Wehkamp
Brand research in retail validates Wehkamp redesign.
Case Information
This case shows how retail brands can test visual redesigns without putting commercial momentum at risk. By contrasting old and new assets across split samples and implicit response tests, you validate whether fresh distinctiveness supports commercial growth.
The Question
What was the question at Wehkamp?
Online department store Wehkamp relies on fashion as its core category and reaches millions of shoppers throughout the Netherlands. To sharpen its appeal to female consumers and enhance market visibility, the brand introduced a fresh visual identity alongside its autumn campaign. The update featured a rounder typeface and a distinctive coral red colour palette. But does changing core brand assets strengthen mental availability, or does it trigger brand confusion? With critical seasonal revenue at stake, brand research in retail was essential to assess the risk of changing recognisable visual codes.
The Challenge
Maintaining brand recognition during a visual repositioning.
Updating a familiar logo always involves commercial risk, because consumers rely on automated mental memory structures to identify a brand quickly. Wehkamp needed certainty that moving to a more feminine, rounder aesthetic and a new coral red colour would not diminish spontaneous brand recognition among target shoppers.
The approach
How brand research in retail tested new assets.
We conducted a quantitative Distinctive Brand Asset study among 1,000 respondents using a split-run setup between the old and new corporate identity. We then used Implicit Association Tests (IAT) to assess the reaction speed and suitability of the coral-red colour and wordmark, both for Wehkamp and for direct competitors.
<span data-metadata=""><span data-buffer="">The result
Confirmed mental availability for fashion
The research proved that the new coral red colour and rounded wordmark aligned with female shoppers without hurting spontaneous recognition. Wehkamp received clear validation to launch the visual redesign in its campaign, after which the online retailer recorded substantial revenue growth.
Consequence of the Result
How the insight led to action.
Roll out the coral red logo across all seasonal campaigns.
A validated brand identity provides marketing teams with certainty for large-scale media deployment.
Embed distinctive typography consistently across digital touchpoints.
Uniform visual cues strengthen customer memory structures and accelerate checkout conversion.
Prioritise brand salience in ongoing category marketing.
Focusing campaigns on female shoppers builds lasting mental availability against key competitors.
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What does distinctive brand asset research measure during a redesign?
A distinctive brand asset study evaluates how effectively consumers recognise brand codes such as colours, typography, and logos without naming the brand. By measuring spontaneous brand recognition and mental associations, brands quantify whether a visual redesign reinforces brand salience or risks erasing existing mental memory structures.
Why use an Implicit Association Test for logos and colours?
An Implicit Association Test measures rapid, automatic mental associations by tracking response times in milliseconds. This shows whether consumers intuitively link specific brand attributes, such as femininity or freshness, to new visual assets before conscious rationalisation takes over.
How does pre-testing distinctive brand assets minimise redesign risks?
Testing brand assets before launch reveals whether a new visual style dilutes existing memory structures or strengthens mental availability. By validating spontaneous recognition and distinctiveness beforehand, you safeguard media investments and prevent customer confusion across primary commercial categories.
Launching a new logo, colour or wordmark?
Let us test your brand assets with your target audience. A short, fast DBA study tells you whether you’re on the right track before your new logo goes live.
