It happens to the best of us. We get older and sometimes a little nip and tuck is in order. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. There’s no shame in wanting to look fresh, young and maybe even hip. Your brand identity design feels the same way. After years of wear and tear, your logo design may be screaming for a makeover.
How do you know it’s time for a brand identity design refresh?
How do you know it’s the right time for a brand identity design refresh? We think you probably inherently know the answer. Try to take a look at your logo design and pretend you are looking at it for the first time. Do you still love it? Does it represent your company adequately? Does it make you want to cry? If you can’t be objective, here are some tell-tale signs:
- Your brand is not consistent across all your marketing platforms
Consistency throughout your brand is imperative. If you have one logo version on your website a different one on your company brochure, and wait what is that icon on your Facebook account…it’s time. Any reputable brand consultant will tell you that this is not the way you want to present your company to the world. A disconnect in your branding can lead potential clients to perceive your company as not reputable and unprofessional. It’s like going to make a sales pitch in your pajamas! Not a prudent fashion choice! - Your company has transformed since you first created your brand identity design
Companies grow over time or at least they should! Sometimes the goods or services you offer have expanded and transformed throughout the years. Maybe you haven’t expanded your offerings yet but are planning to do so in the near future. Does your branding still represent your company and what it has to offer your clients? - Your marketing efforts are not generating the business you have hoped
Perhaps your marketing is not reaching your target audience anymore. As a business grows and expands or changes its’ product offering, it is natural to have shifts in your target market. If one aspect of your market is the younger generation, does your logo design still have the appeal it did in 1985? Probably not. - Everyone (well not everyone) is doing it
OK you are right. Just because everyone else is injecting chemicals into their lips to make them look like a blowfish, doesn’t mean that you should. Let’s focus on who’s doing it right! The big guys understand that while their current design has brand recognition, it needs to keep up with the times and adjust.
Let’s look at some examples of companies who, in our humble opinion, have successfully pulled off a brand refresh.
Starbucks Coffee Logo History
Pizza Hut Logo History
Google Logo History
Denver Broncos Logo History
Pepsi Logo History
Gettingraphic Logo History
Even we at Gettingraphic have tweaked our branding several times. As you can see we have not changed the overall image of our company. We just adjusted our palette and did minor updates to our icon to keep it looking modern. It changed but not enough to make it unrecognizable to our current market.
Next Steps for your Brand Identity Design
If you have been in business for a while, you have likely created a certain degree of brand recognition. We are not suggesting that your brand identity design be completely overhauled to the point it is unrecognizable. Just like a little Botox, your brand may just need a small tweak to look refreshed again. You want to preserve your company’s integrity and reputation while infusing some “pep” back into your image. If you believe your current logo design sufficiently represents your company’s message, a different palette change or layout may be all you need!
