Like everyone else, I’m throwing my two cents in at Yahoo’s decision to update its logo. And like everyone else, I must admit, I’m becoming so used to these sterile logo redesigns that it almost doesn’t even elicit a response from me.
A “meh” will suffice.
But seriously, what is with this trend of companies feeling the “let’s-redesign-our-logo!”-itch when their current one was just dandy? Especially brands like Yahoo, which, in all honesty, were already struggling.
It’s almost as if they believe, deep down, that a redesign will magically rebrand their company and make their stock tick up a few points.
As if people will forget what a crappy company they were to begin with. Sorry, but I don’t think people are that stupid (or have that short of an attention sp—squirrel! Okay, maybe.)
So while this might create buzz for a day, it doesn’t work. Not really.
Focusing solely on the logo as the be-all-end-all of your brand is a mistake. Click To Tweet
Here’s why
As a designer, I’ll be the first to tell you, if you have a horrendous logo, it will hold your company back.
But, on the flip side, having an amazing logo does not guarantee that your company will succeed either.
While this hardly seems fair, here’s why. Focusing solely on the logo as the be-all-end-all of your brand is a mistake. It’s putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. And this is where people have confusing—and conflicting—ideas about what a logo is and what a brand is.
A logo is just a visual mark to symbolize your company. A brand is a promise; it’s your reputation of what your company offers. Your brand builds equity over time, like a house. And just like a house, it can add or lose value.
Therein lies the clincher
If you have a floundering company like Yahoo, there are things inherently wrong that need addressing. Repainting a lemon car is not going to fix it.
It might make it pretty for a few days, and people might take a peek out of curiosity, but they’ll soon discover that things haven’t changed and the car is still broken; they’ll move on.
But, if you have a strong business with a good product or service, then redesigning your logo absolutely makes a difference.
Because all a redesign does is match what’s on the outside with what’s on the inside. Or at least it should.
This is why redesigning your logo will not, and cannot, by itself save your company. What Yahoo did ended up being cosmetic only.
But if you’re in a similar boat, instead of despairing, get thinking.
Ask yourself:
- Does my business have something of value to offer?
- Why should people buy from me?
- What do I need to fix?
- What am I doing right?
- What am I doing wrong?
- Will my business still be relevant 5,10, 20 years from now?
If Yahoo had asked themselves these very questions, instead of a dull new-ish logo, we might have seen some real changes take place.
How do feel about Yahoo’s redesign?
Epic fail, or smart move? Is there ever a good time to redesign a company’s logo?
Sheila Patterson is the owner and Creative Director behind Apex Creative. GCU professor by day, brand identity expert by night, she loves all things related to design. When she's not creating amazing logos and websites, you can find Sheila tormenting her husband and two feline furbabies, catching the latest Game of Thrones episode, or reading a good book.
Naps are nice too.
6 Comments. Leave new
Yikes, Sheila. I am going to respectively disagree with you on Yahoo! being a crappy company. On the contrary, I think it’s holding its own against Google and that’s not easy to do, especially with Bing on their heels. Having said that, I don’t agree that a bad logo “will hold your company back.” That places too much emphasis on one area of design. Would the Nike swoosh work in today’s very public forum or even the Apple for that matter? But I could be wrong. I would love to hear from other people and very much appreciate your post, Sheila. ~ Best, Kathy
Hi Kathy,
sorry for the long delay, was out of town! It’s fine to disagree, and I’m no expert, I’ve just gotten the sense that Yahoo as a company overall is/was not doing so hot. So my impression is, that this was a last ditch frantic effort to fix itself, which if true, is the wrong way to go about things
I do think that initially a companies logo reflects who they are and their product or service. Meaning hopefully you know who they are by just there swish or apple icon over time as the brand is built. For example starbucks changed their logo several times and it is the coffee and atmosphere people keep coming back not the mermaid logo. Most everyone knows the logo whether they indulge in starbucks or not.
Also we recognize nike shoes swish, whether we wear them or not.This being said, I am not one who thinks that recent logo updates from ebay or yahoo were needed, especially since they are did nothing to stand out. Does the change make a difference for either, not to me, if I use and like their service I still will because I have been already.Yes the logo updates are big in the media for a short time but eventually they are just left with their customer base and service standards. Do they service their customers well? Do customers return? etc.
As a designer, I personally think yahoo and ebay logos insult the art of graphic design, but I am not everyone! Designers get paid and so therefore have to design for clients who have their own ideas and ultimately clients give payment.
Hi Sandia,
thanks for reading! I totally agree, and that was the whole point of this article; unless there’s a deeper change/meaning to a company’s rebranding, the effect is short lived and shallow. The real test of time will be to see if people keep coming back, like you said. So I guess we’ll see
Ooh, ya my dad mentioned this to me. I think that their new logo makes sense. It’s more geared towards what they are geared towards now, which is women. The older one does look very 90’s, which is when I think it was the most popular and the most far reaching (not so female driven.) So… I dunno. It’s more current, I don’t know why everyone’s picking on them. The drawback in changing a logo is that it can steer people off track, I think, because, even though Yahoo was floundering, it still was recognizable. Do they still do that “yahooooooo” jingle? I don’t know, just my two cents.
Hi Brigitte, thanks for reading! While I agree Yahoo was long overdue for a logo update, the real problem lies with their business model/services. They’ve been on the decline for years, and this feels like a last-ditch desperate attempt to fix it. But they have it backwards. Just changing the logo doesn’t change their company. Not to mention the new logo is, as many others have observed, rather sterile and lifeless. Needless to say, it has not been very well received, and if they were smart, they would listen to their customer’s feedback