When Is a New Brand Identity just a Visual Refresh? - Part 3

Visual Refresh


Pros

• Unlike a brand identity, a visual refresh doesn't have to represent anything.  It can just be a fun, abstract, exciting design that attracts attention.  This makes it easier for design teams to create ideas and appeal to audiences.
• Advertising, design and branding blogs and magazines love to talk about the latest logo alterations.  A visual refresh is a great way to garner some free press.  This can be handy if your brand is losing relevancy and needs some attention.
• Since your visual design affects your packaging, a visual refresh is a quick, easy way to attract new attention on the store shelf.  Shoppers are always caught off guard by packaging they don't recognize and will give your product a second glance, which is a huge win.
• A visual refresh gives you the opportunity to always be modern.  As you will see in our case study below, your brand can constantly update its look to prevent looking outdated or obsolete.
• Similarly, your brand can refresh itself to find a look that resonates better with your audience.
• Finally, a visual refresh can be executed against a brand identity.  You can update the art styles used in your current brand identity to strengthen the appearance of the brand without losing the connection to your brand's positioning and value statement.

Cons

• The con of an abstract design is that it can be too abstract.  If your brand's look confuses your audience then they'll lose interest.
• The same can happen on the store shelf.  If your customer is confused and doesn't recognize your product they are more likely to purchase a competitive product.
• Obviously this can get expensive.  Creating a brand identity that fully reflects your brand and appeals to your audience the first time is much more cost efficient then consistently updating every five to ten years.
• If changing your look and using snappy visuals is the only way you can build awareness and interest in your product, your brand is probably a commodity item.  You may want to consider how you can position your brand to offer a unique benefit from your competition.

Case Study: Pepsi

Pepsi is a classic example of a brand who's visual identity mostly relies on visual appeal and not on a symbolic expression of the brand's positioning in the market.  The logo started as pure script, integrated a visual element that reflected what industry it operated in, and has since then shifted that element into something most people would no longer associate with a bottle cap.  As a legacy brand, Pepsi has the fortunate position of never needing to educate its audience about the product.  Everyone knows what Pepsi is.  So instead it can use its visual identity to create a sort of personality or lifestyle statement - light hearted, laid back, young, hip.  This is backed by one of Pepsi's old taglines, "The taste of a generation."  Pepsi needs to continually refresh its visual scheme to reflect a style that resonates with the youth of the generation.  For its current logo, the current trend of minimalism is blatantly apparent.

Image courtesy of Scarletbits.com

When Is a New Brand Identity just a Visual Refresh? - Part 2

Brand Identity


Pros:

• A brand identity allows a visual system to be more than just a logo.  The same set of values, beliefs and principles set forth in the positioning and brand promise that inform logo design also inform elements such as typography, color choices, and photography.  This allows for consistency and ease of design across all mediums, including website and advertising.
• A brand identity creates a scenario where the visual design says something about the brand.  Whether your brand is technologically advanced, family oriented, bargain centered or focused on safety, your audience will see these attributes conveyed visually.
• A brand identity never loses relevancy.  As long as your brand continues to deliver upon the same promise to its audience, your visual identity will continue to tell that story.
• Since a brand identity tells a story, it's never distracting.  Your visual language won't confuse your audience or hide who you are, but rather inform and persuade.
• A brand identity doesn't have to rely on gimmicks.  You can use emotional appeals, hard statistics and audience understanding to engage your consumer base instead of just bright colors, abstract designs and loud advertising.

Cons:

• Since, it is designed to last, a brand identity must be done right from the start.  If your brand identity doesn't tell a story, resonate with your audience or isn't able to withstand the test of time you will not only have lost time and money for development, but any initial momentum or excitement your brand initially garnered at launch will be lost as well.
• Your brand identity can also begin to feel stagnant.  Poorly designed brand identities that do not tell strong stories or create strong attachments with their audiences will begin to feel stagnant and often require a visual refresh to regain audience favor.
• Sometimes your brand promise may be hard to portray visually and your audience may not be able to understand your visual design or relate it to your positioning.  In this case, a brand identity may need to be paired with additional marketing techniques to sell the concept.
• Your design team may feel limited by the rules of your brand identity.  This isn't a problem with your brand.  Dump your design team (Branding Reason is not advocating firing your employees).
• If your brand changes, so must your brand identity, often from the ground up.  This can be costly and will require you to reeducate your audience about what your brand stands for and how to recognize you.

Cast Study: MapQuest


MapQuest has been a staple of the web since the beginning, but it quickly lost steam as Google Maps became the prominent online mapping service.  Parent company AOL is hoping to change that with the introduction of the new MapQuest site and brand identity. The first thing you'll notice about the new MapQuest interface is the clean, simplified look and feel.  Gone is the crowded, confusing layout of yesterday.  Additionally, the interface is more intuitive to use and the underlying system is smarter and capable of providing users with better results.

The first thing you'll notice about the new visual system is that it is clean and simplified as well.  The colors are soft and inviting versus the old red color scheme and the text is now sophisticated and easy to read, just like the new interface.  The format of the logo is also reminiscent of a math equation with the "q" portraying an exponent or superscript.  This speaks to the more sophisticated background technology.  Finally, according to MapQuest, the logo's design also invites users to feel a sense of discovery interpreting their own meaning to the design.  For a service that allows users to explore their neighborhood, this concept seems fitting.


You can view the new MapQuest site as well a video about the new design and brand identity here: MapQuest.

When Is a New Brand Identity just a Visual Refresh? - Part 1

The world of design is constantly evolving as the tastes, trends, styles and movements of art fade in and out.  Brands seem to change their visual designs just as often, trying to stay modern and relevant by emulating the latest in design through their logos and ads.  From a creative standpoint, this constant change is an important tool in reengaging your audience, drumming up awareness and pr, and reinventing your image.  However, this may not always be in the best interest of the brand.


A brand's visual identity is extremely important.  It's the element consumers relate to at all your touchpoints - media, advertising, and point-of-purchase.  It's only natural you'd want your visual identity to stand out, make a statement, and say something about your brand and your product.  But is your visual design speaking to your brand promise and positioning or your skills in design?  The difference depends on whether your company build a brand identity or refreshed your visual system.  A brand identity provides you with the opportunity to take all that your company stands for, your brand promise, positioning and personality, and present it to your audience in a visual form.  A visual refresh is modern and contemporary and focuses on creativity and beauty in design.


Below is a closer look at what separates these two styles and how you can tell them apart.

1. A brand identity is created when the brand is conceived and only changes if there are significant alterations to the brand. For example, new operating principles or positioning, changes to the customer brand promise, or new products or services that change the relationship between the customer and the brand.
2. A visual refresh often coincides with a new advertising campaign or occurs cyclically, maybe every 5-10 years.
3. A brand identity is designed for long term use.  The design choices are timeless and meant to live outside of trends.
4. Visual refreshes are short term.  They are designed to be replaced, regularly updated, or to fit the needs of a select occasion.
5. New brand identities involve a complete reworking of the current system.  The priority lies on matching the positioning of the brand, not preserving the current system.
6. As the name implies, visual refreshes are generally a revisioning of the current system, keeping the same basic shape and design while updating the style, colors, and appearance.
7. A brand identity is rooted in logic and research, vetted against the brand platform and what customers will respond to.
8. A visual refresh focuses on design creativity, trends and innovation.  Its purpose is to attract attention and make a statement.

Each of these systems has their own uses and benefits.  In parts two and three we will take an in depth look at each system including pros and cons and case study examples.  Look forward to part two next week.