5 factors to consider before a logo rebranding

Just in the same manner that the business of a company evolves, the company logo needs to evolve as well. The logo of a company speaks a visual language to its customers and signifies, without words, the universe of belief and ideas housed in the company.A company needs to undergo a logo change, regardless of how subtle, to maintain relevancy and refresh the brand identity in the eyes of the consumer.

However, the larger question is in knowing exactly when is a good time for a company to rebrand its logo. Before a company goes in for a logo update, here are the five things it must consider to arrive at the best possible outcome it expects from a logo update.

Age of the logo
One of the most important factors to consider when redesigning a logo is to look at how long the logo has remained unchanged? While a logo over time comes to command a strong sense of business loyalty, it is equally possible for it to become outdated and to be considered, by large pockets of the public, as bygone and with little relevance to a new age. Major brands like Coca-Cola re-work their company logo often. These changes are mostly too subtle to be noticed but the cumulative impact in terms of a different look and feel of the product is imprinted deeply on the customer’s mind. Alternatively, there are companies like Google which have usually updated their brand logo every five years or so.

Prevailing trend
A cursory look at the history of brand redesigning will show that brands usually change with new trends that come to dominate public aesthetics. Frills and tassels may have been a fashionable expression in the 70s but with the passing of the decades, they are now seen as garish and undesirable. Post the 2000s, corporate design logos that are sleek, elegant, and minimal in nature have come to command high value and premium. No company management wants to look at its logo and find out that it has not been keeping with the demands of the times. A redesign of the logo can inject style as well as substance in the perception of the company and its capabilities. With a new added dimension, a logo can speak volumes to a new base of customers. Depending on the targeted customer demographic and the sentiment that it wishes to convey, a company can experiment with different colors to zero in on its brand identity. A redesign helps extend the product’s lifeline and makes the company more relevant in the public memory.

The complexity of the logo
Many complex logos, that is, those with high detailing and intricate artwork have been forced to go in for a redesign as these logos do not make for an appealing display in the digital landscape. Complex logos also do not convert well for marketing purposes on social media and other websites. Designs with excessive gradients also create several problems for marketeers in offline mediums of communication as well. While rebranding, it is necessary to think through the platforms and mediums on which marketing will be deployed. A detailed design will have to be such that it can be presented on apparel, stationery, letterheads, or any other product. Ideally speaking, a company would want a logo that can cater to its universal needs. The logo should be such that marketing departments can unveil it on physical as well as digital mediums without undergoing additional readjustments or distortion of branding strategies.

Structural reorganisation of a company
In the corporate world, companies often undergo structural transformations being merged or acquired. Sometimes, a company reorients itself because of managerial change or due to a changing market dynamic. Either way, these events present a great opportunity for a redesign and the new company has to incorporate new marketing strategies to ascertain that its new brand logo acquires social currency and market credibility. When businesses undergo such structural changes, their logos change in three particular ways. Firstly, in case a larger company acquires a smaller company, the larger company gobbles up the smaller company and discards all its branding. In the second case, if the two companies decide to integrate their branding efforts, the colour, logos, and the wording in the brand logo are combined to represent both the companies and in the third case, the two companies can decide to start from scratch with a brand new logo. In the last scenario, they join forces to unleash a new brand name and brand logo and present themselves to the people as one functional unit.

Reimagining one’s brand
It so happens that when a business is started it often lacks the resources to allocate towards a brand logo. A brand logo, then, needs repeated servicing and changing, and upgrading to keep up with the new spirit of the age. Brand logos need to communicate effectively with the customers and leave a lasting impression on their minds to command their loyalty. A brand logo that is not visually striking or engaging can undo a great product or service. Revitalised logos can help companies overcome such problems. What’s more, reimagining one’s brand can help bring the core values of one’s company to the fore and shed visual flab that makes the brand look outmoded and archaic.

Final word

We live in a world saturated with brands that compete with each other for space in the minds of prospective customers. A logo rebranding exercise is a key element in a company’s growth path that complacent companies ignore much to their detriment and revenue loss. A redesign of the brand logo can help a company graduate to the big league provided it is done with care, caution, and clarity on the position it wants to occupy in the business world.

Mr Prabhakar Tiwari, Chief Growth Officer Angel One Ltd