MarTech Podcast ™: "To rebrand, or not to rebrand?"

Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Danielle Peterson, CMO of Amaze
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the complex decision of rebranding through the real-world example of Amaze, a creator commerce platform. Host Benjamin Shapiro interviews Danielle Peterson, CMO of Amaze, about orchestrating the unification of multiple distinct creator-centric brands into a single, cohesive platform. The discussion dives into the methodology, challenges, and benefits of rebranding—not just as a cosmetic change, but as a business growth strategy that protects brand equity and operational efficiency.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Rebrand? Identifying the Problem

• Danielle shares that Amaze inherited multiple creator solutions through acquisitions, each with strong individual identities but lacking a unifying narrative.
• Internal confusion became apparent during a company exercise: “We asked our employees how they would explain what we do at Amaze...Most of them had no clue...That was sort of an aha moment for us.” (Danielle, 02:54)
• Rather than a "brand problem," Amaze faced a "clarity problem" that impeded both growth and scale.

The Strategy: Taxonomy Over Mission First

• Amaze chose a phased approach, starting with taxonomy and naming conventions before developing a unified mission—a reversal of the typical rebranding playbook.
• Danielle: “Instead of starting with a mission statement...we felt it was more important to start with the architecture...so that any new solution or sub brand we acquired could plug into it immediately.” (Danielle, 08:26)
• Sub-brands were not deprecated but recontextualized under an umbrella (e.g., "Spring by Amaze," "Teespring Marketplace by Amaze"), allowing gradual transition without abrupt disruption.

Technical and Operational Considerations

• The rebrand involved visual cohesion and, eventually (not yet fully realized), technical integration such as a unified login system.
• “Adding the 'by Amaze' was sort of phase two...The goal would be to bring all of that under one login so that a creator comes...and is presented with multiple solutions based on wherever they are in their journey.” (Danielle, 06:44)

Marketing: Balancing Corporate and Sub-Brand Promotion

• Amaze functions as the corporate identity housing multiple solutions; it's introduced primarily through the sub-brands rather than being heavily promoted alone.
• “Amaze is the corporate identity and what allows us to have the cohesive story. But it doesn't necessarily need to be promoted outside of having a corporate website...With 'Spring by Amaze'...Amaze becomes front and center.” (Danielle, 09:59)

Timing & Execution: “Repairing the Plane While Flying”

• The rollout was incremental, protecting operational continuity.
• Memorable moment: “We made a joke internally that our rebranding exercises were while we were scaling were like repairing a plane that's flying...you can't land the plane, but you can fix it in phases.” (Danielle, 11:15)

Value and Measurement: Moving Beyond Vanity

• Convincing the CEO centered on efficiency—not aesthetics.
• “The conversation wasn’t around vanity, it was around velocity. In order for us to move as fast as he wanted us to move, the rebrand was so important. Without that unified brand, our marketing spend was fragmented across all the ecosystems…a long term growth strategy.” (Danielle, 13:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the need to rebrand:

  • “We realized that we didn't really have a brand problem per se, but we had a clarity problem.” (Danielle, 02:55)

• On the approach:

  • “It's kind of just like re-architecturing a city without really tearing down the landmarks.” (Danielle, 05:59)

• On the phased rollout:

  • “We made a joke internally that our rebranding exercises were like repairing a plane that's flying...you can't land the plane.” (Danielle, 11:15)

• On marketing spend post-rebrand:

  • “By unifying Amaze, we could focus all of our dollars on one story and one funnel and one set of KPIs and really turn vanity brand into a growth strategy.” (Danielle, 14:00)

• On lessons learned:

  • “The tech stacks don’t create clarity. The strategy does.” (Danielle, 17:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:35: Why Amaze decided to rebrand
• 03:41: Common themes between the acquired brands
• 05:16: How to unify brands while preserving equity
• 08:04: Purposeful reversal of conventional rebranding sequence
• 09:56: Marketing dynamics with umbrella and sub-brands
• 11:15: The importance of phased implementation
• 13:27: Persuading leadership to invest in rebranding
• 15:23: Hindsight: what could have been done differently

Lightning Round: Danielle Peterson on Martech, Public Companies, and Creators

• Biggest Martech fail: Integrated three CRMs with incompatible data, realizing later the importance of unifying strategy before tech stack.
  • Danielle: “Those CRMs, man, that gave us a run for our money.” (17:05)
• HubSpot chosen as unified CRM. (17:56)
• Difference between private and public CMO roles:
  • “A private company, you sell a vision, and a public company, you sell proof. Every brand decision has to map back to investor confidence, predictability, transparency.” (Danielle, 18:09)
• On Roblox as a brand platform:
  • “Virtual merchandise can drive the same emotional value as physical products...Marketers should stop thinking about Roblox as sort of a niche platform.” (Danielle, 19:20)
• Advice to new creators:
  • “It’s really less about the platform to me and more about how they’re able to build connections with people online.” (Danielle, 21:13)
• Monetization for creators:
  • “You come in, you design products...and sell them to your fans...If you have a connection with your audience, the monetization part happens naturally.” (Danielle, 22:29)

Conclusion

This episode offers a practical, nuanced view of rebranding—not as a superficial marketing exercise, but as a strategic imperative to drive clarity, scale, and resource efficiency. Danielle’s experience at Amaze demonstrates that successful rebrands require system thinking, phased execution, and always keeping the core value to both customers and employees at the center.
Memorable closing:

• “It was less about logos and colors and more about how we go out and tell our story.” (Danielle, 15:33)