Saturday, August 3, 2013

The Balancing Act of Logo Redesigns

If a picture is worth 1000 words then the same is true for a company’s logo.  A logo is an essential part of a strong brand. It often serves as a company’s first impression to the public and, if effective enough, can evoke an emotional and galvanizing response. To put it simply: a logo is the most visual representation of a company’s identity.

However, as companies change, so do their logos. While some logos have stood the test of time (think Johnson & Johnson, Ford and FedEx), the recent years have been remarkable in terms of the number of brands that have transformed their logos. In the past year, Hooters, Vh1 and Wendy’s have created sleeker, more streamlined logos to appear more contemporary and modern in the face of a competitive and evolving market.  

Logo changes are a massive undertaking and because a drastic redesign can cause public outcry, the stakes are high. Change for the sake of change can backfire and damage a brand and its long-standing reputation. Clothing giant GAP’s new logo design in 2010 was pulled within a week of its introduction, while Tropicana and Starbucks received significant backlash for their new logos as well.

The key to a successful logo redesign is to maintain the central element of the company’s identity. Good logos are timeless and versatile; if a redesign is overly trendy or if the company attempts to be something it’s not, this can be detrimental to the brand. Successful logos boil down to methodical, thought-out concepts and flawless execution that aligns with rebranding efforts. Logo redesign is quite the balancing act but if done correctly, can propel your company to great success!


In your opinion, what makes a successful logo redesign? Let us know what some of your favorite logo redesigns are!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Cara Graeff.

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