Turn of the new decade (year 2010) has witnessed a lot of logo changes and rebranding initiatives from companies around the world. Gap did it (however, their new logo lasted only a week, they quickly reversed back to the old one following a chorus of caustic criticism), PWC did it, Starbucks did it and even our very own Airtel had a new makeover.
The thing about rebranding, consumers are notoriously unreceptive to logo changes, that is something that marketers need to ignore to some extent and move forward with their strategic plans. If Starbucks’ plans are for global expansion to non-English speaking nations then their move makes sense but if they think that their logo is an ideogramic expression for coffee then its brand narcissism. PricewaterHouseCoopers are better known as PWC all over the world so, it makes sense for them to abbreviate the logo to just ‘pwc’ with a warm color panels, which can shrink and grow according to the medium and usage. In 2007, Apple dropped the word “computers” from company’s title, rightly so, take a look at their top four products Mac, iPods, iPhones and iPads, only one of them is a computer. More over, the monochromatic apple logo itself is instantly recognizable with or without the name ‘apple computers’.
In Starbucks case, dropping all text and playing up the ‘mermaid’ (or siren) suggests venturing into new territories where language is not a barrier. It also suggests the freedom and flexibility Starbucks will have in introducing new products and explore innovations. But, the question is: Is Starbucks’ new ‘mermaid’ logo clearly identifiable, without the name Starbucks in it? Especially in new territories? Or is it a case of brand narcissism?
The first level of brand narcissism is when a brand desperately wants their target audience to recognize the brand, love it and be loyal to it. There is nothing wrong with this dream, it’s natural. What is wrong is when we morph this wish into ‘strategy’ – where we force target audience to recognize the brand, expect them to love it and be loyal to it. The second level is even more dangerous, this is when a brand forgets its underlying purpose. The core attributes of Starbucks is customer service and customer engagement as long as they stay strong and resolute on these attributes brand “Starbucks” will always remain one of the world’s most powerful consumer brands.
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[...] So this coffeehouse CEO’s latest book is a natural brand extension for this coffeehouse CEO, right? If you think customers are going to pay $25.95 for your story, you’re guilty of brand narcissism. [...]
[...] So this coffeehouse CEO’s latest book is a natural brand extension for this coffeehouse CEO, right? If you think customers are going to pay $25.95 for your story, you’re guilty of brand narcissism. [...]