Does Rebranding Always Mean Changing Your Logo?

Does Rebranding Always Mean Changing Your Logo?

Often when a new client comes in to talk to us about a marketing project or a new website, we’ll mention that it might be a good time to consider a rebrand. If this wasn’t what they had in mind, the idea of rebranding can catch them off guard. Especially if they are satisfied with their current logo.

But rebranding doesn’t always mean scrapping your logo and starting over. Your brand runs far deeper than its mark. While a company’s logo can be iconic, and instantly recognizable, it’s one part of a much larger story—it’s an extension of your services, your culture and your values. A brand builds loyalty and creates a foundation for the marketing that follows. Sometimes, even when a logo is perfect the messaging still needs a deeper dive.

The goal of branding (or rebranding)

Generally, the goal of branding (or rebranding) is to align your company’s identity to best fit the customers they’re serving. It extends into messaging, positioning and the customer’s experience. It answers the most important question, which is, “Why are you in business in the first place?”

Branding is combining language and visuals together to express what a company does, share its values, and resonate with the right audience. It’s an effort to shape how your customers feel about you. While the visual part serves as a vehicle for the message, we believe that language is foundational to telling your company’s brand story completely.

It is totally possible to change a company’s brand and make a positive impact while keeping the existing logo. We often work with clients to update the brand messaging and visuals of their key marketing pieces (ads, websites, sales presentations, etc) while retaining their established mark.

Rebranding keeps things looking and sounding fresh, helps attract new customers, and reinvigorates internal teams. It also helps reaffirm your company’s key differentiators, core values and long-term goals to build a more strategic and authentic voice as you move forward.

An outdated logo can hold you back.

Sometimes, however, updating a dated logo can really breathe new life into a brand. An old, outdated logo can have a negative impact in the market, especially if you’re facing new competition with a more current look. Personally, I have a reverence for iconic logos and strong, timeless design, so we don’t take this option lightly. It’s a difficult decision, and one that should be made after a deep exploration of the brand.

Some companies choose not to redesign their logo, but to evolve it, maintaining certain key elements of the design while infusing modern concepts and executions. This approach can elevate an established brand without changing their identity entirely.

Ultimately, there isn’t one right answer or approach to rebranding a company. There are a lot of key factors to consider, but when you have the right foundation, you can build something impactful—you can build something great.

Have you ever updated a brand without changing the logo? Did it have a positive impact? Leave a comment and let us know your experience.

 

Mike Spakowski

Mike Spakowski

Mike Spakowski is Principal / Creative Director of Atomicdust and is involved with the day-to-day design strategy, art direction and studio management.

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