Updating your logo?
Should it be a complete rebrand or a refresh?
If you have a logo that has been done well by an experienced designer in the first place you will not be looking to rebrand, what you would do is a freshen up.
Most big brands have logos that endure. Why? They avoid trends and are more likely to be strong simple designs that are easily recognised and distinctive. The logo should reflect their values. If big brands choose to change the logo, generally they are just small changes and in many cases the customers are not even aware of the change. You will find that in most cases the colours remain the same… have a look at Aldi’s new logo done in 2017.
Smart Company reported that ALDI said the logo update was to reflect the contemporary image of ALDI and key developments it has recently undertaken.
ALDI has a simple concept, high-quality products at the best possible price.
I really see this as a refresh of the brand rather than a rebrand. It is still recognisable as ALDI with the same colours and basic design. People would not have been confused and thought they were in the wrong place.
When designing logos I try to make the look timeless and that means the client would not be out of pocket and looking to change in the near future. What many brands do is simply change the brand graphics to make it more contemporary. Recently a charity I designed a logo for about 10 years ago had a complete rebrand. I was shocked as the old logo was still relevant and in my opinion it was an utter waste of money. Charities should be conserving their money. The change was radical and really all that was needed was a refresh… the cost to implement the change will be expensive and really unnecessary. It would have been interesting to know the rationale behind the change. Unfortunately in some cases the decision makers have been badly advised. Or more often the case is people want to leave their mark.
Good reasons you would need to do a complete rebrand:
• That the logo is dated and does not match your brand values.
• It may have been done cheaply without the expertise of an experienced designer and it looks unprofessional.
• The design could be too complicated and hard to reproduce. Keep it simple.
• Business has had a change in direction or a merger has happened.
In a few cases I have recommended that the business not change the logo and instead suggested creating new brand graphics that would lift it. Those new brand graphics can be used across the board.
If you are considering changing your logo completely, ask yourself why? If you have valid reasons to change the logo I suggest you look at it as an investment and hire an experienced designer who specialises in branding. You should expect to get at least 20 years out of it and perhaps refresh the brand graphics along the way. Even after 20 years it may just need tweaking like Aldi.
