02 Mar Brand Progression and why it’s Important
A great example of this is British charity Comic Relief who in 2019, 31 years after it was founded, hired in London based agency Whistlejacket to redesign the charity brand, seeking to clarify between Comic Relief (the charity) and Red Nose Day (the annual fundraiser ran by the charity). In this case a specific area of confusion was the reason for the brand change, but the reasons for other brand changes may be less obvious.
Why do brands change their logo?
Mostly, larger brands tweak their branding and logo in order to stay current in a fast-changing consumer market. What appealed to a consumer in 1998 is going to look old fashioned to today’s 20 year olds. The importance of looking modern and fresh varies from industry to industry. Some companies, like car manufacturers Ford and BMW have kept the same logo (with only minor adjustments) in order to portray the idea of an established, solid product who’s quality never changes.
However, technology companies and particularly social medias have to been seen to be always evolving and staying abreast of the latest trends, constantly appealing to a younger audience.
So what are the latest logo trends?
Well today’s logo trends are all about the flat, soft and minimalist look. We have seen the majority of large companies simplify their logos with less detail, veering away from serif and over stylised fonts and dropping strapline/slogan text elements leaving only the emblem or brand name to do the talking.
As a smaller business, should I be changing my logo?
While it would be nice to have the budget to have a re-brand every 5 or so years, for the smaller business, it’s not always realistic. What is important though, is ensuring that when you have your brand designed, it’s modern, appeals to your target audience and takes current logo trends into consideration. This is where hiring a professional and experienced brand designer can be highly beneficial. While anyone can throw together some words and an icon, a professional brand designer will be able to help you create a relevant, eye-catching logo that won’t go out of date.
For more information on logo design or to speak with us about your brand design project, call us today on 01382 221777.
