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Overview

When you rebrand — through a merger, an acquisition, or a brand refresh — a live referral program needs more than a new domain. The campaign copy, creative, and emails carry the old brand too, and the switch has to happen in an order that keeps existing share links working. This guide covers the campaign side of a rebrand and the go-live sequence. Set up the new program domain, leave the old domain active while you work, and handle DNS and the core tag in Program Domain Setup and Managing Your Branded URLs. Email authentication records are in Extole DNS Requirements.
Update your core tag to the new domain before you redirect the old one. A page still loading the tag from a redirected domain cannot set Extole’s identity cookies, so visitors stop being recognized between page views.

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Step 1: Assess What’s Changing

Before you start, clarify the scope of the rebrand:
  • Is the program domain changing? For example, share.oldname.com to share.newname.com. This is the most common change.
  • Are core systems (events, files, SFTP) changing? If not, no backend data pipeline changes are needed.
  • Are you using site tags and the JavaScript embed, or a landing page only? Landing-page-only programs don’t need JavaScript embed updates, which simplifies the process.
  • Is the email sender domain changing? If Extole sends referral emails from an @oldname.com address, the new domain needs SPF and DKIM records. See Extole DNS Requirements.
  • How many programs are in scope? Account for all live programs, for example a standard referral program and an employee referral program.
  • What is the go-live date? DNS changes take time to propagate, and IT teams need lead time.

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Step 2: Update Campaign Copy and Creative

Update all references to the old brand in the rebrand campaign version:
  • Logos, images, and visual assets
  • Copy referencing the old brand name or domain
  • Email templates sent by the program
  • Share destination URLs, if your website domain is also changing
If your website domain is changing, list the new domain under Production Sites Extole Should Support Requests From, or share messages pointing to it are blocked. For landing-page-only programs with no site tags, no JavaScript embed changes are needed.

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Step 3: QA Before Go-Live

Before launching, verify:
  • The new domain resolves and its SSL certificate is active.
  • Share links from the rebrand campaign use the new domain.
  • Landing pages load correctly under the new domain.
  • DKIM records are verified.
  • Campaign copy and assets reflect the new brand.
See How to QA Your Referral Program for the full QA pass.

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Step 4: Go-Live Sequence

On the agreed go-live date, in this order:
  1. If you use site tags, confirm the core tag on your pages loads from the new domain. Do this before any redirect.
  2. Pause the current live campaigns for each affected program. Pausing stops new promotion while conversions from links already shared still complete — see What Happens When a Campaign Is Paused.
  3. Launch the rebrand campaigns.
  4. Redirect the old domain to the new one, so existing share links land on the new brand.