Is It Time to Refresh Your Brand?
Is it time to switch it up?
Your brand identity is your visual calling card, and the first impression you’ll make. People identify you with your logo, your colors, and the fonts you choose.
Sometimes, however, you may need to freshen things up a bit.
I know what you’re thinking. “But Emily! We have a great logo that has served us for years! Why change?” and I hear you. Change isn’t easy, especially when you have put in the work to establish yourself. However, brand evolution is more than a fun cosmetic update – it can be a powerful marketing move.
Look at Apple. Their first logo was about discovery, and it embodied the complexity of early personal computers. They later made a transition to a simpler logo with a full palette of colors, emphasizing the design capabilities of their operating system. With the introduction of the iPhone, their logo represented the mantra spoken by Steve Jobs at the product launch –
It just works.
Your logo may have represented you when you started your business, but does it still do so today?
Let’s take a look at some common signs it might be time for a refresh:
- Outdated Style
In the same way fashion and style evolve over the years, so too should your branding. As your business grows it’s important to stay relevant and up to date. The logo you started out with might have perfectly captured attention then but now may be viewed as a trip through history, and not in a good way (gradients and drop shadows anyone?). In a world of competitors, standing out with cutting edge design is a must.
- You went DIY
With so many beginner-friendly design avenues out there these days, it’s quite common for start-up businesses to take the DIY route. Maybe you had some experience with some Microsoft tools, or your friend knew how to use the basic Adobe apps. So, you created a logo in-house. It’s an understandable start, but you’ve grown! Bring in the professionals and let your brand grow too.
- Can’t Adapt
Nothing, in my humble opinion, is more important in the world of branding than a clean adaptable logo. Can it be scaled to any size without loss of quality or readability? Does it look just as stunning in black and white or single color? Can it adapt to various platforms and uses, from large scale print to small scale mobile? The Apple logo and Nike swoosh exemplify their brands without using a single word. Does yours? If not, it might be time to think evolution.
- Are you represented?
You, your business, and your industry will all change. As a company grows and expands or contracts their offerings, it’s important that the visuals still match. There is no need to reinvent the wheel every year, but as natural evolution happens don’t forget to bring your logo along for the ride. Coca Cola started in 1886, and while their looping script and color choices have remained constant, their logo has changed (sometimes in a barely noticeable way) over 1,000 times. Embrace your growth.
Anything hit a little too close to home? That’s why we’re here! A brand evolution can be as simple as a “face lift” which involves slight yet meaningful changes to bring your logo up to date, or as complex as a full redesign to come out of the gate swinging. Either way, a logo update can provide a valuable and fundamental change in your business. Are you ready for some change?
