I am absolutely convinced that some people believe a logo can be changed on a whim! I was reading another blog recently and came 
across some interesting comments about my company, BNI. The graphic designer said on her blog (referring to BNI), “…the organization is wonderful, they do great work, but their logo is SO ’80s… really needs to be punched up and brought into the new world!”
Of course, since the company started in 1985, she made an assumption that the logo was done in the ’80s. It wasn’t. It was designed in the mid ’90s, with a minor revision around 2002. Her comments really got me thinking about some other major brands and their logos, some of which haven’t changed for almost 100 years!
Take a look at some of these logos: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Disney and IBM. These babies haven’t changed for many, many, years. 
Talk about “so ’80s“…what about ’60s? Anybody for ’50s, ’40s… or turn of the century?
You see, the secret to branding is not about being pretty, sexy or modern; it’s about credibility and identity. Within my company, BNI, we have been building a brand for more than two decades. When I started the company in the early ’80s, we had an entirely different logo. I made changes every couple of years until I learned about the need to be consistent, to establish a brand and leave the logo alone! 
We adopted what we use now in the mid-’90s (with that minor revision in 2002) and it is currently a registered trademark in almost three dozen countries! To change the logo now would be a major undertaking, not to mention a great way to dilute my brand recognition in all those countries. That is exactly what you do when you mess with your logo…Coca-Cola knows this, McDonald’s knows this, IBM and Disney know this. Changing a logo for an international company is not just changing brochures and signs. It involves major trademark issues 
with international repercussions.
You see, there is a difference between being up-to-date with your marketing materials and changing your main identity in the marketplace. Most people have their own opinions about what looks good and what doesn’t look good. All I know is that when people see a company’s logo, they are going to immediately identify with that company. That is the goal of branding with a logo. I’m not talking about an unprofessional logo; there are some logos that NEED to be changed for many 
reasons. But when you are talking about a company with a logo that has worked in dozens of countries around the world–well, the logo might not be a real problem. Making changes just to “update” the look is not good business unless there is an important reason to let people know that it is a new and improved company–new management, new focus or new mission. Barring that, it’s a bad idea, and experienced graphic designers know that.
Oh, sorry, I’ve got to take a call…a web designer thinks I need to revise this website!
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All brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 at 7:17 am and is filed under BNI, Ivan Misner, Marketing/Sales, Online Networking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
11 Responses to “Graphic Designers Love a ‘Logo-Ectomy’”
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February 28th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Dear Ivan
A recent Wall Street Journal article on franchising named BNI as one of the Top 25 Franchise Organisations. and yes, we managed that with the same logo for over 20 years. If it ain’t broke, dont fix it.
Thank you- your comments hit the mark
Regards
Niri S Patel
February 28th, 2008 at 11:17 am
In business, it is critical to be recognizable. One way to update without interfering with the logo is to utilize different colors from year to year without altering the logo itself.
Businesses also need to choose their logos carefully as they should have something they will live with for years.
My first business enjoyed tremendous success thanks to the branding another BNI member created for me. The branding was so effective that often people would say that yes, they had heard of me after receiving my business card with the business brand.
Thanks,
February 28th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Ivan, I thought your point was well made… I wonder if the graphic designer, who made the remark, also believes that word-of-mouth is an outdated concept? My theory is that they’re making a rather shallow and transparent attempt to coerce BNI to hire them for a logo redesign! Clearly their time would be better spent if they focused on developing their business networking skills. With highest regard, Wayne Gomillion
February 28th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Wayne, here’s the rest of the story that I didn’t tell on the blog. At the end of HER blog, she said words to the affect that she was going to find a connection to get into BNI HQ to show us new logos. I CAN’T WAIT for that call!!!
Ivan
February 28th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Dear Ivan,
for me a Logo is a symbol for values people connect with a logo. Sometimes if you here an old song you remember the good experience you have had. Perhaps the first kiss in a car with this song played in the radio. When you hear 20 years later a remix of the song you can’t have a first kiss …
I think if you change a logo you take value and trust away. A logo can mean trust, quality, frienship, business. A change of the logo means the change of the values and a loss of the identity. So, I agree.
Harald
February 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Dr. Misner, in response to your position I say YES! As a person who has been advising clients on advertising and marketing issues for fifteen years, I agree completely with the points you’ve made. As the saying goes, “repetition equals reputation.” Simply put: Pick a good logo and stick with it. I think Lori Moore made a good point about changing colors-but I would say not to do that except for a “special occasion” where it really made sense, such as using red or green for a Christmas card or some other seasonal or special event application. Otherwise I think BNI’s color (the exact PMS color!) should be as important to BNI as IBM’s choice of blue is to them. Ever heard IBM referred to as “big blue?”–another example of great branding! Best regards to all, Lynn
February 28th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Dear Dr. Misner,
I am so glad you ran with this issue. No doubt the BNI logo will never mean more to anyone else than it does to you. In some way it is a reflection of who you are and the vision you had for your company.
It paid good money to a excellent graphic designer to develop my company logo. I gave him the generalities, but he polished the details. Not a day passes that I don’t hear favorable comments about it. And you know what; I am proud of it. It reminds me every time I look at it that I am seriously in business.
Some people will not correct someone when they mispronounce or mispell their name. Betcha those same people use yahoo, hotmail, comcast, gmail, etc. for their company email address.
Thanks for all you do Dr. Misner.
Respectfully,
Tom Doiron
Atlanta
February 28th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Ivan,
I must say that I agree with you on this point. The BNI logo is our identity as a company, which many people are a member of. They are a member because they believe in the values and mission of BNI and changing the logo will do nothing to enhance that.
February 28th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
It it ain’t broke don’t fix it. There is nothing per se with changing a logo if it’s only a minor modification. However, nowadays when there are millions of companies with millions of logos, average customer simply cannot differentiate a business based on a logo. Sure there are companies like Coca Cola, HSBC, Apple, etc that do have that brand recognition, but they have spent years advertising and builting it.
An average business needs to concentrate in building long term relationships with its customers instead of endlessly tweaking its logo. Note that I’m assuming your logo is appropriate and is not embarrassing unlike the London 2012 Olympics logo. Now that needs some serious designer work.
March 1st, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Dear Ivan,
Without meaning to sound sexist, but changing a company’s logo is not like changing a dress or a suit.
A few year’s back, I was involved with a major Bank (Westpac) whch was forced to adopt a brand new logo as it was formed out of the merger with another large bank.
What a major exercise, and cost item, that turned out to be. Mainly because a logo is designed to last many decades. It’s a priceless asset that companies like Shell, IBM, MacDonald’s all acknowledge.
If graphic designers had their way, logos would be changed everytime the season changed! Happy Springtime BNI!
April 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I would like to read the original blog. May we read the original blog please? I did some research online and couldn’t find it with what you have quoted.