How to stay apace in the seemingly ever-changing brand landscape.
Words: Phillippa Bundy, Graphic Designer at Confab
Other than your brand name, your logo represents the face of your company; a face that needs to be easily recognised and relevant in the viewer’s mind. Realistically speaking, no logo can remain relevant forever. Design, along with its normalities and aesthetic influences, changes over time. Companies change too. Much like us, companies grow and develop over the years and the message that they once conveyed no longer plays an integral role in their current journey/story.
The biggest problem we face with changing a company’s image, is the fear that we will not be immediately recognised for the characteristics and personality that individuals have come to love and associate with the brand. As an example, assume the everyday scenario of visiting your grumpy gran (set in her ways) versus your out-going gran (has all the new gears and gadgets).
Scenario 1: Grumpy gran is always wearing the same clothes and constantly complaining about new technology – ‘back in my day, we didn’t need all of this’. We love grumpy gran, but tend to avoid her because of both the smell of mothballs permeating her stale home, as well as the rigmarole of listening to the same story repeatedly.
Scenario 2: Outgoing gran is always trying to keep up with the times by learning new things and being susceptible to change. She knows she can no longer wear clothing that is targeted at the youth. However, she has adapted her new wardrobe to suit her unique self. Outgoing-gran is a lot easier to approach, talk to and relate to. Despite the changes in clothing and topics of discourse, out-going gran’s personality still remains unique and one that we will always love. We visit out-going gran a lot more.
By comparing the two scenarios. One thing is evident: adaptability is key. You are not going to be able to engage and interact with a brand that is outdated both in style and core values. If you have identified that your company may need a refresh and that your current brand image is no longer a reflection of the story you wish to convey, there are a few things to consider that will help you achieve that, whilst still maintaining your company’s integrity.
Namely:
1. How iconic is your current logo?
A true testament to whether your logo is iconic is if it is easily identifiable and evokes feelings that the viewer has come to know through their association with the brand. E.g Coca-cola.
2. Do you want to pay homage to the past?
Often, companies shun the idea of re-doing their logo because they fear that they are going to erase the history of a well-loved and cherished brand identity. That begs the question, how much do you want to steer away from the current brand logo? There are numerous ways that you can redesign a logo whilst still maintaining that nostalgic connection. E.g. NBC television.
3. When was the last time you refreshed your logo?
If you haven’t updated your logo in many years, chances are that your logo may just need an update, as opposed to an overall revamp. Logos may insidiously grow to appear out-dated and subdued over time. However, there are subtle design touches and tweaks, such as shadows, gradients, shapes etc that can give your logo an instant refresh without it being changed completely; constantly evolving over time. Whilst current trends are important to stay atop of, it is also equally important to honour your brand image. E.g. Google.
By considering these three things, you now have an idea on whether you are going to undergo a complete design overhaul or refresh your current logo. One thing is certain and that is that your logo is the face of your brand. If is noticeably out-dated and doesn’t create a lasting impression, it will be detrimental to the relevance and success of your company.
“Don’t fear change, you may lose something good, but you may also gain something great!”