Any simple geometric shape, a letterform, something astronomical and a few other symbols are timeless. Almost everything else is subject to time, and time is not on the side of logos. Even Coke® needs to periodically pause and refresh its brand symbols, however incrementally.

At MKTX, we only make that recommendation after earning the right to make it; that is, after we’ve done our market research, audience analysis, serious probing into the character behind our client’s brand, and development of a strategic and tactical plan.

The same steps are required for enhancing a company’s branding.

By the time we’ve performed all the preliminaries, but before we’ve produced any communication that requires a logo, we know whether the color, style, and elements of the existing logo are working as well as they could, plus we already have some ideas on how better to represent this client’s brand to its market.

Our objective is to restore or secure the esteem the client deserves in the marketplace; therefore Esteem, as opposed to Extreme, Makeover. The logo is just one aspect of brand expression, but it is inherently symbolic, so I’ll use it here as an example of the overall alterations that will align the expressions of the brand with the core attributes of the brand.

And, an extreme makeover is not always appropriate for the brand. Based on that platform of market information, positioning and messaging, we can evaluate the communication assets of the existing logo and tagline, if a tagline exists, in supporting the brand’s existing reputation and its existing relationships with customers and partners. I emphasize “existing” because any logo, no matter how much better it could be, still builds equity for a brand over time. We are mindful of the value of that equity so as not to squander it.

A company is more likely to have more equity in its name and its colors than in the graphic style and graphic elements of its logo, which tend to be influenced by what’s in vogue. With the exception of start-up companies, changing the name of a company can be costly. The laundry list of required modifications and materials gets long, fast. On the other hand, modifying the name to emphasize the parts of the existing name most commonly used by the marketplace reinforces recognition and memorability.

Tektronix® had it right when they registered their nickname, Tek®, as a trademark. The legal department defended it zealously against every effort to usurp that syllable for a company name. For a while referring to Tektronix as Tek, the name everyone who knew the company called it, was discouraged. Recently, as the value of a short name in the age of texting has soared, the use of “Tek” has its imprimatur again.

Some companies have difficulty shaking the parts of their name that aren’t used verbally. Others fear being confused with another company whose name starts with the same word.

Precision Machine & Manufacturing, Inc. had that issue. Just about every state in the country has a machine shop with “Precision” in its name, so there was a valid concern. With a long name, the logo font’s point size had to be small. The company’s PMM logo with the gears was the most prominent identification in an ad, but the company wasn’t known as PMM. They were known in their market as Precision and for their unique PMV® rotary valve. As one of Oregon’s fastest growing private companies, they were larger than companies with a similar name. As a result, we only modified the logo by reducing elements of it and making a major claim to the name.

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Like many former start-ups, Phoseon’s logo was created in-house. In cleaning up their logo so it would reproduce well for several new datasheets, we made the suggestion to subordinate the Technology in their name, which they accepted, and also to integrate the mark with the name and drop the word Technology altogether, which they did not do.

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Also Proposed

When Micromonitors engaged us for a restart of the company with the ambition of competing with GE in the electrical grid equipment market, they already knew they needed another name. We named them Serveron, and today the product line, which is still an MKTX client, is part of BPL Global’s offering in the international electrical utility market.

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I’m sure you get the picture. Moderation in all things. Respect the value of the existing. Minimalize, but make every aspect relevant. Here are some additional examples. If you’d like to know more, give us a call and send an email.

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