Many of my clients have asked me to redefine their brand. They see the new look that we present and believe it will connect better with their changing client base. Many companies are asking these questions; Is now the time to look at an updated logo? Since we are updating our material and our online image anyway should we take the leap and go the extra mile?

YES.

Now, this is an article about the courage to change your logo, not an article about brand. In an upcoming article, I will discuss the true meaning of brand beyond its key visual element, the logo. Inevitably, during the process of addressing a client’s logo, it is all too common to run across opposition to its change. Let’s first look at the common hurdles of logo redesign:

1. The fear of change - The existing logo provides comfort and a feeling of familiarity. Some people simply see change as an uphill climb.

2. Feeling that there is logo recognition – Have you ever heard, “We can’t change our logo! Our clients, potential clients and the general public will be confused by a new look.”

3. Upsetting customers – At times I have run across the client feeling that their customers are loyal and emotionally attached their logo.

4. Cost

5. Overwhelming change – Related to cost and the fear of change is the perceived daunting task of updating all company material. “If we change the logo then we are going to have to change our print collateral and TV spots and website and, and, and...”

6. Internal communication – Rollout of the new “look” will be confusing to the staff and they may not like it.

I could sit here all night and come up with others but those are the most common.

The fear of change simply cannot be tolerated in today’s business environment. Being flexible and willing to shift your business plan to take advantage of current trends in the market and the ability to adjust your visual brand go hand in hand. We cannot stick with one tag line for eternity nor can we place ourselves in the rut of defining our business as inflexible.

Peter Arnell introduced a new Pepsi logo recently which has had a positive effect on the bottom line of Pepsi Co. If a massive company like Pepsi can accept change, embrace it and benefit from it so can the other businesses of the world.

Other brands that have adopted change:
Microsoft, Coca-Cola, FedEx, Toyota, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, UPS and the list goes on. Each made the wise decision to update their logos to mark a new phase in the life of the company.

Logo recognition with small and medium size businesses, quite honestly is rare. Concern over logo recognition is assuming that you have some and that the recognition is positive. This goes hand in hand with the feeling that the audience has a connection with your brand. Brands that have an emotional connection with their audience are truly great. Apple computer is an example. If Apple decided to rid themselves of the apple with a bite out of it and go with an orange instead it would be like the disaster of Tropicana or New Coke. But for many of us, when we are questioning rebuilding our brand or updating our logo, this just is not in the cards.

Same is true for the idea that the customer will be confused. This ties into the importance of a planned rollout of the new “look”. In the end, the customer will judge you not by whether you changed your logo but by your service. While the release of New Coke (changing a 99 year old formula) was partly a disaster it also brought a tremendous spotlight to the company. By Coke changing their formula or by Pepsi updating their logo (2009) it brought attention to their brands. Sometimes we need to change things up a bit to remind people that we are still here and we are changing. We can talk at another time about the depth of impact a logo change has and it impact on the potential customer but it can be a good strategy for transforming your position in your market.

Cost and the domino effect a new logo has on the marketing tools of a company are the biggest hurdles to get past with the CFO. Yes it will cost money. Yes you will have to update all the other collateral of the company. But the bigger questions are; do you want to attract new customers, is there strong competition, is momentum on your competitors side, are you expanding into new markets, is your exiting look stale and out-of-date and is your sales force lacking motivation? If the answer to any of these was “Yes” then a logo refresh or total brand overhaul is an investment worth pursuing.

Pepsi’s sales increased, thanks to Peter Arnell’s genius. UPS is reinventing the way they are positioning themselves – they are not the same old Brown. Wal-Mart is attempting to get past the negative PR and appeal to the Target crowd with a friendlier and modern look. Each of these companies are battling with one or more of the questions above and the modified logos are central to their repositioning.

Internal communication is the final hurdle and just like John Q. Public, they have to be informed of the change through a responsible internal rollout. I believe in making sure you have the buy-in of your employees, especially front line staff.

Accomplishing this is as simple as explaining the purpose of the adjustment. And, if you ask them their opinion on whether the change should occur, they will often be supportive. Just remember that a new logo launch starts internally and works its way to the street. Presenting the case internally gives the feeling of involvement that will carry through to supporting the change.

The thing to remember is that the hurdles or resistance to a new logo are overcome with a little common sense and the knowledge that others have gone through this process and succeeded on much greater scales.

Now is not the time to be afraid of making a move. Now is the time to reinvent yourself, surpass your competitors, draw attention to yourself and reap the rewards of forward thinking. Be honest with yourself and most of all adopt change as a requirement for your business from this point forward.