The branding landscape is evolving fast. Businesses must adapt to a logo redesign or refresh strategy to stay relevant to consumer preferences. It’s because they largely depend on logos when conveying their brand identity and message to target audiences.
Many businesses need help with either refreshing or redesigning their existing logo. It is a difficult decision since customers identify a business with logos. Even a small change in the design may be challenging. This is because a brand’s loyal customers are emotionally attached to the logo. They might not welcome the new logos at once.
So, before doing anything to your existing logo design, know precisely what you want to achieve through it. There are many aspects to it.
But first, learn about some salient aspects of logo redesign and refresh. That will help you choose the right option when you change the logo.
What is a logo refresh?
A brand refresh is about subtly changing the look of your logo and other visuals. So, when you refresh your logo, it has the same design but a refreshing look. That means the target audience will recognize the refreshed logo at a glance. But they will have a new feeling for the same old logo.
You should use a logo refresh when you want customers to perceive your brand differently. So, here is when to refresh and update the logo that has already been a part of your brand identity:
- Your brand has added new products or services
- Your logo is now outdated and needs to reflect your current identity
- Your brand voice has changed
- Your logo does not look distinctive anymore
- You want to communicate with your audience in a different way
What are the key benefits of logo refresh?
Now that you plan to refresh your logo and overall brand, consider what benefits it has to offer. First, refreshing a logo is often a part of a company’s marketing strategy. That means the logo will reflect any new development in your company’s approach to reaching customers. You also convey that your brand logo might be decades old, but it is still relevant and competitive in your market niche.
Refreshing the logo also helps upgrade your brand without major changes in its core visual identity. You are still addressing the same target audience. But now, with the refreshed logo, you speak to them in a more engaging and contemporary way.
A refreshed logo is also a great help in communicating with your audience when your company is enhancing its reach in new markets. That is a potent way to drive customer attention with different backgrounds. With visually appealing elements added subtly to the old logo design, you can convey your new brand message and grab attention.
Logo refresh example
Before you start refreshing your logo, consider some examples of global brands. We can take the example of Burger King, a fast-food restaurant brand.
Burger King had a cluttered logo as its visual core identity. It had the brand name in big capital letters sandwiched between the two parts of a hamburger. Then, a blue ‘C’ encircled the hamburger shape. All that made the logo design crowded with multiple elements.
In 2021, Burger King refreshed the logo and simplified it. They updated the logo by making it flat with the C shape removed. The refreshed logo was just a simple hamburger-shaped logo. It reminds customers of the brand’s original 1969 logo, conveying that the company has served customers for decades. You can explore Burger King’s logo history to know all about its logo refresh and redesign.
After you know the benefits, find the right approach to logo refresh.
Consider these tips for logo refresh.
If your company plans to refresh its logo as part of its new marketing strategy, consider these helpful tips:
Analyze your competitors
It would be good to know your competitors in your niche market. Analyze their marketing strategies and pay attention to their logos and other visuals. Find out how they can convey their brand message using different elements in a custom logo.
An insight into what your competitors are up to and what design elements they use will guide you in creating a unique logo. Remember that your logo must look different to stand out from competitors.
Therefore, analyze competitors’ logos in your niche and find out what colors, fonts, and styles they use. Know what their brand message, taglines, and value proposition are.
You can create a distinctive brand logo after equipping yourself with the insight from competitor analysis.
Know your key brand message
Make sure that you know your brand message very well. Your main information points are your key message. Rebranding logo enables you to share this information with your target audience.
So, the message is your immediate idea about your brand and what it offers to customers. It is about what your brand stands for and how it differs from your competitors.
Use elements that reflect your brand values
Now that you know your brand message, it is time to reflect it through your logo refresh. When refreshing the logo, find out the elements to replace. Keep your new message in mind as well.
Your logo colors, fonts, etc., should convey what your brand is all about and what it offers. With such a short statement or brand message, you can position it in your niche market amid the target audience. Refresh your logo so that it becomes your distinctive visual identity.
But logo refresh is not always the right approach for every brand. Sometimes, brands want to overhaul their previous logo as part of their new strategy to showcase the business in a new light. So, they go for a brand or logo redesign.
