Summary
Walsh, Winterich and Mittal (2010) wanted to find out whether logo redesigning help or hurt the brand or attitude towards it. They wanted to determine its effect on brand commitment. They defined a logo as a graphic representation of a brand that acted in such a way as to trigger the memory of the customer towards that particular brand. There are various brand elements that are essential for the success of a product and it to be recognized by customers but the brand logo has been identified as the most noticeable visual element.
The shape of the logo has been determined to have an impact on the brand commitment. Many brands are emulating those of Asian countries. The bulbous designs with round shapes are preferred to those with more angles. In order to investigate whether the round shape of a logo has an effect, the authors investigated the effects of logo redesigning.
In the investigation, they were to check on three categories. The first consisted of those that experienced no change in shape, the other category consisted of those logos that had been redesigned to consist of an angular shape and the last category consisted of those that were initially angular but redesigned to be more rounded.
The results showed that fifty percent of all the logos that had been investigated changed in shape and sixty-eight percent of them had been redesigned to contain more rounded shapes. Research has suggested that the reactions of the customers towards the shape of the logo differ with the shape of the logo, whether rounded or angular.
It has been suggested that the more rounded logos create a perception of approachability, harmony and friendliness. On the other hand, the angular logos depict strength, toughness and energy. This means that the visual effects of a logo would have an implication on the perception of the customers.
However, the authors did not try to justify that a particular shape is better than the other is. They only tried to explain that if the logo was previously more angular and was redesigned to be more rounded, the customers would spot the difference. They also examined the effects that the magnitude of change in the design of the logo had to the level of commitment by the consumers to the brand.
The authors suggested that those consumers who are strongly committed to a particular brand would be affected negatively in the event that the shape of the logo is changed. This is possible due to the importance of logos as the element that represents that particular brand. This is likely lead to negative brand attitudes. In the same line of reasoning, those consumers who previously had a weak brand commitment would most likely develop positive brand attitude towards the redesigning of a brand logo.
This research proved that the visual elements of a brand such as the logo have a significant implication on the brand. The roundedness of a logo was also more desired by those who considered redesigning a logo. The authors warned managers and explained that managers make a mistake when they think that their most committed customers would be most receptive in the event that the logo is changed.
On the contrary, such customers might have a negative brand image when the logo is changed. For example, Apple failed to advertise the new logo effectively but only made its appearance in products and packaging. This might be the reason why the strongly committed consumers responded negatively. They might have been caught by surprise and disappointed by the new look that they had not anticipated.
Critique
Walsh, Winterich and Mittal (2011) also performed research to investigate how the customer’s response to the redesigning of a logo from its previous angular shape to a more rounded shape was consistent with their commitment to the brand. The authors argued that the level of commitment of the consumers to the brand moderated the effects on the attitudes towards the brand that are likely to be brought about by the process of redesigning the logo.
However, they argued that as much as the commitment to the brand had a positive impact towards brand attitudes of individuals who were previously accustomed to the angular logos, the same commitment had a negative effect towards the brand attitude in the event that the logo was redesigned to be more rounded.
The authors also found that brand information was supposed to be consistent with the shape of the logo since inconsistence would affect brand attitudes. Therefore, the authors advised managers to be careful when redesigning logos since inconsistent information would jeopardize brand commitment.
Opinion
Every company should be careful to ensure that the most committed consumers are maintained. Such activities as the redesigning of the logo should be approached at a certain perspective and be considered wisely. The mere changing of the shape of the logo either to be more rounded or angular has an effect on the brand attitudes and generally toward brand commitment. Managers should understand the implications of logo redesigning before considering performing it.
Twitter contribution
Social media has increasingly become an important tool for marketing and the promotion of personal relations over the internet. Twitter is one of the social tools that have been used by marketers and other individuals in marketing their products. Individuals have used it to advertise or inform others about certain things that are of concern to them and related to business. Twitter is one of the most widely used application by marketers due to the number of people that use it, hence a large number of potential customers.
As a new member of twitter, I have developed a great interest in this application and I have been able to share some of the interesting topics in marketing. This has been made possible by the availability of the hash tag utility. This enables people to share common views and ideas concerning a certain subject.
I have personally shared web pages on topics such as advertisement. The advertisement that I shared was on YouTube and it was an Audi commercial. The company was advertising its products, which are the various models of the Audi brand of vehicles.
Another important tweet I made was on the topic concerning the new ways of reaching the customers. This was whereby the customers could do some shopping while they waited for the subway. Marketers used that opportunity to sell their products. I was also able to tweet on the topic, marketing and social responsibilities and it was about the Zain Company. I also tweeted and shared the article summary and critique. This way, I was able to participate in the global venture of marketing.
Twitter is a great tool for communicating and sharing information since it is very effective and fast. I was also able to follow some of my favorite people such as Derrick Daye and Philip Kotler who are well known marketers. Twitter is a great experience and I am looking forward to doing more marketing through it.
References
Walsh, M., Winterich, K., & Mittal, V. (2011). How re-designing angular logos to be rounded shapes brand attitude: Consumer brand commitment and self-construal. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28(6), 438-447.
Walsh, M., Winterich, K., & Mittal, V. (2010). Do logo redesigns help or hurt your brand? The role of brand commitment. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 19(2), 76-84.