Many important
factors go into the creation of corporate identity. What colors
are right for us, Fonts? There are many other questions that
arise when one is working with logo designs. One question
that tends to be overlooked is whether or not your design
will be relevant in 5 or even 10 years.
More importantly, once a company has established itself with
a specific look, feel and brand, it becomes more and more
difficult as time goes by to change it. Some companies have
enjoyed success without ever having to change their brand
image. Kentucky Fried Chicken has used Colonel Sanders in
their logo ever since the company was founded. Aside from
some updates on their marketing front; Nike would be another
good example of a timeless brand-image.
Pepsi took a risk in the mid 90s by completely changing their
image and logo but did so with alarming success. However,
it could have resulted in commercial suicide. If you'll remember,
in the 1980's Coca-Cola changed their brand image to Coke.
Pepsi then took over top seat in the market shortly thereafter.
Some questions to ask yourself if you are thinking about redesigning
your logo:
Does my current logo have the 3 key elements that make up
a high-quality, credible logo
design:
- Does it portray your company in a manner which says you
are an expert in this field?
- Is it "contemporary" symbolizing a "forward-thinking"
look?
- Is the messag you are trying to convey to the consumer clear?
If all of these questions are answered with a yes, then why
change? You company will be at risk of losing clients who
are already familiar of with your product.
You can, however, clean up your logo or update it with a lot
less risk.
Another
question to consider: Is my brand / tagline universal?
When creating a tagline for your company, it is important
for you to consider whether or not you are going to eventually
go global and if so, to create a tagline that gets your point
across when translated in different languages. Some examples
of successful companies that did not take this into account
are:
- Kentucky Fried Chicken's tagline "finger-lickin' good"
translated as "eat your fingers off."
- General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America,
and the company was apparently unaware that "no va"
means "it won't go."
- In Taiwan, Pepsi introduced its tagline "Come alive
with the Pepsi Generation". It translated as "Pepsi
will bring your ancestors back from the dead."
Colors are also important as they relate to your brand image:
You have
your design layout chosen, but not your colors. Some things
to keep in mind are whether your color scheme is appropriate
for your company. Colors have a way of playing with your subconscious.
If you created a logo design
for a nursing home or a hospital, it may be a good idea to
stay away from reds and bright yellows. Red tends to signify
danger, while yellow tends to be a very irritating color.
Exceptions are always made; one such is McDonalds (who has
both red and yellow in its logo!).
Less is MORE!
Overview