Is it always a good idea to update your logo?

A large contingent of our clients are startup, small to medium Adelaide businesses who need to kickstart their business branding venture. Other businesses come to us looking to update their existing brand from humble beginnings; when their design budgets were next to nothing. However there is also a third group, those who have had a long-standing business but want to update their logo to suit modern trends, where marketing and brand rationale need to be concrete.

Firstly, it doesn’t matter what you do, changing your logo will upset someone either within the organisation or your customers. Take Argon for example, when we decided to update our logo, and consequent branding, back in 2011 there were some serious feathers ruffled amongst designers, developers and managers alike. But all-in-all, after months of in-house deliberation, we selected the now familiar logo that kept all parties happy and helped grow our business.

‘Why do we need to change, we’re going alright aren’t we?’

It must be understood that a logo is a symbol of the relationship between the brand and the consumer. So, if this logo is suddenly changed, those most loyal to the business and the brand will be the most shocked when something new comes along. There are two successful ways businesses can update their identity without rocking the ‘clientele boat’ too much.

The Overhaul.

Completely reconstructing your identity can be a necessary evil; especially if the image of the business has been damaged, the direction of the business has changed or the logo is unforgivably ugly has reproducibility issues. To soften the initial blow of the rebrand for loyal followers (and key stakeholders) make sure you let them know! This communication could be as simple as a newsletter, direct mail out or email campaign. It is much easier to get stakeholders on board and create hype about the new brand if they know a new look is on the way. Depending on the size of the business, this method may require significant investment in advertising to ensure potential clients are familiar with the new brand.

Woolworths rebrand: Before and After

An example of this is Woolworths back in 2008 who smeared their new look on television, radio, signage and the internet. It didn’t take long for the population of Australia discover that something was different but the same old ‘Fresh Food People’ remained.

The Tweak.

Well, alright, it’s often much more than just a slight tweak but by retaining some of the previous identity a company can save money as well as continue the hard work built by its logo predecessor. A business identity is made up from numerous individual elements including the logo, imagery, typeface, colour palette as well as many other factors, which together create the overall brand. By not throwing the baby out with the bath water you can retain some brand recognition while still updating the look and feel for the organisation.

Google rebrand: Before and After

For example, Google recently updated the font and icon for their global brand. While some may have described their brand update as an overhaul (including us), there are certain elements, including the basic colour scheme and structure, that have remained the same.

If you’re uncertain about the next step for your business branding, feel free to talk it over with our team and we’ll get you set you on the right path.