“To Rebrand, or not to Rebrand your Logo: that is the question…”
Rebranding could be a necessary and savvy business decision. However, it could also be a costly, bad business decision, if you’re not accurately assessing your business needs.
So, typically, you would Rebrand if:
1. Your brand does not convey your message clearly.
2. Customers are confused as to what the brand represents.
3. It may be very outdated, and bringing it up to current times will breathe new life into your business.
Sometimes rebranding involves a logo change, sometimes not.
Recently, the Chargers announced that they are moving to LA. With the move, comes a new logo! Take a look at the old logo, and the new respectively, and decide for yourself. Most of the fan reactions were not positive ones.
Sometimes rebranding is necessary to change the image/perception that customers have of a company, but changing the logo is NOT a good idea. For example:
Think for a minute about your first experience with McDonald’s, or even your child’s first reaction to their first “happy meal fries”. We humans often attach an emotional experience to the products that we interact with. We all know the McDonald’s logo… often called the “golden arches”. We see that yellow letter “M” printed on our bright red fries container, and whether or not we are concerned with the calories at the moment, we often remember happier times with our fries and Big Mac!
So now what if McDonald’s decides to throw away the “big yellow M” for something different?
What happens when we are on that road trip and we no longer see the “golden arches” in the distance, but some rebranded “thing” that is unfamiliar to us? Do we just “get over it” and get used to it? Maybe over time we will but the truth is, loyal, long-term customers can get upset when you change things on them. Emotionally, you have just knocked the wind out of their sails, AND our fries “just don’t seem to taste the same now!” How could you do that to us “Mickey Dee’s?
Sounds crazy, but true. We tend to identify with a brand and/or logo and when it’s redesigned, we seem to resent it. That’s why it’s critical that we look at all aspects of the business perception, and carefully assess whether rebranding is the right move.
Now think for a minute about how the Super Size Me documentary affected the McDonald’s brand. The documentary basically showed how the high obesity rate in America, is largely affected by eating fast food (in this example – McDonald’s), and the serious health issues that result from McDonald’s food consumption. Naturally, McDonald’s wanted to create a healthier image, and as such promoting salads, apple slices, etc., and has rebranded the interior of the restaurants as well, again to promote a healthier look. However, McDonald’s did NOT change the logo, they only rebranded their image in other areas as stated above.
Creating a healthier image was necessary for McDonald’s, but changing the logo was not necessary. This is again why rebranding has to be well thought out to be done right!