New Logo for fairly new sign company

[Pat Whatley]

I'm just curious....anybody got any failure stories about somebody properly rebranding a company and it not increasing profits?

Sure there's something to be said for logo recognition, but it doesn't always bring quality, just you know it when you see it.

True enough...but if you are blindly picking between two companies you know nothing about are you going to pick the one that looks like *** or the one that looks professional? First time customers are what every business is after. You've got to get them to give you a shot before your service and quality even comes into the equation.

 

[tomence]

I'm just curious....anybody got any failure stories about somebody properly rebranding a company and it not increasing profits?

They won't tell you.

 

[Biker Scout]

I'm just curious....anybody got any failure stories about somebody properly rebranding a company and it

not increasing profits?

You mean like the 2012 London Olympics Logo that cost $800,000?

 

[Gino]

I'm just curious....anybody got any failure stories about somebody properly rebranding a company and it not increasing profits?

• Woolworths
• Many airlines
• General Foods
• Enron
• Compaq
• WorldCom/MCI
• Hutton

Many years ago, I did signs for the two local Woolworths in our area. I had nothing to do with their downfall.

 

[Chriswagner92]

Many years ago, I did signs for the two local Woolworths in our area. I had nothing to do with their downfall.

sssuuuurrrreeeee. What about the whole GAP thing a few years back

 

[Biker Scout]

The new Pepsi logo looks like a fat man with his belly sticking out. The new logo cost $1 milllllion dollars

 

[Chriswagner92]

The new Pepsi logo looks like a fat man with his belly sticking out. The new logo cost $1 milllllion dollars

It really is wrong that these agencies are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars for logo's. Sure I understand that they will be recognized worldwide and have to appeal to millions people but a million dollars for a two colored circle that is based off of an existing logo is just wrong to me.

 

[Gino]

The new Pepsi logo looks like a fat man with his belly sticking out. The new logo cost $1 milllllion dollars

Yeah, it came down to that one and a real live photo, but they couldn't get the guy to sign off...............

​

 

[Chriswagner92]

I'm pretty sure that would be a felony in NY if the mayor did that whole size limit on sodas.

Back to the topic though:

I found when I was creating a logo for myself I kept 2 things in mind:
1) your logo WILL change. be it 2 weeks or 2 years, it will change.
2) step away from your computer. at least for a few hours. do some hand sketches get as many ideas as possible down no matter how rough they look. Pitch it to someone. show them all the logos and see which one they feel defines you best. If they don't get the idea without you telling them what it means then ditch it and move on. Once you have a solid 5-8 ideas, refine them. add some color, refine the text, all the fun stuff. Go to another person/group and pitch them again. Once they pick two or three, then put them on the computer. That will help you see what will actually work and what won't. My GD teacher (Steve Longo) always had us do the square test. Shrink it down to an inch square. If you can't tell what it is from holding it at reading distance, fix it.

 

[Pat Whatley]

• Woolworths - can't find any info on Woolworth's ever rebranding. They closed when they were bought out by Industrial Equity who liquidated the assets, cashed out, and REBRANDED what was left into their Foot Locker brand.
• General Foods - The General Foods that merged with Kraft? The General Foods that owns Jell-O, Minute Rice, Oscar Mayer, and half the dang cereal aisle? Have you walked down a cereal aisle since they stopped scooping it out of barrels at the Woolworths? They'll re-brand a cereal in a heartbeat if they think it will sell and extra box.
• Enron - accounting fraud in no way associated with its image. If anything the corporate image increased the number of investors (who eventually lost their shorts)

 

[Pat Whatley]

It really is wrong that these agencies are getting hundreds of thousands of dollars for logo's. Sure I understand that they will be recognized worldwide and have to appeal to millions people but a million dollars for a two colored circle that is based off of an existing logo is just wrong to me.

There's a heck of a lot more to it that just creating the icon. Have you ever looked through a corporate branding package for a company like Pepsi? There are placement guidelines for banners, signs, trucks, vending machines, cans, bottles, cartons, invoices, uniform shirts, hats, work shirts, business cards, etc.....

Of course in the case of Pepsi they also spent a fortune on BS to make it look like they'd actually done something. The most brilliant part of the whole campaign was the "BREATHTAKING Design Strategy"
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=zshIPbrvMbZIuQsSZIsbSw&bvm=bv.59568121,d.cWc

 

[Chriswagner92]

There's a heck of a lot more to it that just creating the icon. Have you ever looked through a corporate branding package for a company like Pepsi? There are placement guidelines for banners, signs, trucks, vending machines, cans, bottles, cartons, invoices, uniform shirts, hats, work shirts, business cards, etc.....

Yes I get that, I just can't see $1 million for just the logo part of it. Idk, maybe I just got a little case of sticker shock

 

[Joe Diaz]

I'm just curious....anybody got any failure stories about somebody properly rebranding a company and it not increasing profits?

They won't tell you.

Watch me.

We did one for a Mexican restaurant. To be fair, we weren't 100% sure if it was a Mexican restaurant at first. So maybe this doesn't count as "proper branding" Because I firmly believe that properly branding a business can do nothing but help.

In this case though, The client had a thick accent so there may have been a breakdown in communication, but they specifically requested a design and signage with an American patriotic theme. After hearing him talk, and this might have been wrong of me to do, I politely questioned whether that was a good move and asked what type of food he was going to sell. He told me they were going to serve American cuisine. Well either he changed his mind or there was a misunderstanding on what American cuisine means, but unfortunately his brand not only didn't help his business but I fear it hurt the business, because it confused people. Now looking back I think he did it because he felt like going patriotic would help his business, but what ended up happening was people would go there for the first time expecting one thing and getting something different, then word traveled fast. There was also some resentment with him using those themes to sell Mexican food. I feel bad about it though.

