You design your logo with one goal in mind. That is to encapsulate the spirit of your brand. A successful logo design will set you apart from competitors. Your customers will recognize you even before they see your name. And that recognition brings about cognitive responses that can lead to customer conversion. That is the main reason why redesigning your logo is a tricky business.
Redesigning your logo can yield either of two results. You can impress your customers with your expert decision. Consider Starbucks’ logo redesign, which basically improved upon the original. This simple improvement is tantamount to cropping the old logo. It’s a straightforward strategy that worked. The same cannot be said about the whole fiasco that is Gap’s logo redesign.
In 2010, Gap spent millions to rebrand. Part of this rebranding was a new logo to replace its 20-year-old logo. The new logo was met with hostility by the brand’s most loyal followers. The brand had to ditch the new logo after a few days.
Even if your business is not as big as Gap, if you have a particular set of clientele, you might suffer the same fate Gap did when they redesigned their logo. Consider Lakeside Manufacturing‘s logo, which is the letter L on solid blue background. It’s as recognizable as Gap’s, even if the brand’s not a household name. Changing the logo might have dire consequences.
Here the lesson is simple. Redesigning a brand logo should be done with utmost thought and sensitivity. Here are the pros and cons to consider.
Benefits
Reflection of growth – All businesses want to grow and expand. If you’re running a business without a growth mindset, you might as well transition to a non-profit. With that said, there comes a time when you feel like your brand has gone a long way. And your old logo no longer captures what your brand is about. This is where a logo redesign comes in. It can suffuse your branding with the level of vitality that’s consistent with the expansion you’ve pulled off over the years.
Enhanced flexibility – Perhaps your old logo does not look good on shirts or caps, or other marketing collateral. You want a design that will be less discriminating. Redesigning your logo will afford you flexibility.
Fresher look – Your old logo is too far removed from current aesthetics. You want to get with the times. A logo redesign will help you achieve this goal. A simple color enhancement on your logo will have a huge impact on your branding game.
Tap new markets – One aspect of business growth and expansion is tapping new markets. If you feel like your old logo is too limited and only appeals to customers of yore, it’s time for a redesign. For instance, would you like to cater to the Gen Z crowd? Then bright colors for your logo might be a good idea.
Downsides
Loss of brand recognition – As already mentioned, your logo’s the most distinct aspect of your brand. Changing it might result in alienating customers. That’s most true if the change is pretty drastic. No matter how pretty or cool it is, you might not get the same emotional response from your loyal patrons.
Loss of rapport with customers – Some customers might feel betrayed. That is unless you consulted with them about the change through a customer survey. If not, your patrons might think that they have been hoodwinked. After years of loyalty, they were rewarded with a blindside.
Confused customers – At the supermarket, your loyal customers will know where you are based on your logo. Even if they already know you changed your logo, that information might not automatically click while they are busy shopping. This confusion is detrimental to your brand. So if you’re all set about a logo redesign, make sure you market that change aggressively.
Financial burden – Gap’s logo redesign cost $100. And that’s all for nothing. Even if you’re not running a brand as huge as Gap, you will still spend considerable money on a logo redesign. You need to hire creatives. You need expert marketers on your side too.
Your logo is the face of your business. It’s something customers immediately recognize, like the face of an old friend. An old friend whose face changed drastically, even if it’s for the better, could alienate. Meanwhile, a face that shows minor improvements could still be recognizable and accessible. So do not redesign with abandon. Think of your customers. Think of the extent of change they are willing to get behind.
