On the left, the current Spartans' logo. On the right, the proposed new one.

Changing a logo is not a simple task, and it’s rarely even useful.

There are monetary concerns, for one thing. Changing a logo means that you have to replace the old logo by the new one on all products related to your company. This is a small concern for internet firms whose logo only appears online, but for a team like the Michigan State University’s Spartans, it means replacing all the uniforms, souvenirs etc.

However, even more importantly, when you alter your logo, it’s the whole image of your company that you change.

Remember: your logo is the face of your company. If we stick to this metaphor, we may think of the replacement of a logo as plastic surgery. There are a lot of questions one should ask himself before attempting either.

“What if it goes bad?” is one. The new logo may not always be better then the previous one. Tastes are subjective, after all. In the occurrence, I do believe the Spartans’ original logo is somewhat better then the new one. Even though one may disagree with me, another may agree. But in fact, is there is no fundamental difference in quality between the two logos, and the replacement is not really worth the effort.

However, the other question one should ask himself is “Will others still be able to recognize me?” And this is probably why the fans refused to have the logo changed. The modification of a logo is also a change in your company’s identity. The whole point of a logo is to remain in the client’s memory. What happens when you change that logo? Your previous clients will not recognize you anymore. In a sense, it’s almost like opening a whole new company. The Spartans’ logo dates back to the 1970s. Without it, can the Spartans remain The Spartans?

There’s a lesson to be learned in there. Your logo sticks in the mind of your client. Rather then changing your logo, ensure to pick the right one from the start and entrust your logo’s design to professional design firms.