 

[Marlene]

Sure there's something to be said for logo recognition, but it doesn't always bring quality, just you know it when you see it.


True enough...but if you are blindly picking between two companies you know nothing about are you going to pick the one that looks like *** or the one that looks professional? First time customers are what every business is after. You've got to get them to give you a shot before your service and quality even comes into the equation.

we all do that and very few take the time to go into a shabby looking business to see if maybe there is a nice guy inside, we just go down the street to the business that looks nice. ever been out of town and needed a place to stay and could pick out the welfare motels by sight? think maybe you were wrong and there's a nice bed with grandma's hand made quilt on it? not likely, it looks bad most likely it is bad. of course there are exceptions to everything and Gino's water guy knew what he was doing even if his truck looked like crap. Gino bothered to take the time to find that out, most do not. there is a person in my area who appears to have a large format printer and is putting out the worst stuff I have ever seen. a restaurant he made a sign for was open for about a month. no one ever there, place pretty much empty all the time and also pretty much the only restaurant in the area. why did no one try it? I blame the sign as it had this horrid looking kid eating a badly photoshopped grinder up against a brick wall background on a freaking oval with the letters squished so badly it was unreadable and if that wasn't enough, they outlined the outlines. was it a sandwich shop? nope, it was a sit down restaurant but chances are the sign person had a grinder graphic and a kid graphic and figured that was close enough, who knows. it just looked like a bad place to eat and we never wnet there and no one else did either.

 

[Gino]

Well, I guess I misunderstood and thought it was famous companies that folded, but not just due to logo re-branding.

Actually Woolworths had I think 3 different logos from their early beginnings.

 

[Jeff]

Two thoughts from me;

edit: Pat, your logo is a really nice appraoch.

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Now where did all the boats come from ??
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Not that this is how I handle a "real" job but the OP produced a sketch in post #38 of elements he would like to see. Like a few others I was just playing with a quick idea.

Regarding logos;

I believe a lot of people refer to some lettering as a logo. I don't view what I have shown on the "logo" thread to necessarily be my logo. Thru the years I have had my trucks lettered many many different ways. When I get board with it or have a new idea I change it. What I have tried to do is always show what I am capable of and it seems to have brought me a lot of the kind of work I want to do.

For me my truck being lettered is the only visual advertizing I do, other than word of mouth from other jobs.

I also posted recently that I go in streaks of not having any lettering on my vehicle. I know for a fact we see a difference in the phone calls whether it is or is not lettered.

Even though most refer to it as a logo, I think most of what I produce is lettering for my customers. Maybe that is what is refereed to as branding?

Although thru the years different versions of my lettering or designs for customer ends up on biz cards and letterhead, I still don't think it is a logo in the sense of corporate logos.

 

[Gino]

Two thoughts from me;


Not that this is how I handle a "real" job but the OP produced a sketch in post #38 of elements he would like to see. Like a few others I was just playing with a quick idea.

Regarding logos;

I believe a lot of people refer to some lettering as a logo. I don't view what I have shown on the "logo" thread to necessarily be my logo. Thru the years I have had my trucks lettered many many different ways. When I get board with it or have a new idea I change it. What I have tried to do is always show what I am capable of and it seems to have brought me a lot of the kind of work I want to do.

For me my truck being lettered is the only visual advertizing I do, other than word of mouth from other jobs.

I also posted recently that I go in streaks of not having any lettering on my vehicle. I know for a fact we see a difference in the phone calls whether it is or is not lettered.

Even though most refer to it as a logo, I think most of what I produce is lettering for my customers. Maybe that is what is refereed to as branding?

Although thru the years different versions of my lettering or designs for customer ends up on biz cards and letterhead, I still don't think it is a logo in the sense of corporate logos.

And that's what I'm talking about. Most people don't know the difference. Once they see their name all nice and shiny, they're tickled pink.

It's all how the customer perceives it. If they are told it's a logo, then it's a logo. If they want it to be a logo, then it's a logo. If they are told they have to buy it for $800, $3,000 or $10,000, it's up to them up front what they wanna do and how they're gonna spend their money. For the average Joe, it ain't gonna be.... spend as much as you can with the promise of volumes of work following.

 

[thinksigns]

Did anyone notice when Yahoo! changed their logo?

http://www.underconsideration.com/b..._for_yahoo_designed_in-house.php#.UuABJyh6hFQ

 

[WCSign]

Today's ten minute design challenge.

It's a logo, it shouldn't have a phone number. The icon has been done 1000 times....it's a quick and easy crutch, don't hate me. It's rough because I ran out of time. I really like simple, clean logo designs. If a logo is a pain in the butt to recreate it's probably too complicated. The "apple and blue" colors are smoothly generic. It is what it is.

You could not be more wrong in your statement that a logo doesn't help you get jobs. Your logo is a first impression and the key part of branding your company. It subconsciously tells potential customers a tremendous amount about you. A bad, homemade looking logo screams small time with small capabilities. A quality logo can make a one man shop look like a national corporation. Perception is reality.

If you have yet.. pay this man for this logo

 

[WCSign]

Another quickie...somewhat based on the "customers" sketch. I don't mind ovals.

View attachment 95869

another great one