Apple, Nike, Coke, KFC, McDonald’s, Dominos and Cartoon Network. What do these brands have in common? Aside from being immensely successful in their respective fields, they have very prominent logos. In fact, as you were reading out those names, we are sure that you also imagined the logos. Recollecting the logo design, brand colors and brand products is very easy for brands such as these. That is the secret of almost all successful brands. These companies have spent millions perfecting their logos and creating their image in the market. Even the minutest design elements of their logos form a subliminal connection with their target audience.
Brand does not make the logo!
Your logo will define your brand identity, it will directly affect the buyer psyche, and it will ultimately determine the conversion rate (and profit). An excellent logo has the potential to help you reach out to markets in foreign lands and acquire new customers without difficulties. A poor logo design, on the other hand, can break the friendly relationship that you already have with your customers. Logos are more than your company’s signature. It should reflect trust, value, quality, and reliability. So, unless your logo does the following things, you need to consider a redesign soon:
- Distinguishes your company in the market
- Communicates the value and quality of your products and services
- Contains colors and designs that impact customers positively
- Adds value to your service and maintains brand repute
A company is as good or as non-existent as its logo. People would just not know Coca-Cola worldwide without the signature red and white combination. Just change the shade of red and people will struggle to recognize the brand.
Research shows that a simple change in logo color or typography can affect the recognition of a company and its sales adversely. Check out BigDropInc.com for more information on logos, redesigns and brand identity.
If there is nothing wrong with it, leave it alone
Logo improvement needs considerable forethought. A logo determines the present and the future of a company. A drastic change can permanently damage the reputation of a brand. As was the case of Starbucks, when they dropped “Starbucks Coffee” from their signature mermaid logo.
They presumed that Starbucks was already a household brand and they could do without their brand name in ads and merchandise. It was a significant mistake, and Starbucks indeed lost customers overnight.
There are several incidents of such logo changes gone wrong including the latest Formula 1 logo change. The new F1 logo is barely recognizable compared to the last one, and patrons like Vittel, Lewis Hamilton, and ValtteriBottas have questioned the decision making of the leading motorsport company!
Trust your statistics
Run thorough analysis of your logo’s impression on your target customers. Conduct polls and discussions to find out what majority of your most expensive customers think about your brand image. Tools like Google Analytics can help you find out how your customers perceive your brand in almost real-time.
Here are a few scenarios that may demand a change in logo design:
- Site has low organic traffic
- Logo does not reflect your brand image and quality
- Your site is experiencing low CTR and low conversions
The problem with brands that are up for changing their logo designs is that they do not know how much is too much. You cannot change your logo beyond recognition. If you notice the evolution of the Nokia logo, you will see a gradual addition, subtraction and editing process that have finally resulted in a logo that has no resemblance to the 1865 one that the Finnish Rubber Works company used.
The trends of logo design are worth a million bucks
The golden principles of logo design and redesign have been unfolding with the evolution of display technology, people’s taste, and the need for simplifying everything!
- Greatest logos of the day have a certain simplicity that even a child can replicate with crayons on a sheet. Natural reproduction and excellent recollection value are a few of the necessities of a great logo.
- They look great on a 4-inch screen Android phone as they do on a 42″ color HD display.
- The most distinctive logos are recognizable anywhere from a footballer’s jerseys to billboards beside a dirt road.
- They represent the real face of a brand. Brand managers, marketers and design teams put in considerable research on the effect of fonts, colors, and design on the customer’s behavior. They invest time to understand the products and services of a brand to design the perfect logo that stands out.
Some of the most influential logo changes in 2017 are also some of the most subtle. These brands have already captured the essence of marketing and customer satisfaction.
They have large customer bases, and their cautiousness in dealing with logo design changes shows that they have no intention of displeasing their old customers, and at the same time, they want to pave new avenues for new customers.
Google Play Store:
Google is still trying to refine their Play brand, and their new logo is a standing proof. They have dropped the shopping bag, and the new logo is bright, simple and symmetric.
YouTube:
It was high time that the leading video platform got a new logo. The new logo is super neat and fresh. With over 1.5 billion users (per month), YouTube still valued the advent in display technology, reactive nature of the app/website and the need for a smaller logo (the “play” button) that can represent the company as the iconic shorthand!
Medium:
This is not the first and hopefully not the last time that we get to see another logo overhaul of this blogging platform. Medium had been using a fresh, vibrant, 3D logo since the end of 2015. However, in August 2017, Medium introduced a suave and flat black-and-white logo. It takes medium back to its 2012-like sophistication in monochrome. The use of negative space is a big-pro since it reflects maturity, boldness, distinction, and style.
Whenever you think about working on your brand logo, ask yourself if it is at all necessary. Then ask yourself if you are ready for such a commitment. If yes, then find a team of designers who can understand your brand and create a logo that will resonate with your target groups.
Author Bio – Barrack Diego is a web developer and UI/UX specialist at BigDropInc.com. He works at a design, branding and marketing firm, having founded the same firm 9 years ago. He likes to share knowledge and points of view with other developers and consumers on platforms.