Why "Change" Matters In Your Branding Strategy?
Let’s be clear at the onset, that change by itself is a transition process that can burn fingers and cause a lot of headaches. Changes aren’t easy. The amount of sacrifices rendered and time lost would only be worth it if it leads to any benefit. As said by a famous advertiser Ogilvy, if an ad 20 years ago works even today, it is better to keep it that way.
There’s no point listening or merely regurgitating the argument of bringing change again and again, when it doesn’t matter. And when it doesn’t, then change is not needed. It is a different case with regards to art, where different ideas and revolutionary forms are encouraged. That is an intellectual domain, but a business deals with pragmatic sense of reality. What works is useful and what doesn’t work is pointless, even if it evokes a cerebral excitement. So, for example, the iconic Parle G biscuit icon remains as it was in the 70s & 80s, primarily because the generations who grew up with it continue to endorse the brand. It makes practical sense to continue with Parle’s child icon.
In contrast, Vicco brand has undergone logo and brand icon changes as newer competition has eroded its market share. Even then, notice how they continue to emphasize their connection with the past, how the images of grandparents evoke a familiar quality of timelessness. As if the old generations pass on the values of Vicco’s qualities to the youth. This ensures that their older customers continue to recall brand image and while simultaneously, appealing to the younger generations as well.
What we can infer from this is that many factors affect the decision making related to change, whether in brand identity, tagline or call to action. Foremost factor is with regards to customer perception of the brand. Along with the aesthetic quality it evokes, especially with respect to brand appearance, the kind of message it communicates etc. For example, using a passage written in 50s might work in the 1950s, but won’t appeal to general audiences of today because the cultural context and its connotations and meanings have changed. Similarly, certain terms wouldn’t work in today’s context especially if it is considered socially regressive. The kind of ads where women empowerment is emphasized is a proof of an evolving cultural context in which role of gender has changed with times.
Change is an apparent fact of all human societies. Whether in terms of linguistics, aesthetics, fashion trends, political systems etc. And accordingly, Brands must adapt and evolve with time, or else they will become a gleaming object in a museum housing ancient brands, where a historian specializing in Brands would write a research thesis on the decline of an iconic brand.
