Your logo is the main landmark of your company or brand. In an ideal scenario, customers take one look at your logo and immediately know what they are looking at and what it stands for. We all know the examples: the iconic "swoosh" of Nike or the three stripes of adidas. But, even something as simple as the golden M of McDonald's or the icon of YouTube can be all you need. As iconic as they may be, even logos sometimes need to be changed. A logo redesign isn't just anything. You're going to tinker with your most important visual beacon of recognition. So what should and shouldn't you do? Let's walk past the key points.
What is a good logo anyway?
Of course, before we can talk about logo redesign at all, it is useful to establish what makes a good logo. Logo design is not simple. A good logo is not only visually appealing but also effective. It should be unique and easy to remember and represent the values and character of your company or brand. A good logo - even though a logo makeover is often inevitable at some point - is timeless and versatile. Which means it should work well on different media and backgrounds. Importantly, it should also be scalable, from large billboard size to small icons on a website. Simply put: your logo is your brand in a visual.
Is a redesign of a good logo even necessary?
Is your logo ineffective, unrecognizable or simply not beautiful? In short: is your logo simply not working? Then, of course, a redesign is a no brainer. But, do you have to change a good and successful logo in the end? Practice shows that you do. When you think of the most successful logos, you can probably imagine them immediately. We already mentioned a few examples in the introduction, but there are many more to think of: Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, Apple, Spotify... fill the list yourself.
Despite the fact that you can immediately recall these logos, these are also logos that have been redesigned over the years. Sometimes these were fairly subtle evolutions, but many of the world's best-known brands and companies have also radically changed course with a new logo. They don't do this lightly, of course. Behind every change is a team of specialists. Nor is a logo redesign without risk, especially when your logo is already widely known.
Sometimes a logo makeover is necessary. For example, because the logo is outdated or no longer properly reflects the brand's core values.
What to look out for in a logo redesign
What applies to any existing logo also applies to new logos, of course: the recognizability, aesthetics and visual link to your company or brand must be right, of course. But what else comes into play? If you want to give your logo a makeover, now is the time to really think things through. Some points to consider:
- Relevance: make sure the new logo is relevant to the current time and culture.
- Recognizability: retain elements that allow customers to still recognize you.
- Simplicity: avoid unnecessary complications. A simple logo is often more effective and easier to remember.
- Flexibility: the logo should work on different media and formats
Trendy or trend-proof?
We just briefly talked about some of the world's best-known and strongest logos that have also had one or more redesigns in their history. In many cases, this also has to do with changing societal trends. The current zeitgeist often dictates the design of logos, but trends of today may have turned 180 degrees in a decade or so. This is a complicating factor when designing a new logo or updating an existing one. Are you heavily influenced by trends? Then chances are good that you will have a very strong logo - for now. But, what about twenty years from now?
If you don't mind this, then you probably accept that your logo may need another redesign sometime in the (distant) future. You can also choose to stick to timeless elements as much as possible. In this way, you probably create a logo that will not age easily, but at the same time you may have more of a challenge to really stand out.
Looking at the trends of the past few decades, it is easy to see why so many brands and companies do opt for a redesign at some point. Old companies often started with a logo with strong calligraphic elements. More recent companies have gone through many trends and movements: from hand-drawn styles to a digital revolution that brought gradients, 3D and skeuomorphism, with fabrics and textures taking an emphatic place. Later, this again turned into (sometimes exaggerated) minimalism, where old logos were flattened, stripped of details and redesigned with clean surfaces. Not long after, a counter-movement emerged in which retro design became hot again.
What is a trend in logo land also depends on your sector and industry. For example, at the same time tech and media companies went in the minimalist direction, while at the same time food & beverage and hospitality companies often opted for more artisan and traditional logos.
A redesign is no guarantee of success
A logo redesign offers opportunities. Apart from the reasons mentioned earlier, a logo makeover can also cause a stir. It's an opportunity for a company or brand to make a statement: we're still here, we're still kicking ass. However, it can also turn out wrong.
A recent example of what can safely be called a disaster of a logo redesign is American clothing brand Gap. In 2010 they came out with a new logo and did just about everything wrong in the process. Much criticism was levied at the fact that the new logo was introduced unannounced, but that can actually turn out very well. It was mainly due to the design choices, which according to customers (the most important judges of your logo!) missed the mark. The logo was unrecognizable, boring and uninspiring, the criticism summarized. Nor did customers see any connection to the brand, which is known as emphatically classic-casual. GAP then asked what people would like to see then. That was the death knell with which the brand actually confessed to not having researched well enough what requirements their new logo should now meet. Within a week (!), the brand then reluctantly reverted to the old logo.
Another well-known example is juice brand Tropicana. Their failed logo redesign in 2009 shows why it is so important to be recognizable and distinctive. For years, everyone knew the brand from the orange with a straw in it. When Tropicana switched to a new logo with a slick glass of juice and a new typography, the criticism was not swift: unrecognizable, over-stylized yet too generic and no longer a visual connection to one of the brand's USPs: fresh juices. The result? Tropicana lost 20% in sales within 2 months, some $30 million....
The fact that a logo redesign can be an enormous boost for your brand is fortunately proven often enough in practice. Worldwide, Apple is perhaps the best known example(read here why Apple's logo is so well thought out). Way before the iconic apple with the bite out of it appeared, Apple was already a global player. But who remembers old logos? Exactly, no one. And yet the current logo is both modern and iconic and future proof.
Because, áf a redesign is needed one day, it won't take much to make the logo completely up to date again without having to make drastic changes. The same goes for Audi. Who doesn't know "the four rings"? The clever thing about this logo is that it has been changed several times, actually without people noticing, while remaining perfectly up to date.
You can also find numerous examples of successful logo makeovers in the Netherlands. Heineken's logo has subtly changed several times, but they have always stuck to their signature green color and star. KLM and ING have also successfully adapted logos to remain relevant while retaining their heritage.
Success with a new logo? We are here for you
Is your company or brand in need of an update (and upgrade) to your logo? Fitbrand is here for you for successful logo redesign. As you've read, logo redesigning is really not an easy job. We know what to look for and what it takes for success.
Our team looks forward to meeting with you, taking stock of your needs and translating this into a great logo makeover. Check out what we can do for you when it comes to a new logo here.
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