In the words of Bob Dylan…Things have changed
Nothing stays the same forever and nowhere is this more true than when you look at the big brands dominating today. Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mercedes, Microsoft, Apple have all evolved their branding over the years and now it’s the turn of Google.
At the beginning of September Google launched a new look for their iconic logo, changing the typeface and spacing giving it altogether a more modern feel. So why has one of the world’s most recognised brands bothered tinkering with their visual identity in this way? Isn’t it a case of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”? Google explained the main reason behind this change was to make the logo look good on smaller screens, and that simplifying the lettering and using softer colours was designed to make the logo more recognisable on smaller devices (yet another indication of the power and influence of mobile search). However, others believe there may be another driver behind the re-brand, which is to bring the global giant inline with its new parent company Alphabet, whose logo bears a striking resemblance to the new Google brand.
Why Re-brand?
So, why do companies decide to change something as important as their brand? Doing so is not without risk – you only have to google ‘when re-brands go wrong’ to uncover endless examples, from Gap to Royal Mail. Here’s five reasons a company may make the decision to re-brand:
• Competitive landscape
A change in a company’s market may make a business sit up and think about staying ahead of the game.“We’ve long believed that over time companies tend to get comfortable doing the same thing, just making incremental changes….you need to be a bit uncomfortable to stay relevant”, said Larry Page. As tempting as it might be to stay with a tried and tested strategy, doing so might leave you behind the curve and your business’ market share at risk.
• Growth
A company preparing for growth, whether it be entering a new market, appealing to a new target audience or consolidating products and services may consider re-branding to help them be seen differently and make an impact in a chosen market.
• Relevancy
Over time a company may lose touch with its customers and no longer understand their needs, which risk the brand’s values being mis-interpreted or simply out of touch. Take Walmart for example, who replaced their “Always Low Prices,” tagline in 2007 with “Save Money. Live Better.” Instead of highlighting low prices it created a positive reference and association with the brand by highlighting to the customer the benefits of saving money.
• Merger or acquisition
A re-brand which coincides with a merger or acquisition is relatively common, think PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lloyds TSB, Dixons Carphone. Bringing together two brands has many wider marketing and brand implications, but how to brand the new entity is one of the most crucial to get right.
• Reactive
Negative publicity or legal issues may be two reasons why a company may choose to take a reactive approach and re-brand. While shaking off negative brand equity takes more than a new logo, if done well it is possible to emerge in a strong position and even appeal to an entirely new audience.
Whatever driving force or market conditions are behind a branding exercise, proper planning and execution (including detailed customer and market research) is the key to a smooth transition. Please contact us if you are considering re-branding, or would like an impartial review of your current brand. We’d love to talk.