3 Good Reasons to Update Your Logo and One Good Reason Not To
| Diane Vautier July 21, 2010 |
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Are you sick and tired of seeing the same old company logo staring back at you day after day? Are you bored with the monotonous repetition of seeing it printed everywhere, on letterhead, online, on business cards, on shirts? Is it always constant and ever present?
Well my friends your boredom with your logo is NOT a good reason to update it. That’s right. In fact, consistency, repetitiveness, and omnipresence are actually good things for a brand to have. So, just because you’re sick of looking at it doesn’t mean your customers and the market in general are over-exposed to it.
But (and there’s always a but), there are some perfectly good reasons a logo update may be in order for your company. Here are some we’ve found to be especially on target.
1. You’re Visually Outdated. Like your favorite pair of bell bottom jeans from your childhood, a logo can and often does, get out of style and stale. Burnt orange and brown may have been really popular colors when you first had the logo designed, but today, those colors could be more reminiscent of your grandmothers shag carpet and living room décor than the cutting edge company that you are. That’s even despite the fact that some retro colors have actually made a comeback.
If you’re logo is outdated, a fresh look could bring renewed vibrancy and excitement to your brand. Logo updates usually have reinvigorating effects on employees as well as customers and could add a jolt of long overdue vitality to your business.
Example: Apple. The logo first moved from complex to bold. Then it evolved to an incredible simple yet stylish logo, insinuating the simplicity and sophistication of their approach to technology. Pure usability.
2. You’ve Changed. Well, maybe not you personally, but certainly if your company’s products, services, target market, or mission statement have changed, you may want to reflect that in your logo.
At its core, the logo should illustrate who you are as a company. It’s your first introduction to and the lasting impression of your company that customers and prospects remember. They use it to see if you’re a good fit to what they need.
So, even though you may have started out as a convertible roadster car kind of company before, and you’re more of a soccer mom kind of vehicle now, show it. Let go of your old ways, accept your new role and show that new face to the world. Embrace it. Live it. Shine.
Example: Kentucky Fried Chicken – now KFC. They gradually changed their menu to include healthier options. To reflect this in their logo, they downplayed the “Fried Chicken” and made the slimmed down Colonial more prominent.
3. You’re Moving. Maybe literally or maybe electronically. If you’re physically moving then it maybe a good time to review your company branding. After all, you already have to print new letterhead, business cards, signage and other materials, why not review your brand while you’re at it and reduce you’re overall costs of relocation?
If you are moving online, it can also be time to consider a logo update. Let’s say you’ve been a brick and mortar business, and you’ve decided to foray into the online world. How does your logo and branding translate to an online environment? Is it easy to recognize on a computer screen? Does it still represent the business?
Big transitions like these are good opportunities to revamp your look and proclaim either your new address or a new way of doing business.
Example: Yellow Pages. The online logo keeps the walking fingers but loses the phone book which has has less impact online.
Brand, Brand Guideline, Brand standards, Marketing, Uncategorized | Diane Vautier | 
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