MiresBall creative director discusses brand loyalty with recent changes

A few weeks ago, Comcast marked its status as NBCUniversal’s new owner with a logo housecleaning of sorts.  The new identity maintains the typographic emphasis, but eliminates NBC’s signature peacock and what was left of Universal’s trademark globe.  Scott Mires, partner and creative director at San Diego agency MiresBall, talks about what this change means for the NBC brand, and what other companies should consider before changing their logo.

Q: What should companies consider before changing their logo?

A: Companies get bored with their logos quickly because they are exposed to them all of the time. Before you change your brand just for the sake of something new, think about the implication. Any logo change should be an indication of a larger transformation. It shouldn’t just be an aesthetic decision; more importantly, it should be a signal for a larger strategic change.

When you do change your logo, communication is key. Your brand lives with your customers, so be sure to keep them in the loop before, during, and after any change. Focus especially on communicating before the change; people don’t like surprises.  You don’t have to go as far as crowdsourcing, but you do need to communicate clearly with your audience.

It’s also critical that you stay true to your brand. Not only should the new logo make sense with your current brand, it should clearly underscore your new vision going forward.