2009 appears to be a year of rebirth. The new presidency may have something to do with or maybe our pursuit of renewable energy and conscientious living. Anyway you slice it, people are looking for change. The same can be said in the branding of many of the world’s largest companies. Pepsi, Gatorade and Mountain Dew have all changed looks. Aside from the food and beverage industries, even Best Buy has flirted with a new logo. I won’t attempt to pinpoint why all this is taking place, but change is a good thing.
As most marketing professionals will tell you, and we at urgentlogo.com feel the same, staying aggressive in a down economy will pay dividends in the long haul for your company. For most companies that wisely choose to stay transfixed on maintaining a strong marketing effort, those marketing efforts will materialize in price-point sales, special offerings and value-added messages. While those types of messages work, they risk losing significant returns on investment when you factor in the hard costs of having a blowout sale.
Part of the rationale of staying consistently active during an economic slump hinges on the fact that your competitors will most likely be reeling back marketing budgets to conserve resources. By slashing budgets, companies fail to stay in the minds of customers. And really, that’s the ultimate goal of branding – stay number one your customers’ mind. In the end, those who actively work to secure top-of-the-mind awareness will be rewarded when the recession stops.
I already mentioned companies shelling out huge revenue for sales that may cost more than they are worth, but there is another way to get your name out.
Alter your look.
Changing your logo and branding methods does three important things when trying to gain mental market share. First, it shows a dedication to improvement. After all, if 2009 has spawned an attitude of change, maybe its not a bad idea to do away with the negatives in your company’s image. Second, upgrading your image costs less than blowing a budget on shaking promotions. Most importantly, it gives people a reason to reinvest with your company by exposing them to something new, but not totally different.
Urgentlogo.com has helped several companies renovate their look. The following transformations are a best of. A quick look and you’ll see what we mean.
Custom Cinema and Sound – Fargo, North Dakota
Custom Cinema and Sound provides high-end audio-visual installation. The old logo fell short when trying to give the impression of luxury. By upgrading the colors, making the font more regal and adding some subtlety to the graphic element, we were able to achieve a look that matched Custom Cinema’s client base.
Blade Security Solutions – Bismarck, North Dakota
Sometimes a logo renovation means a small tweak or a font change. Other times, it requires a complete overhaul. That was the case with Blade Security Solutions. A security provider needs to look strong and poised. The edgy patriotic themes of the eagle; red, white and blue; and a serrated blade made the company look more like Confederate bounty hunters than a professional service. Typography, a neutral color scheme and a less literal interpretation of the word blade pulls this logo together to give off the right first impression.
Agassiz Chemical – Fargo, North Dakota
A simple color change helped Agassiz go from the neon-90s to now.
D&M Industries – Moorhead, Minnesota
D&M, which stands for Doors & More, were plagued by the curse of “attention-getting red”. Though red does evoke emotion, it doesn’t always work to be the brightest. The previous acronym doesn’t give any insight to what the company does and the vague logo didn’t help. The new logo, deepens the reds. More importantly, it shows and tells what the company provides.
The following are two examples of companies making bold statements within the industries hit hardest by the weakened economy.
Private Wealth Group – Fargo, North Dakota
Private Wealth Group decided to push the limits of Raymond James’ corporate standards to promote itself to affluent customers scorned by other faulty investors. The end result is a logo with motion that shatters the rigid traditions of the old market investing.
Mary Roos Realty “The Property Patriot” – Fargo, ND
There are nearly 500 real estate agents in the Fargo market. Each REALTOR fiercely competes for hard-earned sales. The bold and energetic Mary Roos decided to take a huge risk and make a stand in her branding efforts. The result is an unforgettable image that completely overshadows any competition be it at an open house or in a book of listings.
Making an impact doesn’t mean having to change your product or give it away for free. It means making a commitment to reach people and follow the ebb and flow of our cultural evolution. For fresh ideas and a unique spin on your current look, send urgentlogo.com a message or give us a call and we’ll put you in the forefront.
