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Speed Dial: 60-Second Marketing Insight Newsletter
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Starbucks Coffee Logo
BEFORE
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Starbucks Coffee
Logo
AFTER
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Have you seen the
new
Starbucks Coffee
logo?
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My friend Jim Karle pointed it out to
me two weeks ago, and right away you'll notice that in the new logo, they've simplified the
graphic, moved to a monochromatic green, and dropped the 'Starbucks Coffee' wording
altogther.
So... is this new logo a good move for
Starbucks?
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In general, the more simple a brand logo is, the more quickly consumers can reference it in
their minds. World-class brands like Mercedes, Nike, and Apple have distilled their logos into clean,
concise, instantly-recognizable graphics that breakthrough the clutter of a crowded
marketplace.
Starbucks has also removed all the wording from its new logo, which is a bold move. Why
would they do this? The
Motley Fool sums up my hypothesis, that they have plans for non-coffee
expansion:
"The Starbucks brand -- poster-child of the experience economy-- has always been
about
more than the beans. The company took a commodity and, through quality control,
innovation, and interior decorating, made it into a luxury experience. Over time, it has
built a brand, and a very loyal customer base. [And] what do you do with a
loyal customer base? ... sell them more stuff, of
course."
How Dunkin' Donuts Does It
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Dunkin' Donuts Logo
BEFORE
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Dunkin' Donuts has taken a different approach. For years, the company had an iconic
fuschia-and-orange logo and ads centered around the "time to make the donuts" idea, which focused on
the freshness of its baked goods versus those found in supermarkets.
Somewhere along the way, however, the marketers at Dunkin' Donuts discovered that while
doughnuts were all well & good, the company's coffee had developed a cult
following- - and that its java could definitely go head-to-head with Starbucks. As a result,
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Dunkin'
Donuts Logo
AFTER
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the Dunkin' Donuts logo was expanded to add a graphic of a coffee cup. It is still a very
simple, uncluttered logo, and it does an exceptional job of redefining the firm's focus.
And like Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts makes another smart move: it has evolved its brand image
gradually. The color & style of these coffee logos are true to the previous iterations.
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Why Logos Matter: They're Trusted & Familiar Long-Term Relationships
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Familiarity and comfort are an important part of a brand's relationship with its consumers.
Think about it like this: if you're used to seeing the same person day after day or even
year after year, and all of a sudden their appearance changes completely- - wouldn't that do a
number on you psychologically? Of course! And so it is with the visual representation
a brand presents to the world.
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If you're expecting
Nic Cage...
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... Gwen Stefani is going to throw you
for a loop.
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When you make a dramatic change to your brand logo, you run the risk of alienating your
consumers, just as Tropicana and The Gap did in the past few years- - to disastrous
results.
Sleepless in Seattle?
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Seattle's Best Coffee Logo
BEFORE
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That may be the fate that awaits the third coffee logo in our case study examples.
Seattle's Best Coffee (a subsidiary of Starbucks, interestingly enough), completely changed
their look in May 2010. The new coffee logo for Seattle's Best is still being rolled out across
retail establishments and into American grocery stores.
Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz says, "this is not, let's just wake up one day and change our logo",
so we have to assume that the change was carefully considered, even though some critics are
comparing the new Seattle's Best Coffee logo to "blood, oil
& tears."
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Seattle's Best Coffee
Logo
AFTER
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There's only one valid reason to make such a dramatic shift: what your brand is doing isn't
working- - at all- - and you're willing to chuck everything in order to reach new market segments
and new customer groups.
In that case, if your brand is the equivalent of a wild-eyed Nicholas Cage, and you want to be as
sleek as Gwen Stefani, drastic measures are warranted. Just remember that your old consumers, the
ones who used to hang out with Nic, won't necessarily want to pal around with Gwen- - so you'd
better be sure you'll be able to attract more than enough new followers to replace them.
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The Consumer, Not the Design Firm, is the Ultimate
Authority on Logo Changes
A
logo is the visual representation of your brand, the "face" you put to your product or service. Over time,
that face becomes associated with certain emotions, experiences, and expectations in the minds of your
consumers/ customers.
I
f
you have a clearly-defined business objective that could require you to change your logo, get in front of
your current customers and listen objectively to their feedback. Conduct focus groups with your prospective
consumers so you can get a candid perspective as to their point-of-view. The strategic insights &
practical direction they provide will be absolutely invaluable as you plan your next steps. If I can help you
in any way, just let me know.
Here's to brewing up great things in the weeks & months ahead!
- Marie
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SCHEDULE CHANGE REMINDER: Because I’m writing more in-depth marketing reports
& increasing my speaking commitments, Speed Dial will now be
published every other Tuesday. As always, thanks for joining
me…
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