Humans are creatures of habit. By nature, we resist change so re-vamping a cherished brand can be very challenging. It’s difficult to please everyone, but taking the time to listen to your target audience can help you retain the elements that make your brand unique and appealing to consumers, while refreshing your image to meet your marketing objectives.
It’s important to solicit feedback from your target audience before you make any drastic changes to your brand. You can use traditional research methods like focus groups, e-mail and telephone surveys to gain insight into consumers’ opinions, or you can use social media to engage in conversations with brand influencers. If your company is contemplating a new look, take some time to monitor the conversations happening about your brand in the social media space. You’ll gain valuable insight and be able to incorporate constructive criticism into your re-brand.
Doing some research before you reveal your new look will help ensure that consumers are more receptive to your company’s logo, packaging or slogan. Unfortunately, some brands have learned this lesson the hard way. A few months ago, Gap was the victim of social media backlash after they unveiled their new logo to the Twitterverse. Due to the negative feedback, Gap decided to stick with their tried-and-true navy blue logo.
Yesterday, sports fans voiced their disappointment about the Big Ten Conference’s new logo and division names all over Facebook, Twitter and ESPN.com. Trilix Research developed a short web survey and distributed it via Facebook and Twitter to gauge sports aficionados’ reactions to the Big Ten’s re-brand. In less than two hours, more than 50 people responded to the survey. The results showed that 39 percent of respondents “hate” the new logo and 68 percent “hate the names” of the divisions. These statistics may not have swayed the Big Ten’s decision, but it would have been helpful to know before they made the announcement.
If your brand is ready for a make-over, Trilix offers a complete line of creative, social media and research services to help guide your company through the re-branding process. To learn more, visit www.trilixgroup.com.