What is a logo redesign?
A logo redesign is about changing an existing logo design completely. Often, a redesigned logo looks entirely different from its previous version. The significant logo changes may make it look like the company has changed its visual identity.
Here is when you need a logo redesign:
- You added new products or services to your business, and the old logo does not reflect those developments
- You want to target a new set of customers
- You want to change customers’ perception of your brand
- You find out that your existing logo looks similar to your competitors’ new company logo designs
- The current logo design is outdated
- Expectations in your business and industry have changed
What are the key benefits of logo redesigning?
Redesigning your existing logo will benefit your business in many ways. Here are some of them:
- You will drive the attention of your new audience to new products or services
- You can build new customer perceptions
- Your business gets a refined visual identity
- Stand out from your customers in the changed market circumstances
Logo redesign example
Airbnb is a platform where people can connect with others to locate places to stay and enjoy food as tourists. Its logo was previously just the company’s name in handwritten letters in white with a blue shade.
It was a simple company name and did not convey the brand’s purpose and personality much. As the hospitality Services Company grew with time, it redesigned its logo.
In 2014, the company redesigned its logo to give it meaning and purpose. The new company logo is entirely different from the previous brand identity. This time, the logo shapes as the rounded letter ‘’A’’ but appears welcoming to the guests.
Also, the logo looks like a pin, symbolizing the location people search for while traveling. So, it is a redesign that conveys the company’s hospitality business. Not only Airbnb, but there have been many companies choosing the way to redesign their brandmark. Nokia redesigned its logo, Reddit redesigned its logo, and many other brands did the same.
What to consider for logo redesigning?
When redesigning your logo, ensure you are prepared to overhaul the design. You should adopt a careful approach since the redesign is about completely changing your brand’s core visual identity.
Here are the main considerations:
Know why you need a logo redesign
First, you must have a solid reason for a new logo. Your customers are already familiar with the existing logo and they might also be emotionally attached to it.
You can only make the right decisions when you know why you’re doing it.
Think about the purpose of rebranding and how it can help you expand your business. Once you do that, perform a complete competitive analysis to look for elements that help other companies grow.
Know your brand values and mission
First, you should revisit your mission statement and values to discover what new things you have added. Since your business has grown in many ways in past decades, its values and mission will change. Therefore, write down your business mission statement before redesigning an existing logo.
Find out where you see your business in the next few decades and set your vision and mission statement accordingly. How you can create your brand’s future will be your mission.
Backed by such clarity, you can pick the right colors, fonts, slogans, and other elements to redesign your logo.
Understand your precise brand message
A logo takes its brand’s core message to the target audience. When people see such a logo, they get the right message signaling through colors, fonts, etc., incorporated into the design.
Therefore, when redesigning an existing logo, know what message it should now express. Find out your new brand message and write it down on paper. Then, pick colors, fonts, etc., accordingly.
The recreated logo must reflect your brand’s new objectives. It should make the message visible to your target customers.
Which one is right for you?
Now, it should be clear to you that you must first fully know your brand’s future goals, mission, new values, and target audience. These are the major parameters to know when refreshing or redesigning an existing logo.
If your business is just a few years old, avoid refreshing or redesigning its logo. This is because people have started to identify your business with the design.
Therefore, start tweaking or redesigning your logo only when you have faith and confidence in your customers. They should not switch their loyalty after what you do with the logo.
So, these are the major aspects of logo redesign and logo refresh. Make a wiser choice between the two.
If you are still deciding, let a professional handle the job. Visit Designhill to get your logo refreshed or redesigned. There are experienced logo designers on this leading marketplace. They can suggest and do what is needed. They can finish your logo work quickly per your design brief.
You can also try out the site’s logo maker to create a logo all by yourself. Input your preferences like colors, icons, fonts, etc., and the software will create a logo for your business.
Wrapping Up
Logo refresh and logo redesign are the two prominent ways businesses can revamp their visual identity. A logo refresh keeps the existing logo design and makes minor but significant changes. But redesigning a logo is about ultimately having a new logo to convey a shift in a brand’s message, mission, values, and personality. So ensure that you know their different aspects before picking the right option.
