Does your logo represent your brand well?

There is a wide variety of companies out there which cater to an even wider consumer base in the world; there is literally a market for every single age group. So narrowing down your target market in order for your brand to communicate effectively is essential. And this is where the Graphic Designer comes in, my goal is to consider a company’s values, target market and what it is trying to communicate and try to encapsulate all that in a symbol. This symbol is commonly referred to in the business world as a logo and takes time to culminate, and when done properly it will resonate with the client’s consumers.

A logo is a graphic mark or emblem used most commonly by businesses, organisations and even individuals to gain public recognition. Their origin can even be traced back to religious symbols, such as the Christian cross, which were used to express the moral values of a society and its teachings. They are also most effective when they appeal to intellect and emotions. Symbols are also known to suggest an image, idea, belief or action. Joseph Campbell suggests that “A symbol is an energy evoking and directing agent”. So in essence when a logo is created it has to be created with the intention of taking on a life of its own. Why you may ask? Well simply because it’s going to exist in the real world and its going to require that you extend it into your corporate identity.

Some of the most successful companies and organisations in the world are in their position because of a solid logo which extends into their corporate identity and products/services e.g. Coca Cola, Samsung, Google, LG, Lego, BMW, Walmart, Pepsi etc. The colours, line weight, and shapes each one of them used is specific to their markets and the extensions they have. The simplest of brands can require the longest time to perfect. I think that quite a lot can be learnt from well branded companies.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_identity

http://www.famouslogos.net/images/famous-logos.jpg

Rebranding a Company

Every now and then companies seek out the assistance of a graphic Designer with their brand image, to either elevate it or change it completely. When a company rebrands it is either because their brand is is failing to succeed or it is ready evolve in the business world and gain further recognition. Rebranding is a strategy undergone by a company to change its name, term, symbol or design thereof. The intention is to re-establish the brand in the minds of the consumer, Investors and competitors. These changes are aimed at dispelling any negative connotations which were previously associated with the brand. In rebranding a company is able to reposition itself and communicate effectively.

A company may also want to rebrand if it is entering into a new line of business that is not in line with its current brand identity e.g. Apple changing from being Apple Computers so simple being known as Apple. Relevancy is also a cause for change as the identity must reflect the company’s current positioning of itself. And sometimes competition can serve as a catalyst for change; a competitor’s image can render your company’s as old outdated. Rebranding may be the only way for a company to regain its foothold in the market. A shining example of this is Microsoft, a company which has undergone a gradual rebranding of its products between 2011 and 2012 following the release of the Windows Phone 7. It also changed its logo, services and website to adapt to the market and compete with frontrunners like Apple and Google in its sector. It is considered wise for a company to inform its customers of its rebranding so that they won’t be completely shocked when it does happen.

For a past school project I had the opportunity to pick a company I thought needed a new identity and rebrand it completely. The company I chose is Retrofontein, a street wear brand characterised by its use of bright bold patterns in its clothing designs. The company started in 2012 and is based in Johannesburg. The target market is 16 to 25 year old males and females living in urban areas attending high school and tertiary. The problem I found with the company is that its previous logo did not reflect its products and neither did the brand extension (of which there was very little). So I was tasked with the creation of a brand identity which would stand out amongst the competition and reflect their offering to the market. I came up with a logotype for them with a repetitive pattern in movement and then I abstracted an element from it to create a pattern for the brand extension. The new logo and brand extension I created for them reflects who they are what they do and it gives them a new competitive advantage.  So what do you think of the new brand identity?

Old logo.

New Logo.

Business card.

Letterhead

Flyer.

Poster/Magazine advert.

Billboard.

References:
http://aytm.com/blog/research-junction/rebranding-essentials-why-rebrand/
http://www.pencilscoop.com/2013/04/5-amazing-examples-of-successful-rebranding/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebranding

kulula’s controversial rebranding

Figure 1: kulula airline


Figure 2: South African Airways airline

To recap on past branding events you might have missed, in March 0f 2013 kulula revealed their new branding strategy. This branding was primarily focused on rebranding their line of fleets with the slogan ‘The Most South African Airways’. Now if you happen to ignore the first two words in the phrase you might notice the distinct resemblance it bears to the brand name of another well known airline. At the official press conference Nadine Damen, kulula’s Marketing Manager spoke of how proud they were of the slogan and hoped it would be received well by their target audience. It goes without mention that the company being copied, South African Airways was pretty peeved about the move.

Now since its inception in 2001 khulula prides itself in being the only privately owned airline in the country, now South African Airways on the other hand was founded in 1934 after the South African Government acquired Union Airways. South African Airways has higher brand recognition because of how long it has been with the country. The re-branding proposed by kulula boasted the phrase “The Most South African Airways” written on the side of the planes in a font suspiciously similar to  the one used by South African Airways to brand their planes. To put the last nail in the coffin the back tail of their planes utilised the South African flag in graphic representation similar to the South African Airways logo.

A few days after the unveiling of the “new” branding strategy kulula held yet another awkward press conference promising to review their proposed branding. This came after a number of people voiced their concerns over the company’s proposed rebranding of their fleet and South African Airways having lodged a complaint with The Advertising Standards Authority.

This was not a wise move for kulula as they went through all that trouble to be labelled as copycats at the end of the day. One out of plain curiosity is compelled to try and decipher why they would go through so much trouble to rebrand themselves in a way which would make them  similar to their biggest competitor. The last time I checked company’s re/branded in order to stand apart from their competitors. This little stunt they pulled is akin to Nandos advertising, its hilarious.

Reference: 

http://www.news24.com/Travel/Flights/kulula-launches-controversial-rebranding-20130306

http://wallstreet.platinumdeplus.com/south-african-airways-against-kulula/

http://www.flightsforafrica.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/9.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Airways

Throwback Monday: Waya Waya

Hi, itsThrowback Monday today and this is when I post past work that I have done, do enjoy. This was the first proper logo I produced in first year and the first 70% (of many to come) that I ever got for a brief. The brief was to create a logo for a beverage of choice. I chose do do an energy drink  and named it 'WAYA WAYA' which is a slang word for 'on and on'. The idea was to create a typographic logo which would appeal to a young active audience (16 - 25), living in urban areas, and it had to depict motion .It was a struggle to get to the final design, but it all worked out in the end.