This week, Google rolled out a new logo for Gmail and the question most consumers are likely to ask when they hear about the logo overhaul is — “The Gmail logo changed?” That’s because, most consumers are not likely to notice the difference. Check out the Gmail logo before and after the redesign below and see if you can see the changes.
So what differences could you spot?
The ‘m’ and its corresponding envelope design are a bit wider. Colors have been tweaked a bit. The ‘by Google’ tagline is now right-aligned rather than left-aligned. Again, these are changes that most people won’t even notice.
The question is why invest in such subtle logo revisions?
The new version is more in line with the latest Google logo, and I have to agree that the new version does look just a touch better than the old version. Will the subtle changes really make a difference to the Google or Gmail brands? Probably not. However, brand consistency is essential to developing a powerful brand (which Google already is of course).
Whether or not you agree with Google’s logo overhaul, it does lead to an interesting debate. At what point to companies invest in subtle logo tweaks to ensure brand consistency across the company vs. investing that money elsewhere? At what point do you say “no, it’s not worth it?” and resist making those logo tweaks? Is there ever such a point? Where do you draw the line?
For brand managers, this is a difficult path to navigate. Where do you weigh in on the debate? Invest in the logo for brand consistency or use that money elsewhere? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Susan Gunelius is the author of 10 marketing, social media, branding, copywriting, and technology books, and she is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She also owns Women on Business, an award-wining blog for business women. She is a featured columnist for Entrepreneur.com and Forbes.com, and her marketing-related articles have appeared on websites such as MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, TodayShow.com, and more.
She has over 20 years of experience in the marketing field having spent the first decade of her career directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. Today, her clients include large and small companies around the world and household brands like Citigroup, Cox Communications, Intuit, and more. Susan is frequently interviewed about marketing and branding by television, radio, print, and online media organizations, and she speaks about these topics at events around the world. You can connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+.
