Who cares about logos? Everyone

If you ask most consumers how much effect a logo design has on their purchase decisions, most of them would probably say, “Not much.”  However, whenever a brand changes a beloved logo, people are sure to go absolutely bonkers.

Graphic designer Stuart Watson writes at Fast Company that when it comes to assessing a logo, the focus should be less on how the logo looks, and more on how that logo makes us feel.

Logos carry meaning and memories, which is why a change feels so wrenching. This study suggests that people who are ambivalent about the brand probably don’t care much – in fact, a logo redesign may improve their brand perceptions slightly. But brand lovers feel some significant estrangement when a logo changes.

Ironically, Watson argues in the long run that, indeed, none of this may matter. If you love the brand, you start attaching meaning and memories to the new logo and the cycle starts fresh. And, as I wrote a few weeks ago, no single event is going to destroy a strong brand in the long run.

Nonetheless, Watson’s column does suggest a new way of thinking about logo design and a new way of thinking about testing and evaluating those designs.