Your brand is not your logo.

This idea is worth repeating.

And author Seth Godin does so here: Your Brand is Not Your Logo.

But I half agree with Seth’s take. I too get nervous when companies think just changing a logo will help them gain market share - their expectations most likely need to be tweaked. But if recall FedEx’s move to ditch Federal Express, that’s exactly what they were setting out to do - increase world-wide market share. Their move had great impact in foreign countries, especially in Brazil. In Brazil, the term “Federal Express,” when translated, refers to an “expedited murder trial” and obviously misaligned with the concept of overnight shipping. Why wouldn’t they change it! And in certain cases a logo can boost sales (for professional sport’s teams for instance) and diversify sources of revenue. The San Jose Sharks merchandise success story comes to mind.

For these among other reasons, I think Seth’s being a bit narrow of what a logo is exactly. I 100% agree that your logo is not your brand, and vice versa, and is one of the many reasons I try not to use the B word. It means too many things to too many people.

But, more fundamentally I disagree with his take because I believe he’s looking at a logo as if it’s just another piece of ephemeral marketing communications. As I’ve written about, and many others before me, a logo done right will last decades more akin to architecture than advertising.

I think a key in understanding my point is again propped up by Paul Rand maxim that “a logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.” This fits hand and glove with Seth’s point of “creating a product and experience and story that people remember.” However, what I think is faulty strategy is either designing a logo that is too imposing, or isn’t aligned with the story at all like the meaningless logo on the Pepsi can in Seth’s post. 

In the case of BestBuy trying to enhance their position in the market place from being just “cheapest” to be the most “trusted” is an interesting logo test case. Maybe they do need a first impression that connotes something that doesn’t look so “cheap” as their yellow and black price tag. Maybe they don’t. I don’t find the testing and exploration as wasteful or misguided as Mr. Godin makes it out to be. It’s certainly less damaging in the long run than going to market without testing it.