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Brand is a Big Deal

Dom Dedic • May 28, 2020

The role that brand plays in your business development strategy.

There is a common idea that logo-design is simply illustration. In actual fact, logo design is (should be) part of a company's broader brand strategy. Logo design is a creative process that should take into account a range of commercial questions like: target customer, competition, positioning, brand voice, vision and ethos. Only once the business and design objectives are established, should a designer put pencil to paper and commence with concept development. Anything less is hit and miss and why the words "whip me up a logo" send shivers down the spine of any self respecting designer.

The logo concepts may go through numerous iterations to a "final" design. In reality, it is rare for a logo to stay exactly the same forever, with the corporate identity evolving carefully over time in response to changing market needs. For those companies who's ethos is firmly embedded in tradition or rigid values, it can sometimes be better to leave it alone. Changing your logo is an important decision that should not be taken lightly.

Logo design is as much to do with psychology as it is creativity.

Iterative brand development is most evident in the automotive industry at the moment, which is moving away from petrol to electric power. Two such examples are BMW and Volkswagen, who despite having similar ambitions, have recently rebranded for different motives. While BMW motives are a result of their environmentally friendly values and ambitions in electric vehicles, Volkswagen had an additional incentive to rebrand following the diesel-gate scandal. It is not uncommon for a company to rebrand following a significant event. Interestingly Mercedes has not recently rebranded, likely a reflection of their more conservative values. In fact, it is even possible to have a "second mover advantage" as you respond in a measurable manner to your competitors positioning. There are pro's and con's to both approaches.

A rebrand is a business decision not to be taken lightly and should only be undertaken with extreme care and consideration for the business impacts. Getting it right can be incredibly valuable. Getting it wrong can be a costly error potentially affecting the brand for decades. For this reason, if you are going to rebrand, do it properly. Find a good designer with strong business acumen and an understanding of the changing industry landscape. Define your values, vision and mission first. Then rebrand. If you can, work with an agency that has the depth and breadth to provide multiple perspectives to the same problem; the processes required to capture those perspectives in a meaningful way; the experience to establish the brand standards for the future; the openness to test a range of alternatives in coming to a result. It is incredibly important to get past personal biases and preferences of founders, managers and even the designers themselves. At the end of the day, it's less to do with what we like and all about how the market experience your business.


Brand is much more than designing a company logo. Brand is is the definition of a company's essence. Brand is a big deal.


Dom Dedić

Founder - CEO


icu2 | Inspiring the Human Spirit in a Digital World


t: 1300 762 209 | w: www.icu2.com.au | e: info@icu2.com.au

icu2 synthesis technology, branding and marketing to provide an end-to-end service for Business Transformation. Using methodologies in decision science and evidence-based practice, icu2 can help your business make a more informed decision about your next step in business.
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