The Reasons Why You May Need a Logo Redesign
Imagine this scenario. You have created a well thought out logo design for your brand, one that you believe is absolutely unique and special to you. But the moment your product gets put on the shelf, the reality is that consumers are not buying your products, or at the very least, not as much as you would have liked.
Why is this the case?
Frankly, it could unfortunately be that the product itself just does not appeal to your customers. Maybe it’s not the right fit for them or not something that they are looking for. However, it could also possibly be that your logo design simply just isn’t attractive enough.
As harsh as that sounds, this is something that happens more often than you think. Contrary to popular belief, consumers still care a lot about aesthetics. Despite the lack of knowledge about your product and brand, their visual elements will be the aspects that they will base their purchasing decision on.
Your logo design is what gives consumers the very first impression of your brand, and first impressions are what truly matters in today’s competitive markets.
With so many brands operating within the same market and many more entering, one of the main reasons why you might want to redesign your logo is that you want to stand out from your competitors. You want your logo to be unique, attention-grabbing, and up-to-date. At the same time, you want it to convey your brand’s key qualities.
However, there are many others reasons as to why you may need to consider redesigning your logo. This includes the following cases:
- You have recently rebranded
- You have made adjustments to your business
- You want to increase your appeal to target consumers and the younger generations
- Your logo is out-dated
Are Logo Redesigns Necessary?
Redesigning is not necessary for all brands and is not an easy decision to make. It requires careful consideration, and when in need, it can seem like a challenging and daunting task for many professionals. A logo redesign is not something that brands often prioritize, but it could be very well worth the time to do so.
Great logos make a strong impact on your brand’s performance, and a successful redesign will definitely pay off. If you aren’t quite sure about whether or not your brand needs a logo redesign, here are some questions that may be helpful to ask yourself.
Questions To Ask Yourself Before Logo Redesign
Is my logo design representative of my current brand image and values?
If your logo no longer corresponds with your brand image and values, this is a sign that it is time for a new change.
Your business’ marketing strategies should always be consistent with your brand identity. If there were to be adjustments to your brand identity, your marketing materials would also need to change accordingly.
Your logo will act as an important branding tool for your company, and it will need to be the right fit for the specific brand message you aim to communicate.
Almost every brand will experience a change within their business. Globally established brands such as Mcdonald’s, Microsoft, and Google have all experienced their fair share of organizational changes. It could be that companies are changing their branding to meet recent social, cultural, and economic demands, but it could also be that they are just going through a period of growth.
Growth often leads to changes in a brand’s mission and vision. So, to make sure that a strong brand identity is maintained, significant visual elements should continue to be representative of these motivations.
This is where a logo redesign will come in handy.
Do I need a rebrand or a redesign, and what are the differences between them?
Rebranding and redesigning are two processes that may be a bit confusing to differentiate. To break it down in an easier manner, a rebrand is needed when your brand identity no longer aligns with your company’s current strengths and values.
Your brand identity is a unified collection of elements that reflects the essence of your brand’s mission, values, and voice to consumers. It plays a key role in setting the criteria for the rest of your marketing strategies. Therefore, if your brand identity does not match up to the way you actually want to be perceived by your ideal customers, rethinking and reworking the entirety of your brand will be necessary.
On the other hand, visuals help support the recognition of a brand. As humans process visuals faster than text, elements like your brand logo, for example, can allow consumers to immediately pinpoint which brand the product belongs to even in the absence of the brand name.
Consider a logo as the face of a business. If it does not precisely symbolize your brand, a logo redesign will be needed to strengthen your brand identity, improve consumers’ perception, and increase the connection they feel towards your company.
In short, rebranding covers more than just the changes to the visible elements that makes up your brand identity while redesigning mainly focuses on improving your visual expression.
Is my logo up-to-date with the latest technology and design trends?
The last thing you would want for your brand is a logo that is out-dated. In order to stay relevant in today’s business landscape, you must make efforts to keep up to date with the world’s latest technology and design trends.
You should create a brand logo that continue to speak and resonate with the new generation of customers. Highlight the styles that are modern and appealing to young consumers so that you will also be able to build a better connection with them.
Additionally, you want to make sure that your logo design evolves along with technology. Your old design may no longer be compatible with your website, mobile phone, or other technological devices. Therefore, some modifications will need to be made so that your design remains mobile-friendly and is digitally attractive.
This does not mean that you have to alter your logo every year in order to appear up to date. Most brands redesign their logos every 5 to 10 years. However, if you nail the process, it may take a longer time before another logo redesign is required.
So when thinking of your logo redesign, it is highly advised to include graphics that will be able to maintain its appeal for the long run. This will save you from going through the hassle of redesigning a new logo every few years.
The necessary question to ask is: How can I assure that my logo design will stand out in the long-term?
Will my logo continue to stand out in the long-term?
Although it is important to redesign your logo in ways that will retain your existing customer base, you should also make sure that this logo continues to appeal to new and young consumers. Young consumers are having more buying power than ever, and eventually, this demographic will become the next generation of customers you will be targeting.
It could be that you are currently a leading brand within your market. However, this may not be guaranteed forever. To maintain your position at the top of the league, it is recommended that you modernize your logo so that it is eye-catching and memorable to young consumers.
As contemporary design trends call for the ‘less is more’ approach, this might be a technique you want to apply to your logo redesign.
Tips For Redesigning Your Logo
A very important tip when it comes to redesigning your logo is to not completely strip away the main features of your logo.
To prevent you from confusing your consumers, you should keep the iconic visual elements of your brand. If your redesign looks too different from your original logo, your brand may become unrecognizable to your target customers, and this can be counteractive to your branding intentions.
After all, logos speak strongly about who you are as a brand and the values that you stand for. It makes a huge impact on the perceptions that consumers have on your company. Confusing your consumers and drifting too far away from their expectations of you would only weaken your brand’s performance.With that being said, it is highly advised to use the same colors, shapes, symbols, and style. While there needs to be a noticeable change in your logo redesign, keeping it somewhat similar to the original version can be beneficial. You may add, eliminate some details, reshape or reposition your symbols for better clarity.
The Dos and Don’ts of Logo Redesign
As mentioned earlier, a logo redesign can be a complicated task. To ensure that you are on the right path, here’s a simple checklist of the do’s and don’ts of logo redesigning.
The Dos:
- Keep the main colors, shapes, symbols, and style of your logo redesign similar to its original version
- Make sure that the design is trendy and modern. Note that sometimes the simplest logos can be the most powerful ones.
- Keep track of the latest design trends. Design trends tend to change throughout time. All it takes is a little research of recent logos that have gained positive reception to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
- Creating a logo that also speaks to younger audiences
- Creating a design that will look great on various technological devices. As online platforms have become the main channels for information and consumption, be sure that your design will be suitable with your website and social networking platforms.
- Designing a logo that remains representative and consistent to your brand identity
The Don’ts:
- Creating a completely new logo. Or one that has very little association to its original version
- Redesigning logos using out-dated graphic designs
- Copying another brand’s logo design ideas. You can use them for inspiration but never take away the entire design and call it yours. This can get you into unnecessary trouble.
- Adding more elements to your logo that doesn’t necessarily strengthen it
- Removing elements that speak greatly about your brand
Some Examples For Redesigned Logos
For some inspiration on your logo redesign, let’s take a look at how many of the world’s biggest corporations have revolutionized theirs.
Starbucks
Delta
Nike
Coca-Cola
FedEx
With some minor or larger tweaks to your logo design, your brand can go from good to great. At DesignBro, we have a team of design experts who can help you with your logo redesign. Contact us via our website to see how you can get started with your unique logo transformation using our logo design services.