Is It Time to Take Another Look at Your Brand Identity?
There was a bit of a kerfuffle here in New York recently about the city’s revamp of the time-honored I ❤️ NY logo. The tourism board tweaked the beloved original, designed by Milton Glaser in 1976, into a clumsily off-kilter I ♥️ NYC, catching heat from marketing pros and city residents alike. It reminded me of the importance of getting visual branding just right, conveying novelty while respecting existing brand equity. “A good design stands the test of time, while maintaining the allure of the new; too new, and it risks a sense of betrayal,” said the New York Times in a recent article about a handful of fashion brands that — after years of parroting each other’s modern, black-and-white, sans serif logotypes — have reverted to more traditional fonts that express ideas of heritage and classicism.
As it happens, we have been working on renewing Strategic Vision’s logo and “visual identity” — our fonts and colors and so forth — and redesigning our website, all in honor of our 25th anniversary this year. So I’ve been preoccupied with what these visual cues are supposed to communicate, and the deeper questions of what our overall brand stands for.
“It’s important to keep things fresh and make sure your look is relevant in today’s market,” says Richard Stratton, managing director of UK agency STRATTONS, who helped us with this brand refresh, as he did years ago when I first began Strategic Vision, and even earlier, when I was with Savoy Group. We kept our colors consistent but went with a more modern typeface and a new checkmark logo that conveys a sense of purpose — an evolution rather than a wholesale rebrand. “It’s fine to tweak your color and font; don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” Stratton says.
Whether you’re contemplating a minor adjustment or a major overhaul, you must first do the foundational work to understand what your company stands for — your “why,” as Simon Sinek puts it. “It’s important to have a clear positioning statement, mission, or vision,” says Andrew Sacks, President of New York–based AgencySacks, which has worked with Rosewood, Belmond, and other luxury brands. “Ask yourself, What are your business and marketing objectives? Who are your target customers — not just demographics, but who they are as people? You also have to do a broad competitive audit to make sure you don’t end up looking like your competition — it’s more common than you think.”
Indeed, look at many luxury hotel brands and you’ll see a lot of similarity, as Skift has pointed out: serif fonts (think Park Hyatt and Peninsula), gold color palettes (Mandarin Oriental, InterContinental), logos that have persisted for decades with little change (Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton). Continuity and reliability are certainly key signifiers of luxury, and high-end brands like to play it safe. But as the sameness of many fashion logos proves, going more modern can also lead to blandness and conformity, which is why the heritage brands like Burberry and Ferragamo are swinging the pendulum back.
The more time you look at visual branding in the travel industry, the more you realize how predictable it can be: Airline logos featuring birds (American, Singapore, Lufthansa). Youthful brands that look like graffiti (Moxy, Virgin). Cruise logos featuring waves (Princess, NCL, Silversea). Global travel brands that look like… globes (United, Virtuoso — and, yes, Strategic Vision’s old logo).
That’s why the outliers stand out. Six Senses is purple, which it says is associated with wisdom, spirituality, and other relevant values. Kayak’s orange color is positive and exciting, while placing each letter in its own square, which hearkens back to the old airport flipboard displays — a contemporary twist on a retro idea.
“Look at how Aman’s logo telegraphs that brand: the peace and openness of the typography, the slightly Asian sensibility,” says Sacks. “Now look at the logo for W hotels, which is big and bold, conveying anything but quiet. Compare them and you understand the difference between the two brands.”
Even an “out there” concept will eventually feel like the right fit if all the elements align and they’re applied consistently over time. Stratton cites One&Only as an example: “When it was first launched, I remember thinking the name was too show-offy, too cocky. But because they tied it in with strong campaigns featuring beautiful black and white lifestyle photography — and stuck with it over the years — it has become a benchmark that everyone else aims for. Like Ralph Lauren, you could see an ad for One&Only without a logo and know what brand it is.”
I recommend taking a hard look at your own visual branding. What does it tell people? Does it represent what you want people to think of your company? If it needs some work, here are a few tips from the experts:
Be clear on scope. “Do you need a major overhaul or just a nip and tuck?” asks Sacks, pointing out the drastic difference in cost. “If you’re going big, do a realistic audit to make sure you have the budget to change everything that needs to change, all the way to wayfinding signs and the embroidery on robes and towels. You might be surprised at just how many places your logo, colors, and fonts have popped up.”
Minimize subjectivity by defining your goals. “The reason we go through the process of helping our client define their mission and understand their objectives is to have a clear and agreed upon list of what a new brand identity needs to deliver on and for whom,” says Sacks. “It shouldn’t be, ‘Well, I don’t really like purple.’ It should be, ‘Purple feels regal and we’re trying to present a more future-focused brand.’”
Limit your key decision makers. “Keep the vision and the purpose at the top, and don’t design by committee. If you involve too many people, you’ll get 20 different opinions,” warns Stratton. “Remember: You’re the one handing out the business cards; you don’t need to ask everyone else what they think.”
Remember your core audience. “British Airways is a cautionary tale of a rebrand that got carried away with itself,” says Stratton, recalling the disastrous 1997 campaign that replaced the Union Jack livery with a variety of colors and patterns from around the world — only to retreat in the face of a fierce pushback from British travelers. The move tried to define BA as a global brand that knows no boundaries, but in the process wounded national pride.
What about you? Have you altered, or considered altering your brand identity? What were the most rewarding and most challenging parts of the process? What advice would you give to your industry peers? Let’s keep the conversation going!