As we discussed in our last blog post, changing your business logo is not a problem. At least, it shouldn’t be a problem if you go about the change systematically. Remember the logo-change questions we answered last time. If you find yourself in those categories, then abide by those guidelines and your business won’t falter. In fact, chances are (if done correctly) your business should see a positive return. There have been plenty of big businesses that have made changes to their logos over the years without faltering in their success. You may be thinking, “Yeah, but those are big successful companies.” Well, my friend, they weren’t always big and successful. As with every business, they had to start from the ground up. Here are some examples of businesses (that are now big) that renovated and rejuvenated their logo over time:
- Coca-Cola This famous drink started in 1886. Over the next 130 years, the logohas undergone several renovations, but it always stayed true to its core. The change to just “Coke”, however, proved to be a bad idea because it strayed too far from what the audience knew. Now that it’s considered the most recognized brand in the world, it can stretch itself and change up its color for special occasions, like the summer colors. Choosing red and white, however, played right into Christmas, which is where the brand has shown its bread and butter marketing techniques.
- Morton’s Salt Starting over 100 years ago, this company held true to its originality, only minimally shifting its design, most notably its color scheme. The umbrella, the rain, the girl, and the salt remained. The slogan it created for its brand has become a famous American phrase as well: “When it rains, it pours.”
- Shell Shell began in the late 1800’s with the image of an actual shell.It wasn’t very creative for a logo, but it was a start, especially since it directly represented the name of the company. Over time, it was redesigned with a more definitive look, and soon the red and yellow came into play. Now it can stand alone without the need for the brand name. That’s the goal for every business. Although Coca-Cola’s logo is its name, it would be still be recognizable with just a white strip on a red background—or a Santa Claus (same color scheme) holding a glass bottle of soda. That’s what you call great branding.
- Starbucks When it comes to age, this brand isn’t nearly as old as the others, but ithas become one of the most globally recognized brands. When Starbucks began in 1971, its logo needed a lot of help. There was a lot going on and the color scheme wasn’t very inviting (although it did match the color of coffee). Due to massive advertising and providing a premium product, it is now known the world over. Even its packaging for its coffee beans and ground coffee is elegant. Design plays a major role in everything Starbucks does, and that has played a big role in its success. The logo itself hasn’t changed much, but you will notice it continues to approach a more minimalist design.
RENOVATE. DON’T RESTRUCTURE.
Like we mentioned last post, there is a big difference between renovating your logo and brand, and restructuring it. When you restructure completely, you are changing the dynamic of your business. We touched on this in a post about Brand Expansion and how Starbucks has done this successfully and unsuccessfully. Starbucks has moved into food and other items, but eventually dropped its beer and wine push. The focus, however, has always been coffee. The moment this company decides to move away from that, it will most definitely fall apart. Even Coca-Cola would fall apart if it decided to move into the candy bar department and away from the beverage industry. It has expanded into other types of sodas, even water, but they’ve never gotten away from what they truly are. If your business is in the process of deliberating a change, contact our Houston marketing company today. We will make certain you move your business in the right direction so that you can be as successful as possible.
