Over the last few years, a number of brands have launched new looks and new logos. Some of these were successful – but others, even some developed over months and for millions of dollars, were met with resounding howls and boos. After watching a few brands retreat in the face of this kind of harsh criticism, some people may wonder if it has become almost impossible for a well-known brand to launch a successful new logo. The answer is no; it’s not impossible, but it does require the exercise of a little strategic patience.
Consider this: where once it was standard practice to update a logo every few years to keep up with contemporary styling, today social media provides everyone with an instantaneous platform for commentary. And people do love to comment – especially when they can find a funny angle that will get them looks, likes and attention. Put simply, snark is fun. With every new logo, meme or viral image, the feedback loop grows faster and the comments sharper.
However, brands don’t and shouldn’t necessarily listen to the masses on social media. As the news cycle speeds up, the shelf life of any hot topic gets shorter. This is when that strategic patience pays off. The world may be hooting at your new logo this week, but next week – or maybe even tomorrow – they’ll have something new to Photoshop next to Sad Keanu on the bench. So if you can just stay calm through the storm (and assuming your logo really is pretty good), chances are the furor will die down and your new logo, branding or graphics will go on to live a long and happy life.
And there’s something else to remember, too. It may look to you like the whole world is laughing at you, but in reality social media has the power to magnify topics so that they appear much more dominant than they really are. Search your own company name and you may see 10 or 20 – or even 500 – nasty tweets about your new logo. But keep this number in mind: there are 500 million tweets sent every day into the Twittersphere. Just sit with that number for a moment. 500 million tweets. Most people will never see a single one about your logo.
So even if your rebrand does become the center of negative attention, exercising patience will work for you. If you can just wait it out, in a few days the media will have a new chew toy, and your new logo will have the opportunity to settle into people’s consciousness. This isn’t just theory; brands are proving this to be true every day.
If you’re thinking about a rebrand and are uncertain about the best course of action to take, I’d encourage you to check out the Brand Identity Best Practices Guide we recently released. It’s an e-book that will give you the information you need to help your brand stand out and ensure your messaging conveys your identity across all touchpoints. Download your free guide today and email me with your feedback at dwolff@lrgmarketing.com or tweet at me @di_wo. I look forward to hearing from you.
