Is it time for a brand refresh?
Everyone likes to make a refreshing change occasionally¬¬—whether it is a new haircut or a different color of paint in the living room—because it brings the sparkle and excitement back. Refreshing a company logo can evoke similar feelings while strengthening the brand, signaling a change in direction for the company, new leadership, or any other significant change.
Think about your logo in these terms:
- How long have you had your logo?
- Is your branding consistent throughout all your marketing channels?
- Does your branding speak to the audience you are trying to reach?
- Does it reflect everything you want your brand to stand for?
- Has the company undergone some changes recently in leadership or services?
- Is your brand recognizable?
Depending upon the answers, it may be time for a brand refresh. A brand refresh opens the door for owners to listen to their employees and gather feedback about how the company logo is perceived. Having employees participate in the brand refresh process is a great team-building activity for staff and helps them refocus on the company itself and delve deeply into its ideals and goals.
Who are you trying to reach and who is your ideal customer? The Baby Boomers may have one impression while the Millenials have another, and this is important information for management to realize. If your logo doesn’t speak to who you are trying to reach, they are probably passing you by.
While discussion proceeds about the logo, are the right words being used to describe what they see? Are their descriptions matching what the company stands for?
Your company has grown and evolved over time and this information and changes can be used to update a brand to reflect subtle shifts in direction or leadership and current times.
For example, one company that updated their logo to reflect a shift in direction and product is Starbucks. Their original logo had a black and white mermaid inside a green ring that said Starbucks Coffee; the new logo is now just the mermaid in their signature green color. The elimination of the words Starbucks Coffee and the outer ring signaled their shift in focus to other products in addition to coffee.
As everyone gathers to review the company, it is an opportunity to revalidate the company’s mission, refocus everyone on what the core values are, and the meaning of the brand and history behind it.