You can’t put a fresh coat of paint on an old, beat up truck and expect it to run like new. It’s the mechanics — the insides — that need work first and foremost. And the same goes for brands. Except instead of an engine and pistons and gaskets, a brand has promise and innovation and customer behavior and competitors to keep up with. So while a new logo and tagline might look and sound pretty, they don’t change a flawed business.

Rebranding starts at the core of a business and works its way out to customers.

This is a philosophy that cable network E! embraced when it decided to undergo a much-needed rebrand, which launched on July 9. Those of you who don’t follow pop culture or gush over the Kardashians, or cheer on Joel McHale as he rips apart the Kardashians, might not be familiar with E! and, in its original state, you wouldn’t be proud to admit it if you were. Even the Chairman of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and overseer of E!’s rebrand, Bonnie Hammer, called the network a “guilty pleasure.”

So while the network introduced an updated version of its “exclamation point” logo, along with the new tagline, “Pop of culture,” it also designed a plan to revamp its programing in order to be a more sophisticated, mature network that people aren’t embarrassed to watch.

And it’s not just E! that’s working toward a better reputation. There’s a tide of rebrands washing over cable television, from classic networks like TV Land, to niche favorites like Comedy Central. Now more than ever, TV is proving to be a complex ecosystem where only the fittest survive.

It’s pretty much the same in any industry. Whether you’re selling ice cream cones at the county fair or smartphones at the shopping mall, your brand is in a constant battle with its competitors. All brands are part of a much larger whole — the competitive set(s) within which they function. You may know your competitors, but do you know how your brand is perceived within that competitive set in the minds of your core consumers? If you’re even considering a rebrand — especially one from the inside out — this should be your very first step.