27 May 2026
Anne-Marie Lavan on reimagining KISS for a New Generation
KISS has officially entered a new era and the thinking behind the rebrand went much deeper than a visual refresh.
Speaking on the IAB UK Podcast, Bauer Media CMO Anne-Marie Lavan shared how the project was a year-long process focused on understanding the KISS audience today and what the brand needed to become.
Before any work started on design or campaigns, the team set about understanding who the KISS audience is. Bringing together people from across marketing, programming, commercial, social and insights, with the project managed by external consultant Alisha Ross, who has since joined Bauer Media as the new Director of Brand Planning. The KISS strategy team, worked with the goal to properly understand how audiences see KISS in 2026 – not just as a radio station, but as a brand that sits across music, culture and social.
One thing that stayed consistent throughout was the personality at the heart of KISS. As Anne-Marie explained: “KISS has always been a kind of mischief-making type of brand… it’s always been a bit of a rebel.”
That became the foundation for everything that followed – from the bold new visual identity to the “feral era” positioning and the wider ambition to evolve KISS into something that feels bigger than radio alone. As Anne-Marie said, “It isn’t a radio brand, it’s a brand.” The rebrand was designed to give KISS a more modern, culturally led identity that can naturally move across audio, social, fashion, gaming and live experiences.
The launch itself reflected that shift too, with a significant marketing campaign seen across London, alongside a brand launch event, that felt completely true to KISS – high energy, playful and rooted in audience culture.
The conversation also touched on how younger audiences now experience media brands differently. Audio, social and video are no longer viewed separately, which means brands need to show up consistently across every touchpoint. As Anne-Marie put it, “what appears on social is now just as important as what comes out of the speakers.”
The rebrand was a major milestone for one of the UK’s most recognisable audio brands – staying true to what KISS has always been, while building something that feels far more relevant to where audience are heading next.
