There comes a time in every brand’s legacy when the questions arise: should we refresh our brand identity? Are we visually current enough? At ERA Real Estate, we are in the midst of a comprehensive reimaging campaign – introducing a modern new look and feel across the ERA Real Estate system.
No matter how well-established the brand, visual updates are part of a brand’s healthy life cycle. Even Mickey Mouse has been tweaked and modernized by Disney since he first appeared in 1928. No matter the industry, smart marketers know visual updates should be an important part of a proactive, strategic planning process because it’s important to keep your brand relevant to your core target at all times.
With that in mind, we took a look at a few relevant reimaging efforts to unearth best practices for navigating this process.
Tropicana: In early 2009, Pepsico’s Tropicana brand looked to update its classic orange juice carton. Yet in an effort to modernize the brand, Tropicana removed its key image: the big orange with a straw in it. Without this visual cue, consumers couldn’t find their beloved juice brand on the shelves, and even mistook it for the store brand. As such, Pepsico reverted to its old carton after only one month (Business Insider).
- Key Insight: Keep your brand’s visual cue. Our new ERA logo includes an updated version of our iconic roof symbol which clearly signifies home by being categorically relevant. That means people easily understand that our logo signifies real estate.
Gap: In 2010, Gap quietly introduced a new logo that was drastically different than its well-known navy square logo. The clothing retailer simply switched the logo on gap.com without any announcement or explaining the change. The result? Confused fans. Consumers took to social media to complain, and as a result, Gap changed its logo back within just one week (Huffington Post).
- Key Insight: It’s critical to not only announce your new image and introduce it to your consumers, but to tell them what’s new about the brand. Understanding the “why” helps to forge connections with consumers and also provides the perfect opportunity to communicate your value proposition.
Starbucks: Conversely, Starbucks’ rebrand in 2011 was a job well-done. Removing the “Starbucks Coffee” wording from its green mermaid logo streamlined and modernized the easily-recognizable brand. It helped redirect the brand from solely being a coffee retailer and also took away unnecessary wording; people recognize it without needing to read the words.
- Key Insight: Keep what’s necessary – and take away what isn’t. With our new ERA logo, we streamlined our home symbol to keep the red roof but removed the home itself. It keeps the hint of what people know is core to ERA Real Estate but in a modern way.
Introducing a new brand image is an important – and challenging – process. The companies that do it most successfully keep their visual cues, introduce the changes and retain iconic pieces of the brand. As ERA Real Estate enters a new era full of new opportunities, I’m excited to introduce our new, contemporary brand identity that reflects the revitalized company we are today, one that can fuel growth in the years to come. Yes, our new logo is a sign of the many changes that have taken place within the brand, but it’s also an outward sign of progress and possibility, of real estate moving in a new direction.
