The main purpose of a logo is to make a brand easily recognizable by people. Therefore, the more a business’s brand is recognizable, the easier it can become successful.
However, a time may come when a business may need to change their logo for one reason or the other. For example, if a logo does not truly represent the company’s mission and vision, they may need to update it.
Even companies such as Yahoo, Starbucks, Uber, Twitter, PayPal, Facebook, Google, and Instagram keep on updating their logos from time to time.
But when and how should a business update its logo design? There are several reasons which can cause a business to update their logo.
Reasons Why a Business Should Update Their Logo
Here are some of the signs that show it’s time to update a logo.
When your logo becomes outdated
Times are changing, and no logo will remain relevant forever. Therefore, if new trends and modern design overtake a logo, you should update it. As technology keeps on advancing, likewise, people’s tastes and perceptions change over time.
Just like a house painted twenty years ago looks old, so does an old logo look out-of-class. Customers can spot an old logo that perceives the company as old-fashioned. Ideally, you should update your business logo once every five years to keep up with the trends.
Change in the business model
Businesses keep on changing to remain relevant. Due to the evolving world, a business may end-up venturing into new opportunities and therefore making their logo irrelevant.
In such a situation, the logo will no longer portray the true company’s image. Consequently, you must update the logo so that it can rhyme with your current business model.
When rebranding
In case a business fails to meet the projected growth, you may decide to rebrand and renter the market with a new brand image.
When that happens, you should also update your logo to match your new brand image so that you can attain the purpose of rebranding.
When your marketing campaign is slow
A new business may experience slow marketing returns, such as low conversion rates, slow traffic, and high bounce rates, which may be due to poor brand penetration.
Low marketing returns may be due to people not connecting well with your brand. Therefore, you should update your logo as it the first thing that portrays your brand.
A complex or poor logo design
Start-up companies may invest low in the initial logo design and end up with poor quality or complex logos. For example, a logo may have too many details or gradient which don’t translate well on a digital platform.
Similarly, a start-up business may have a limited budget and end-up with the poor logo design, which they can update later when they establish their brand.
What You Should Consider Before Updating Your Logo
When the time comes for updating your business logo, you should consider several things before you begin the process.
Using an Online Logo Maker
If you are going to make your own logo, you might want to consider using a logo maker. An online logo maker allows you to make your logo in about 10 minutes and is very affordable. Logomyway.com has the best logo maker online and thousands of creative logo designs to select from. Once you decide what your company name is, it’s time to edit the logo by changing shapes, logo fonts and colors. After you are finished designing the logo you can instantly download the logo you have created. You will receive high-resolution files including the EPS, JPEG, PNG and GIF.
1. Is your logo highly identifiable?
Businesses that have been in existence for many years are usually easily identifiable by many people. For example, anybody can recognize a Nike swoosh anywhere. Therefore, such a company may hold back on overhauling its logo fully so that it can still retain its meaning and power.
2. Preserving brand history
A brand history is important in preserving the business principles. Brand evangelists and loyalists can feel offended if a business goes ahead and changes its logo completely. For instance, Apple customers identify with the company’s logo – An apple with a bite- and they wouldn’t be able to adopt a new logo design.
3. Minimal changes to give a new look
If you need to retain your original design when updating your logo, you should find the minimum changes that will give your logo a fresh look. For example, Google keeps on updating its logo but still keeps the original look. They achieve this by just changing the font of their logo.
4. Logo application
The last thing you should consider is the usage of your logo. The place where your logo will appear matters a lot. Some logo designs are more suited for digital presentation and they don’t rhyme well with the offline display. A construction company’s logo appears even on its vehicles, and the design should adapt well to such applications as well as on paper and the internet.
Updating Your Business Logo Design Is Crucial
It is important to update your business logo after a few years, in case you need to rebrand, or you have changed your business model. However, the process should be undertaken with caution and with the help of professional logo designers to ensure you don’t end–up affecting your business negatively.