“Do not suggest changing the logo.”
Back in 2007, my then agency, Shindy Media, was invited by the VP of Sales and Marketing of a San Diego mechanical/electrical engineering firm to help them fortify their brand.
They wanted to cement their place as a leader in their industry, and felt their current branding might be perceived as behind the times and not state-of-the-art.
We were pleased to be invited. Rebranding was our specialty (and continues to be one of my biggest passions).
But there was one disclaimer.
The CEO and founder of the company had designed the original and then-current logo of the company. The prevailing impression was that he was quite attached to this logo, and I was advised not to suggest redesigning it. Anything else could be on the table, but not the logo.
Fair enough.
In the ensuing weeks, we got to work with their senior leadership team, guiding them through a facilitated brand audit process. This process lasted several weeks, consisting of multiple group discovery and brainstorming sessions, each lasting 2 hours or so.
At no point during these sessions did I bring up or even hint about the current logo.
Several weeks in, a new direction for the company was starting to crystallize. Everyone agreed that the current brand would need a refresh.
Then, the CEO dropped a bombshell.
“Ron, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.” I replied.
“Do you think we need a new logo?”
The door had opened. I carefully responded.
“Well, in light of our group discussions and the current consensus, I believe it would be beneficial to consider updating your logo. It currently connotes tech from the 1980s, when the company was founded, but now we’re in the 2000s and both tech and design have advanced considerably. To support the cutting-edge brand direction you want to go in, I believe it is time to update your logo to support that.”
The room was silent. Then the CEO spoke.
“Great. I agree. Please submit an estimate for your team to design a new logo for us.”
Looking around the room, I could see the team was pleased.
But this outcome would never have happened if we had started the first conversation, as many newly hired agencies tend to do, with “The first thing you need to do is throw out your logo and let us design a new one for you.”
Instead, we followed a meticulous brand audit process, let it run its logical course, and enabled the participants to reach their conclusions on their own.
That is the inevitable outcome of going through a proven process.
17 Years Later…
I still often drive by their building in San Diego (I happen to live nearby).
The logo we created as a result of that brand audit process all those years ago? It’s still there, on that building.
It’s also on their website — the same website we designed for them in 2008, incorporating the new logo and visual identity system.
Happily, their revised brand identity has stood the test of time after all these years.
No doubt, that’s the result of their team having gone through a proven process to bring the ideal future into focus.
To your brand and marketing success,
