Impact of logo change on UAE consumers’ brand loyalty

January 17, 2019 | By RetailME Bureau

From a list of given brand attributes including packaging, celebrity endorsements, colours, taglines etc. brand logo surfaced as top when it came to overall recall of preferred brands, indicates a YouGov survey. The survey explores UAE consumers’ brand loyalty in connection to modernisation of logos and reveals the changes that consumers are receptive to.

A brand logo builds a level of familiarity between the brand and the consumer. It acts as a quick, visual representation of a brand’s message and position and is often used as a tool to stir emotion and a centre point for recognition.

For a considerable proportion of respondents (57%) changing the brand logo would not affect their overall brand loyalty at all. That being said, we did find a third (31%) who voiced displeasure at the element of change, with a further 12% who took a much stronger stand and claimed they would move away from the brands if they were to modify the logos at all.

According to YouGov, brand loyalty seems to be stronger amongst women with 63% claiming to remain unaffected by the logo change as compared to 55% men who state the same.

There are always two sides to the argument when it comes to evolving a brand’s image. On one side the brand seeks to show willingness to change with the times and stay contemporary. But ultimately this has to be met without making such drastic steps that the brand loses its identity or worse becomes unrecognisable to customers.

Speaking about the survey, Kerry McLaren, head of data services for MENA, shares, “As we can see from the data findings, there is no definitive answer as to whether the evolution of a brand’s logo will be met with positive or negative acclaim. All we can take out is that brands looking to embark on this journey should consider the impact it can have and prepare accordingly. One of the key takeaways would be that brands need to understand the profile of their consumers and make sure a change in direction reflects what they represent. Testing is key, so make sure you communicate with your core target audience and understand what connects them with your products and image and reflect this in any re-design.”

The survey also found that around half of the respondents agree with the fact that brands with complicated logos should simplify them and feel a logo change is required to keep up with current competitors and trends. On the flip side, it also found a considerable proportion of people who may not be so open to such modifications and view logo changes negatively – either in response to lack of brand recognition or due to an overall sense that the brand would be shifting from its core values or offerings.

When given a list of brand logo elements for potential alteration, the survey found over a third of consumers expressed most comfort with a change in font. Editing of the symbol or colour gradient also came out as well accepted, with the changes not having an impact on their loyalty towards the brand itself. On the other side of the spectrum, a quarter were less receptive towards brands changing the logo colour scheme entirely or adding/removing the brand name from the logo. Going further, YouGov noticed, less than a fifth of females were closed to the idea of revamping brand logos at all.