If you were to open a magazine and see an entirely blank page that contained only a swoosh image, you would likely immediately recognize the “Nike” logo.
Seeing the symbol may trigger thoughts of Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan or cause you to picture sweat-laden celebrity athletes training intensely.
That’s the beauty of a brand. It’s not just a logo. It’s not just a tagline. It is a composite portrait of who an organization is and the perception customers will have when they think of the elements of that brand.
Picture your brand as the face, voice and mind of your organization. The face is the visuals or graphics, the voice is your tagline identity, and the mind is your messaging and vision.
As a company reevaluates its branding, it must first consider if it’s trying to be evolutionary or revolutionary. In other words, is the company refreshing a brand with a strong history or legacy, or is their existing brand fatally flawed and in need of a complete overhaul?
Many organizations with well-established brands have modified their logos to make them usable across a wider range of mobile applications. Telecommunications leader AT&T has an iconic globe-shaped logo that was originally launched in 1983, then underwent updates in 1998, 2005 and 2016. In its most recent iteration, the AT&T logo incorporates a brighter blue, smoother curves, and improved positive/negative balance to better reflect its positioning as a global leader with powerful new acquisitions and partnerships.
If your company is evaluating its branding, we suggest following these essential steps.
- Companies first need to slow down enough to have an awareness of who they are and who they want to be. Identify your vision and mission and make sure employees have a clear understanding of this. Uber recently rebranded in an effort redefine its reputation as a company that serves not only the luxury customer, but people from all walks of life.
- Involve all key stakeholders in the initial meetings to ensure everyone is heard and is on the same page. When we were hired by a major university to save their floundering rebranding efforts, we made sure the president and vice presidents were all in the room at the inception of the project to ensure a consensus vision.
As a design firm, our goal is to visually represent your company’s mission. What we design for you should be a reflection of what we have heard from you.
A collaborative approach is essential, because we want our clients to feel vested in the process and have a sense of ownership.
Is your company interested in rebranding? Visit us at deverdesigns.com or call 301-776-2812.