By Lavinia Mumford, Graphic Designer at GBS
Over the years, companies have undergone brand redesigns. Some were hardly noticeable, but others seemed to cause quite a stir among consumers, for good and bad. Why do companies feel the need to change their look, and when should you consider changing your brand? Even classic logos like Coca-Cola have evolved to stay fresh and relevant. Even the best logos need to change with the times to stay at the top of the branding game. This does not mean that your brand’s values change. On the contrary, it is a visual representation of how your company understands the evolving marketplace and their customers.
Changing your look can be a minor tweak or a major overhaul, but it still needs to be consistent with your businesses mission and values. One example is Facebook. They announced in November that they would be updating their branding to incorporate the inclusion of Instagram and WhatsApp to their company’s social media platforms.Their once iconic blue company logo will now be replaced with a colorful new all capital FACEBOOK that nicely integrates all three platforms under one umbrella.
Another example of logo redesign would be the Pepsi Cola Company. Their once complicated all lettering brand has phased into one simple red, white and blue circle. When Pepsi was first branded in the late 19th century, it was very much in the style of brands of that day. Over the years, it has evolved into a clean and easy to recognize symbol that resonates with consumers in this century.
Simplicity is the name of the branding game today. With most consumers reading everything on small phone screens, your logo will most likely be seen as a tiny square or circle on the face of an app or a profile picture on social media. Intricate logos with lots of wording get lost and are almost impossible to read. Many companies are choosing to redesign to change with technology. Starbucks is one of those. The elaborate woodcutting of a mermaid surrounded by lettering has now been replaced with a much cleaner, more colorful design.
Having said all this, at Gerber Business Solutions would like to announce our new brand.
Emily’s vision for GBS has always been to help small business owners wade through the chaos of running their companies and help them come out the other side organized and ready to tackle any situation. This idea had been symbolized with a tangled string entering Gerber Business Solutions one on side and coming out untangled and organized on the other. While this was a good representation of her mission and goals, it was also hard to read and elongated, making it impossible to use for social media profiles. She also felt the colors, which had been blue, pink and gray, needed a more professional update.
After many weeks and meetings to discuss what would symbolize GBS’ vision, we found it, staring us right in the website. Gears. GBS has grown over the past few years, and has now become a well-oiled machine. With our growing team of experts working together to solve client issues, we couldn’t think of a better icon than gears in motion, working hard for you and your small business.
With a darkening of the pink and blue of the past, to a more mature maroon, and navy, we feel we have the perfect representation of Gerber Business Solutions for 2020!
Are you thinking about a logo redesign? Or just a tweak to help you fit those tiny profile pictures? We can help! Contact us here.
Love your business Logo!!