Podcast Summary: The Dave Gerhardt Show – "How to Navigate a Rebrand with Clare Schmitt"
February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Gerhardt interviews Clare Schmitt, marketing leader at Piedmont Global, about the nuts and bolts of navigating a major B2B company rebrand. They dive deep into tactical strategies, key decisions, stakeholder management, and post-launch best practices. Whether you’re thinking about a rebrand or already underway, Claire’s actionable tips and battle-tested lessons from rebranding a $50M–$250M revenue company make this a must-listen, especially for marketing leaders at scale.

Main Topics & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Why Rebrand?

[03:02-04:34]

• Piedmont Global evolved from a specialized language services provider (PGLS) to a broader cross-cultural and globalization solutions firm.
• The old name and brand no longer reflected the business:
  • "Our name didn't even tell what we were doing anymore. ... Language services went from being the majority of our business to basically one eighth." — Clare (07:09)
• The CEO prioritized both a category shift ("strategic globalization") and a rebrand as critical initiatives for Claire’s first 12–18 months.

2. Kicking Off the Rebrand – Naming

[05:10-07:09]

• Explored whether to engage a naming agency.
• Surprising twist: After hiring a naming agency and reviewing multiple options, they realized the perfect solution was “right under their noses”—just drop "Language Services" and become Piedmont Global.
• Lesson: Sometimes, origin story and simplicity win over outside options.

3. Choosing the Team & Partners

[08:24-09:05, 09:31-10:16]

• RFP process for branding agency; selected Focus Lab for holistic category and brand expertise.
• CEO’s deep involvement was pivotal:
  • "Branding has to be run like any other go to market. It’s part, you know, the GTM for branding." — Clare (09:31)

4. Leadership Alignment – The Non-Negotiable Ingredient

[10:16-15:56]

• CEO involvement isn’t optional; it’s essential.
• Decision-making council stayed intentionally small (CEO, Clare, external strategist, content manager).
  • "There's a lot of stuff in brand that it doesn't actually matter. ... We kept our decision making council very small deliberately." — Clare (11:07)
• Conducted wide-ranging interviews (execs, frontline, customers) for buy-in and qualitative insights but kept core decisions tight.

5. Brand Research & Rollout Process

[12:37-13:43]

• Deeply researched internal and customer perceptions to inform positioning.
• Asynchronous feedback loops (e.g., Loom video reviews) allowed for thoughtful reactions and efficient collaboration.

6. Project Management & Execution

[22:44-24:39]

• Key advice: Invest in a great project manager to turn vision into action.
  • "The great project manager is obsessed with the details. They live in spreadsheets ... measuring the decal length on those columns..." — Clare (22:52)
• Handed off to a project manager for tactical execution once design/identity finalized.
• Internal teams handled web and creative elements, leveraging agency deliverables.

7. Implementation: Blocking, Tackling, and QA

[24:40-26:38]

• Change everything: Website, decks, HR docs, swag, office signage, email, social.
• Rollout is not a one-day event but a months-long QA and evolution process.
• Ensure all old brand touchpoints are eradicated and all teams are retrained.
• Recommendation: Separate category and brand training, especially if redefining your market.

8. Measurement & Success Factors

[24:46-29:11]

• Expect at least 3–6 months before seeing measurable brand or financial impact.
• Forewarn leadership: Anticipate a 15% dip post-launch due to inevitable confusion/change aversion.
  • "Prepare your finance team that you're going to see a little bit of a dip...Our CEO knew that we were putting this a stake in the ground and he was not afraid of that." — Clare (26:49)
• True adoption means every team, from HR to ops, can tell the brand story in their own language.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On picking a name:
  "We went through this great process ... but it was—we already have a lot of origin story with Piedmont, with Global and that's our name." — Clare (07:41)

• On CEO buy-in:
  "If it's just a marketing initiative, I think it will fail. I truly believe that." — Clare (09:31)

• On the obsession with detail and project management:
  "The great project manager is obsessed with the details. ... Not. Don't ask me to write a checklist for launch day of all the things ... from T-shirts to pens to all those things." — Clare (22:52)

• On budgeting for pushback:
  "People are people, right? ... Budget for about 15% [initial dip] ... but we are going to see this through. ... You have to be willing to do the wait to actually see if this worked." — Clare (26:49)

• On rollout timeframes:
  "I would say six to nine months for the actual start to finish." — Clare (21:08)

• On rebrand as infrastructure:
  "A rebrand is infrastructure and it touches everything, from the moment you're sending out that recruiting notice ... all the way through to Ops doing their quarterly business review with the customer." — Clare (18:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:02] Introduction: Why Piedmont Global needed a rebrand and category change
• [05:10] Naming journey—agency or DIY?
• [09:31] Selecting a branding agency & CEO’s pivotal role
• [11:07] Keeping the decision team small
• [13:43] Managing executive involvement vs. delegation
• [22:44] Role and value of a dedicated project manager
• [24:46] Measurement, rollout QA, and ongoing education
• [26:49] Anticipating the post-launch dip and committing long-term

Practical Takeaways

• Start with Why: Make sure the old brand no longer fits before embarking on a rebrand.
• C-Suite Commitment: Secure CEO ownership before anything else—the rebrand must be more than a marketing project.
• Lean Decision Council: Keep the working group as small as possible for agility; gather broad input via research, not by committee.
• Deep Research: Internal and customer stakeholder interviews pave the way for true alignment.
• Rigorous Project Management: Once strategy is set, a detail-obsessed project manager ensures nothing gets missed.
• Expect and Educate for Turbulence: Prepare for temporary confusion, internal lag, and a dip in metrics post-launch—but champion steady, consistent rollout.
• Iterate Post-Launch: Rebrand is not a one-day flip; allocate significant time for QA, internal training, and evolution.

Host: Dave Gerhardt
Guest: Clare Schmitt
For more: Connect with Clare Schmitt on LinkedIn if you’re facing a rebrand.

This summary captures core topics, tactical advice, and cultural tone, arming listeners (and readers) with frameworks, war stories, and checklists for executing a high-stakes B2B rebrand.