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Friday, August 24, 2012

Microsoft Unveiled New LOGO! Is rebranding becoming Inevitable?



Change is the only constant and progression is the way of life.  Similarly, change & progression is the way of branding too.

Microsoft, after successful 25 years is emerging out all over again this year, reaching places and whoa unveiling the New Logo.

With a wave of exciting product launches, making news about launching latest versions and series of all their products – from windows to Xbox, this seems to be the best time for Microsoft to launch the logo, it just depicts much more colors being added to brand, they are suggesting that they have lots to offer. This was also important to assure consistent brand presence across products – from PCs to tablets and phones. Microsoft surely wants the brand image for a new beginning and they are highlighting the variety they offer, the wide range of products with which they are enlightening many lives in so many ways.

On the first look – I loved the colors though the logo doesn't looks distinguishing. The colors look zestful and I thought this is quite simple logo with a solid presence. This can’t get unnoticed as it has got Microsoft with it. Besides, the logo is simple, solid, multicolor shows the multi-offerings, variety etc and pleasing to eyes. For me, it lives upto the brand promise. And the video is even better as to a great extent it explains their concept of logo. Watch here.

If we see it from the perspective of Cymbolism – the logo is friendly which is good. The brand is no new, people know the brand and the only idea is to get close to them, the logo design promises to reach out. It is pleasing to the layman not just the brand/marketing/technology experts. So we can say, the brand is trying to take the promise forward, it says I am here to stay and have got some very exciting offerings. I think this is a very progressive brand approach.

What do they have to say?

"The Microsoft brand is about much more than logos or product names. We are lucky to play a role in the lives of more than a billion people every day. The ways people experience our products are our most important 'brand impressions'. That’s why the new Microsoft logo takes its inspiration from our product design principles while drawing upon the heritage of our brand values, fonts and colors," says the company in its official blog.

The Logo Transition – a Rebranding Tool

We have seen the logo transitions of some of the most popular brands earlier too – be it Discovery Channel, Walmart, Pepsi, Videocon, Airtel – we loved the logos, we belonged to them but that is the magic, the brands play the trick and we realize that the belongingness is to the brand and not with the logo.

Rebranding is considered a tool to keep the customer focus. With the competition and several creative vehicles, the brands evolve every day. It is seen that when a brand wants to hit back – they simplify themselves and it works like awakening with a childhood dream one day and realizing how fond and close we were to a certain thing/emotion. Rebranding is a way to reveal – the next big thing. That is why rebranding also occurs in the case of mergers, takeovers etc. Logo changes mostly symbolize evolvement, growth and future.

Like all kinds of transition, a brand transition will also take some time. So watch out how these colors replace in the respective spaces, from the TV ads to retail stores, from our desktops to our phones. The Microsoft colors are here to spread and leave a mark.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

It looks like a boring Logo for a company as big as Msft. Unfit to represent the brand Msft. Could have done so much with it. Reminds me of the Airtel wave logo... another failure.

Jigyasa said...

@ Sanyog

Yes...a logo is a thing with which any company can do so much...but the point is - Do they actually need to do so much with it when they know that the Brand is already bigger than the logo?

Microsoft too I believe waved the new logo to bring back the customer focus...it is like making noise to make themselves heard....this is what I inferred from what they had to say on their official blog!!

Jack said...

Jigyasa,

I agree that it is only change which is constant. Change of logos at appropriate does boost image or brand name. This is really very simple but effective one.

Take care

Jigyasa said...

@ Uncle J

Thank you. I hope you checked the video as well...