A logo is one of the building blocks of your business’ market strategy. It can help you to connect with your target audience and enable them to relate to your business, conveying your vision and brand message. If you are thinking of rebranding your business or giving your brand a fresh look, you will have to consider redesigning your logo as it helps in revolutionizing a brand. A brand logo is effective only till you don’t have a major strategic shift in your company or it is in trend. A redesigned logo signifies change and portrays your new image in front of consumers. Your new logo should be able to convey your personality and tell the right story about your company.
Before you think of redesigning your logo, take some time to read the below post to ensure that a redesign is really what’s needed!
Outdated Logo
You would have got your logo designed when you started your business. But with time, a logo becomes stale, gets irrelevant and loses its appeal. Consumers can easily recognize a logo which is old, even without any design knowledge. They can recognize the design elements which are no longer in trend. To maintain your credibility in the market and show consumers that you are aware of modern tastes, you need to redesign your logo with trending colors, fonts and graphics. For example, Verizon logo which consisted of gradient graphics, an oversized Z, and a large fading checkmark underwent a change with a minimized red check mark and simplified graphics to give a minimalist feel.
Company’s Growth
Many companies start out small and then expand gradually. Initially, they provide limited products and services. But as the company grows, their logo needs a redesign. A young company whose focus isn’t logo design in the starting phase can invest proper time and money once it upscales. For example, Airbnb initially enabled travelers to book someone’s spare bedroom at affordable rates. The company started expanding quickly, and the available listings started growing too. This made Airbnb change its logo.
Complexity
With the growth of digital marketing, businesses are designing logos that look good across all the platforms. Companies, therefore, go through a rebranding to make their logos suitable for online marketing. This happens especially in case of complex logos. Logos that are too much detailed or have gradient don’t translate well to digital platforms. Modern logos are simple, and such logos look best on online platforms. Below is how the evolution of Starbucks logo took place from a complex logo to a simpler one.
Source: Starbucks
Competition
As an entrepreneur, you would want your customers to come back to buy your product or avail your services again. If your logo doesn’t stand out among competitors, consumers will choose them over you as logo gives the first impression of your brand. If your competitors are redesigning their logos and you are not, you will not appear to be modern and up-to-date. You need to redesign your logo to communicate why you are different, make your brand noticeable and gain a greater market share. For example, Apple has changed its logo many times to appear trendy.
Source: GraphicMac
Strategy Change
There may be a change in your management or your strategy. You might hire a new director or a new marketing head, resulting in new branding strategies. There are cases where a brand wants to go global, resulting in rebranding to adapt to the international market. If you are targeting a new audience, you will have to be updated to reach them. Your rebranding should start with a change in logo. Your logo should be a reflection of your values, mission, identity and your new market.
Canon, for example, was earlier known as Kwanon which symbolized the benevolence of Kwanon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. After the company decided to expand, it thought of having a name that would be acceptable and understandable around the world. The Canon name and logo were then created to showcase the brand's global perspectives.
Source: TheBrandingJournal
Merger or Acquisition
A merger or acquisition can lead to the rebranding of business. To create a cohesive company identity, you need to design a new logo to showcase your existing as well as current customers your new identity. For example, when Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merged, their new name was Price Waterhouse Coppers. Their logo too changed after the merger.
Winding it up
Logo is the face of your brand and an identifying anchor point of your company. Redesigning it can be a big challenge, but can also present a huge opportunity to redirect your company and change your story. A logo redesign will allow your business to explore new opportunities, stay competitive and display much more about what it stands for. If you are thinking of investing in logo redesign, make sure to maintain your brand’s integrity and include all the important design elements to retain the overall essence of your brand along with giving it a contemporary look and feel.
