Regularly at the Xposure office, we are approached by clients who want a re-brand of their business, whether its due to unfortunate crises in the company or industry, or possibly that they’d just like to freshen up abit. Upon embarking on the re-branding journey however, it soon becomes apparent that for a lot of people a new brand, is just a new logo, or a change of colour or slogan here and there. But a new logo does not equal a new brand, it’s so much more than that!
While a logo is essential to get your brand recognised quickly, and with a single glance, the logo is not the be all and end all of your brand. It represents everything behind it, all the elements of your business, what your brand means to people, the experiences they’ve had and how they feel about your business.
A brand is the way your staff behave, the artwork you use, the typefaces on your literature, your slogan, how your staff dress, how you address clients, and of course your reputation. As mad as it sounds, all this information is conveyed through your logo, evoking an emotional response in your audience, which is why its important to have a fully fledged, fully developed brand before you set about changing your logo. And this is why just choosing a new logo when something goes wrong, can leave you with the same old problems.
Your brand can be built and enhanced by the way in which you call your advocates to action. Whether your messages are inspiring, brave, or a little less serious possibly abit tacky, they need to remain consistent with your strategy as a brand, so that they make sense to your audience, and your logo needs to reflect this!
Many companies have fallen foul of assuming that a new logo means a new brand, and have been left confused when they launch their new logo and nothing changes. An example of one such case of brand-misunderstanding, is from an Ontario based wine company called VQA. When hitting a wall with their audience of Canadians who wanted to drink home-grown wine, but didn’t know what was native and what wasn’t, the VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance of Ontario) knew they needed a re-brand. What they didn’t know was that a logo just wasn’t going to cut it. Instead of educating their target audience through advertising and marketing campaigns specifically designed to inform the audience of the origins of Canadian wine, the company plumped for a new logo, and were left facing the same old problems (only wearing a slightly different outfit).
It is examples such as this that leave brand marketers in dispair, with companies not fully understanding the importance of what goes on behind the logo! A re-brand needs to involve your staff, your office, your marketing literature, your website, and some serious PR. So knowing that your logo is merely a representation of all the elements of your business together (and understanding your business and target audience from the start) is essential before starting any re-brand!
So next time your considering moving your business forward, developing and adapting your company, remember the first and foremost marketers headache; “New logo does not equal new brand!”.
