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3 Logo Makeovers: 3 Reasons for a Brand Refresh

Autumn must be the time of year for updating brands – there seem to be several high profile changes recently. As companies evolve and markets change, brand gurus try to reflect new attributes and appeal to new market segments through relevant upgrades to their corporate identities. Often companies that are approaching a milestone, such as an anniverary, will deem it time to update their image. Changes in the nature of the business, the marketplace, public perceptions, trends, or the company’s mission also can justify a change. Below are three recent examples of corporations that recently responded to change with just such a makeover.

Changing Consumer Demand: Arby’s

I recently wrote about Wendy’s upcoming image remake and their accompanying planned changes to their restaurants and menu. Arby’s, in the same fast-food market, has similar updates planned in their attempt to appeal to health-conscious consumers looking for fast food choices that are also healthy, organic and interesting. Responding to competition from other chains, both Wendy’s and Arby’s see the importance of updating their menus and the importance of reflecting positive changes in their image. (Read more on these changes at Arby’s in a great article from NPR.)

I’ve always enjoyed the cowboy hat in the Arby’s logo, but am not a fan of the new bevel or extruded filter on the shape now. It seems unnecessary and a little dated. The typography of the name “Arby’s” has changed to all lower case, and the apostrophe now has an odd design in it, one I assume MIGHT be representative of a meat slicer? It’s hard to tell. The new tagline, however, is “Slicing Up Freshness™.” All this emphasis on sliced meat is perhaps due to the popularity of fresh-sliced meats such as Boar’s Head and an appeal to the postive image of fresh deli sandwiches.

 

Changing Technology and Marketplace: USA Today

USA Today, approaching its 30th anniversary and in the midst of a comprehensive sea change in the very nature of newspapers and print media, has redesigned its logo/masthead in a fresh, minimalistic remake that references the original logo yet moves ahead in a versatile, modern and concise way. I really like the simplicity of this change and the appropriateness of the symbolism. The new mark evolves the dated blue globe of the original logo into a simple, large circle that will vary in color to encompass diverse news sections and topics. It has a sleeker look, similar to many website icons. The new brand and the fresh page design reference a future for the newspaper that is open to all the electronic avenues into which media will flow. (Read an excellent review of the USA Today changes at The Branding Source.)

 

Changing Internal/Corporate Structure: Duke Energy

A third inspiration for a brand redesign is when a corporation’s structure changes and grows. Duke Energy is updating its logo to reflect the acquisition of another power company, Progress Energy. You want an image that remains comfortable to consumers of both brands but relevant to the evolution of the overall business. When you view these two logos side by side with the new one, you can see the attempt to retain characteristics from both marks. The most drastic change overall is in the color palette – moving to blues and greens, probably to reflect a more earth-friendly, sustainable image in a marketplace that is increasingly attentive to such concerns.

These marketing changes illustrate the importance of keeping your brand fresh. A total redesign is generally not necessary, but unless your logo is established as a thoroughly iconic image (by that I mean you are Coke or McDonalds!), most logos and marks need to consistently be evaluated and evolve over time to avoid becoming stale and giving the public an impression you do not want. Time to get started?

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.
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On the Psychology of Marketing: Fear, Anxiety, Profit?

The psychology behind marketing and sales

Whether a flyer for your local restaurant or a million dollar Madison Avenue campaign, marketing succeeds by stimulating triggers in your psychological make-up. “Save money.” “Feel better about yourself.” “Eat.” Often the flashpoint marketers want to reach in order to get you to act is found in your anxiety and fears – fear of being left behind, not being “good” enough, not being a part of what everyone else is doing. Whether this is ultimately good or bad is debatable, but as consumers we should be aware of how and why we spend our money. Caveat emptor. It is also something to consider when you as a marketer of your own business are shaping your brand and business culture. An essential question is do you want to meet the needs of consumers by playing off of their insecurity, anxiety or fear of the future?

The latest crop of television ads, mostly for smartphones or tech gadgets, portray people hopelessly outdated and behind the times because they don’t have constant access to pics or information that happened only seconds before. They sit sadly in the dull past of a few moments ago while their friends gloat and brag about their knowing the latest thing. AT&T’s 4G network bases their new campaign on the slogan “Don’t be left behind” – ine commercial even plays off the punchline: “That’s so 2 seconds ago.” Samsung and others are using the same approach. The fear these companies are targeting is the current, media-fed, universal concern that we are overwhelmed in a sea of quickly changing technological advancements and must struggle to stay on top of the latest trends. It is an impossible task – one that over time we will come to terms with by realizing no one can or should be on top of EVERY tech innovation. But that time has not arrived yet… we have an emotional reaction to each new app, social media site, or tech gadget that we PERCEIVE to have been adopted by all the folks on the cutting edge, therefore meaning we have failed to stay current. We’ve always tried to keep up with the Joneses, but the pace of change has made that more and more difficult.

Now the flip side of this argument is that these companies are offering you the chance to make your life easier, to stay current – rather than putting you down for not having their timesaving invention they are offering you the chance to join their team, to be part of the in-crowd. Yet the tool being used to push your emotional buttons and incite you to action is an assault on your sense of security, an attempt to speak to your fear of being left behind.

You can see this tactic throughout advertising – sometimes subtely but frequently in an unapologetic effort to make consumers feel less than whole. Are you young enough, pretty enough, thin enough? Do you dress well, have fresh breath, a clear complexion? Don’t be overweight, bald, depressed, tired, hungry, uneducated, out of touch, out of fashion. Compare yourself to these young, rich, sexy, carefree, overachieving images – feel inferior, and then react by consuming.

Not all advertising works through this channel. Marketing can appeal to the more noble aspects of the consumer and can be the basis for providing people with information they need to improve their lives, health, and self concept. Truly believing in your product or service is a great home base for starting your marketing message. A great example of a well-known campaigns that begins with this starting point is L’Oreal – “because you’re worth it,” currently celebrating its 40th year. Dove launched its Campaign for Real Beauty campaign featuring “non-traditional” or more full figured models and sought to reach women by encouraging their self esteem rather than playing to their insecurities. The first few years saw an increase in sales, but eventually the campaign tanked and critics noted Dove did not stay true to it’s insistence on the “realness” of beauty! Note that self-esteem seems to be an enemy of cosmetic and beauty supply sales!

Much marketing seeks to meet the very real needs of consumers with an appeal to logic and financial sense rather than an emotional appeal. Whenever a store offers a coupon, sale or merchandising discount, they are offering a benefit to the consumer which will save them money. It is an encouragement to make a rational decision in your own best interest which also benefits the seller. In a competitive marketplace however, marketers have learned the power a psychological approach.

The psychological component of successful marketing is a rich and interesting field. As you seek to market your own business, service or online venture, give yourself the time to consider the “voice” of your brand, the conversation you will be having with your public. Playing to fear and anxiety has proven a successful marketing strategy, but it is also not the only successful one. Many times humor is used to let us laugh at ourselves rather than feel criticized. It is essential that you be aware of the voice you give your brand. Something to consider!

 

Rely on your printer for advice and direction in shaping your brand and bringing it to life. They should be able to provide you with everything from encouragement all the way to the complete design, layout, copywriting, production, multi-purposing and distribution of your marketing outreach. If they can’t, you have the wrong printer! The best advice, always, is to ASK YOUR PRINTER!

ImageSmith is a full-service print and marketing provider located in Arden, North Carolina. Contact us at ImageSmith for quotes on all your marketing projects, and more useful tips on how to create custom, effective, high impact marketing solutions.