Logos create a lasting impression in the consumer’s mind. A strong logo can help a company attract new customers, and also create a strong brand identity. Think about how you feel when you see a Nike “swoosh” mark on a product. Or, when we see the iconic Apple logo with a bite missing. In these cases, our brains immediately make a correlation between the image (logo) and the product quality. For many companies, the logo quickly conveys a tone, feel, quality, and personal connection. Logos are placed on buildings, clothing, business cards, billboards, packages, and more. Logos are everywhere! This is why logo design is such a critical element in an integrated marketing program.
Case in point: Yahoo. The company made subtle, yet important, changes to its logo as it works to make itself relevant again under the leadership of its new CEO, Marissa Mayer. The company characterizes the new logo as “sophisticated with a wink” – it wants to keep a strong base but also instill a touch of whimsy into the culture.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions：
- Discuss the importance of branding and logos for marketing.
- Show the video of the Yahoo logo redesign: http://youtu.be/_0b6qaPY-CQ
- Divide students into teams. Have each team list – and draw if possible – the top 10 logos they know.
- Assemble the lists on the board. Ask students what makes these logos so memorable. Which logos convey strong feelings?
- From the full list, assign each student team a company logo to redesign.
- For the redesign, have students first list the target market, key message, core product, and tone for the re-design.
- Have each student team present the new logo and explain the changes made. Also, have the class vote on which logo they think would be most successful.
- Finally, show a logo quiz in class to see how many logos students can easily identify: http://goodlogo.com/logiquizz
Source: Ad Age Daily, Brandchannel.com, New York Times, other news sources
