New Logo.Way to go?

In the last two years, several companies have spent millions in modifying or changing their company logos. As a consumer, I feel that nothing has changed on the ground for me because of these logo changes. Does it matter to the customers of Godrej if the logo of the brand they have know for decades has now changed from Black (or was it red?) to a combination of Purple,Blue and Green? Would the consumer have benefited more if a significant part the Rs.100 crores, spent on this re branding exercise, was spent on better showrooms and better products?



Among all logo changes the most ineffective logo changes are the Ceat and the Shoppers' Stop logos. Ceat was "born tough" for many years. In its current avatar the Ceat logo is not even reflective of the fact that it is tyre brand. The "change" campaign on television does not talk of or even show a tyre. I do not have any take on its expensive and extensive campaign. The Shoppers' Stop logo is not even significantly different from its earlier logo. Its slogan "Start Something New" means nothing to me.



The Canara Bank logo has also changed. Millions have been spent to communicate this new logo to the world. However, as an account holder in the bank, nothing has changed.Their branches are as run down as ever.Their website for online banking is so user unfriendly that it is almost unusable.The bank may have spent up to Rs.500 million to promote the new logo. If this amount had been spent to upgrade their branches and account holder facilities it would have improved their revenues.

This Canara Bank display at the Delhi domestic airport has both the old and new logos in close proximity.Does it make any difference to you if the logo above is the old or the new logo.



The new Arvind logo is significantly different from the old. However, the Arvind logo is not a consumer product logo. It is not a logo which consumers see every day and therefore this change will not impact the company in any significant manner.Nevertheless, this change does give an impression of significant changes afoot in the company.



Air India has a long history of flip flops with this new logo - the Konarak Sun. It was designed by Landor Associates when Rajan Jetley was the Chairman of Air India.Air India paid $ One Million for the logo.Once Rajan Jetley quit, the airline reverted back to the old logo, the Maharajah.Now, they have gone back to the old new logo the Konarak Sun. However,just travel on Air India to know the the new aircraft livery has done nothing for their service on the ground or in the air.It is quite pathetic.



The Bank of Baroda sun is a story similar to the Canara Bank story.It may have done some superficial good to their image,however, it has done nothing for the Bank's service.Even Rahul Dravid may be regretting signing on for this bank. Or, it it the other way round?