Logo Evolution

What the what?

... as my youngest boy might say when surprised...

Seems, at least in my circle of marketing geeks, some are puzzled with the most recent and most drastic modification Google has made to their logo. Over the past 17 years, Google has made minor tweaks - bold to narrow, deep shadow to tight shadow, embossed to flat... This was a significant font change, though. One co-worker said it made him think of Sesame Street - perhaps referring to the simplicity it reflects. Some have commented on the logo as being too "dumbed down" or unprofessional. I wonder how it could be a wrong message at all for a business with a model based around creating tools for myriad access points, with a mission of making it easier for consumers to access information to have a simple looking, font based logo.  As you look at the handful of variations Google has of their branding over the years, it's been a gradual evolution to simple. 

Time will tell how this logo shift will work for Google, but it was one they rationalized in order to adapt in an ever evolving world. It's certainly something they thought out for some time, weight pros and cons, before moving forward.  In the mean time, it's getting quite a bit of attention as people are still making up their minds or sharing their opinions on the matter... All good for Google in the end really because they are being talked about, period. 

Uncomfortable, but sometimes necessary

As illustrated in the ripples in social media et al after Google's re-branding efforts, it's safe to say the process can be uncomfortable. You risk loosing brand familiarity, altering perceptions negatively with an existing customer base, or even sending the wrong message altogether. There are times, however, that a business should give strong consideration to a modification to their logo. Here are some examples of when it could make sense.

Shifts in Technology

If your logo was created in the 1980s or 1990s and the poor pixel quality is obvious on computer screens or other devices, an update to at the very least bring the graphics quality up from the original Star Wars film CGI to the level of detail now possible. Everything from devices to print machines have really improved in their ability to showcase images and logos. It's unfortunate when I see logos that have not kept with the times and begin looking inferior.

Less Appealing

When your logo and packaging hasn't changed in 20-30 years, you may run the risk of having competition - even generic brands - create more visual appeal to consumers... If the store brand of milk, bread, or honey is able to do a better job in labeling, it might be time to rethink your branding and logo. In other industries, newcomers to the market enter with their logos and websites and other branding material geared to the most modern standards. Curb appeal is certainly something that could lose an older company some business. Think of your home... If you were to put it up for sale, what aspects of the home would you want to improve to attract more buyers? Well, your business services/products are always for sale, so it's vital to be constantly improving the appeal to your brand over others.

Obvious Needs

Without going into too much detail, other reasons to change a logo would be addressing name changes or mergers, symbolism to reflect changes to a company's dynamics, new owners. 

One of my favorite local brand changes in Eastern Idaho was with the Bank of Idaho. A friend of mine introduced me to Park Price years ago and I discussed a need with him to evolve their look and feel in their branding and advertising. At the time, I was just a student at ISU. I was excited to see the simplicity in their new logo and the improved messaging and vibrance in their ads and billboards.

Even more so than with Google, this was quite the change in appearance, but it was one that gave their brand more diversity in use of the logo and the rest of the branding has been more compelling in their messaging. 

Options...

To get a logo re-signed, there are more options out there than ever before. Decades ago, there seemed to be just a couple options - in-house on the cheap graphics software you could afford or an ad agency. Now, while both are still options, you can go to multiple online logo sellers where you have hundreds of graphic amateur designers compete to create your logo, your sign company could do a logo, many web design and SEO firms can do a logo... If you're falling behind in the branding game, it seems there's only one logical explanation as to why you might not be stepping up. It usually has to do with the dynamics in your organization and they pride some of the longer termed owners or employees might have in the brand they've built. I'd only hope to express to the older generation groups in businesses how the best and strongest companies out there have all had to start their logo and branding somewhere, but they've evolved their brands in order to meet the demands of expansion and evolution in their businesses over the years. Just as a 30 year old business might have embraced the transitions from paper ledgers on up to Quickbooks or similar accounting software, evolution of a logo and brand identity to improve the ability in capturing more of their target audience should be embraced.