Archive for December, 2009

Branding Basics… Should you “Google-ize” Your Logo for the Holidays?

The mantra in branding has always been consistency, consistency, consistency. But of late, I’ve been asked about logo updates, thanks in large part to the ever changing look of the iconic Google logo. Google will update their brand image for holidays, important events and historic anniversaries. Recently they had the Sesame Street characters adorning their famed font face. So is this something your company should undertake?

The answer is maybe yes… and most likely no.

The maybe yes answer depends on the amount of repeat customers you have. If your client base is a die-hard following of loyal customers, then it might be beneficial to dress up your logo (assuming it’s done tastefully) to create a little flair. And on a web site, it demonstrates that someone is paying attention, making updates, and taking action to keep things current.

The answer is most likely no, if you have an ever changing client base, or are continually reaching out to new customers. If they haven’t seen the original logo, how are they going to “get it” when you make a twist on it? It’s like telling a joke that plays off another joke. You have to know the first one to get the second one. And it’s easy to overestimate how well established your logo has become, (mainly because you see it everyday.)

So if you have a well known, iconic brand that serves a steady audience, then by all means have some fun and “Google-ize” your logo for the holidays. But for most businesses, it’s better to stay the course and build steady brand awareness.

Is 2010 “the year” to expand your brand?

According to a number of economists, the coming year should usher in the much promised turnaround. One of the fears, expressed by our president and a number of leaders, is that businesses will have become so efficient and risk adverse, that they will resist new hiring and expansion.

That would seem prudent but could prove harmful in the long run. The reluctance to grow when the economy begins to improve is the equivalent to timing the stock market. By the time you realize that your customers are back, and buying, it may be too late to regain them. In other words, you might not have enough band width to handle the business, due to a number of factors…

• A reduced number of competitors weeded out from this down turn.

• A lack of suppliers which can help you fulfill orders

• A lack of staff to handle an increase in volume

Just as this economy caught business owners off guard and bloated with excess staff and inventory, it can do the same on the opposite side — make them too cautious to move when signs of improvement start to show. You will never have a better opportunity to gain “share of voice” for your brand than in a down market. Competitors are quiet and waiting things out. They are also hunkered down and looking for the same sustained sales results before investing in any type of growth. But it will be the businesses that can step up and meet this growth, right out of the gate, that will gain the most from the upturn. At that point, getting back in the game will require more expensive advertising.

If 2010 is “the year,” then what are you doing in anticipation of a possible uptick in business? Are you in hunker down mode? Or are you quietly lining up quality suppliers, keeping resumes current, and creating a plan of action to ramp up production in a short time frame? It’s a matter of being proactive vs. reactive, and it can happen on both ends of an economic cycle. If 2010 is the year, make sure it’s your year.