5 Ways to Know it’s Time to Change Your Brand Logo

A brand logo is often one of the most overlooked and neglected element for a brand. When they exist (and let’s be honest — they often don’t) they are often tired, worn, and clearly out of date. True, it’s a balancing act between keeping true to your brand position and admitting that it’s…old. Here are 5 questions you should consider about your brand logo.

5 Brand Logo Questions

1. Is your brand logo embarrassing? What I mean here is, did someone fail to see what it really looks like before going live with it? For instance, did you put a sperm on your shoe and then try to argue it was intentional? “Our logo is deliberate. Our customers feel like they are getting the beginning of a new life when they try our shoes,” said Alexander Elnekaveh, CEO of Gravity Defyer. It’s time to change the logo (FYI the shoe company, Gravity Defyer already did.)
2. Is your brand logo an accurate representation of your brand? Do you have a childish-looking brand logo but a serious brand? How about a serious logo and a childish brand logo? If your brand logo doesn’t match the current tenor of your business, it’s time to evolve your brand logo.
3.  Is your brand logo dated? No really — is it out of date? Does your brand logo rely on out-of-date colors like teal and mauve? Does it scream 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s? Is that appropriate for your brand position? If not — it’s time for an evolution of your brand logo. 
4. Has your brand logo been involved in a scandal? If so it’s time to rethink it. People are inherently resistant to change, but there comes a point when its no longer just change and it’s a problem. Ask Gap when that happened — and don’t follow them down the path, it’s just not worth it.
5. Does it represent your business today? Look, businesses change, it’s a fact of life. And for that reason, sometimes brand logos have to change too. Brand logos need to fully represent their business. When they don’t, it’s time for them to change.

Bonus 6th Brand Logo Question

Here’s the magic 6th question — are you just tired of your logo? If the answer to this question is “yes” – then it’s time to rethink the brand logo change question. Naturally, you’re going to get tired of your logo first — you have the most contact with it. Try to remember that the next time you look at your logo. Sometimes the old logo is the best logo you can have.  It may be just gathering visibility, recognition, and top of mind awareness. Switching out your logo can mean that you give up all that traction. Changing your brand logo is most definitely NOT something that should be undertaken lightly. So, did you answer yes to any of the first 5 brand logo questions? If so — it might be time for a new logo. But, if you answered “yes” to the 6th question — think long and hard about whether you are making the decision for business, or for your own personal edification. Because if it’s the latter — you’ll be hurting your brand.