Some logos are timeless. Those that immediately come to mind are Coke, Nike, Apple, GE, Shell and Campbell’s. Although these famous brands have made tweaks over the years, the changes have been so slight that they are hardly noticeable. But, imagine if Nike were to one day straighten out its famous swoosh into vertical line, instead. How would their brand loyalists react? How would Wallstreet react? Oh, the humanity!
Still there are times when it’s appropriate to take a look at a logo and makes some alterations or get out a wrecking ball and start all over. Here are a few basic things to look at when considering any logo change:
Poor Visibility
Sometimes a cleanup is necessary to make a logo more visible; especially if your logo was designed during the time of pen and ink. Digitizing your logo and ironing out those jagged lines and curves can sometimes be all that’s needed.
Outdated or Mismatched Type Treatment
Was your logo designed when Brush Script was all the rage? Typography is just as, if not more important than an accompanying icon. Your logotype needs to be current, reflective of the icon and similar in style. Font and icon should live in harmony and, when done correctly, it’s a beautiful thing.
Irrelevant Graphic References
Is your logo promoting outdated technology or a service that you no longer offer? It’s easy to lose customer confidence when your logo says one thing and your business says another.
Doesn’t Work in Digital Applications
Long before social media and mobile phone apps, logo size and proportion didn’t matter so much. Now with things becoming more standardized with profile pictures and home screen buttons, the need to comply is becoming necessary.
Doesn’t Work in Print or Product Applications
A good designer knows how to design a logo to work in full-color printing or black and white, embroidered on shirts or imprinted on golf balls. A vendor should never have to tweak a logo to get it to work. Every wonder why there are so many versions of your logo floating around? This is why.
If you are thinking about a logo update or change but aren’t sure how to go about it without upsetting the apple cart, don’t sweat it. A good time to make a change is when your company is having an anniversary, introducing a new product or service, or when you have a special announcement to make. Doing a coordinated rollout of your new branding is newsworthy and a way to put your company in the spotlight.
