Debranding: The Future of Branding

Have you noticed something similar among the logos of Apple, Nike, Shell & MasterCard?

Look closely, the answer lies there itself.

Wordless Logos!

That’s right, all these brands rely on just an imagery rather than a combination of both.

Well, you might be wondering, does that really matter? Is it relevant?

It is part of the debranding activity: a marketing strategy to remove the brand name to give a more personalized & less corporate connection.

Think about how many brands you can identify by its logo alone?

A logo is definitely the foundation for creating an unique brand identity. A brand’s logo is a critical part of its graphic look and feel.

Through debranding, not only does it emphasize the influence that these brands have, but also strengthens their mark in the consumer’s minds, as iconic brands.

But,let’s be clear about this; becoming iconic takes ages.

While it took Nike 30 years, Mastercard made this bold move after 50 years of its inception.

Infact,MasterCard conducted more than 20 months of global research to determine whether consumers could identify the logo without the text.

And the results were astonishing.

More than 80% of people recognized the symbol of MasterCard without its brand name!

But, again, can any brand do this?

Definitely not!

The brand requires a certain degree of existing brand equity & a deep awareness of how customers respond to a given product.

There’s no doubt that for a name removal to be successful, the brand needs to be big enough & have rich heritage as well, with the brand needing a plan for success.

This minimalistic design can also go a long way, if these brands are looking to venture into different businesses & can also evoke a more immediate & impulsive reaction.

If you’re thinking about making changes to your logo, check out this interesting blog Time to Rebrand?. The blog excellently highlights some important considerations on the entire process of rebranding.

What’s your take on this concept?

Let me know in the comments section.

#branding #logos