under the mattress, behind temple idols, or inside pillow covers—into a metaphor.

The ad depicts family members literally 'gambling away' their valuables, presenting a humorous yet striking argument for Godrej's secure home lockers.

“It was an exaggerated take, but it resonated,” Bhojani says. “The insight was simple, the execution playful, and the message clear: why gamble with your peace of mind when you can lock it away safely?”

The brand tested this creativity before rollout and found high message recall and strong emotional engagement. It’s part of a broader effort to design campaigns that don’t just inform but also entertain, reassure, and persuade through contextually sharp insights.

This same approach, Bhojani adds, extends into product design too. “Whether it's smart ACs or digital locks, every solution starts with a clearly articulated consumer problem. The goal is to remove friction from people’s lives.”

The metrics of a successful rebrand

For a rebrand to stick, both perception and performance need to move in sync. At GEG, that means tracking everything from corporate reputation to search intent and employee sentiment to customer preference.

“We’re already seeing improved brand salience and engagement across sectors,” Bhojani notes. “But we’re not just looking at vanity metrics.”

The company has established a three-pronged measurement framework:

• Reputation metrics such as salience, consideration, and preference across categories.
• Search share to gauge consumer intent and brand discovery vs competitors.
• Internal alignment via perception-mapping surveys to track how employees are absorbing and advocating the brand’s new identity.

“We’re treating this as a long-term transformation,” he says. “And the internal buy-in is as important as the external optics. The early signals from employee pride to stakeholder trust suggest we’re moving in the right direction.”

Already, Bhojani says, there’s a cultural ripple effect at play. “People across the group are starting to feel more connected to the new identity, the new purpose. And that energy of shared ownership is what will really carry this transformation forward.”