Starbucks "listened to advice" and the old logo is back

Starbucks' logo change has caused widespread discussion on social media. Some people think that the new logo lacks recognition, while others directly express dissatisfaction. After receiving feedback from consumers, Starbucks responded quickly and restored the logo to its original design. This incident not only shows that Starbucks attaches great importance to consumer opinions, but also triggers our thinking about the role of brand logos in modern marketing.

Two weeks ago, I was accompanying my daughter to school and planned to go to a Starbucks with a nice environment to kill time. I just took out my phone to order with the coffee app, but I couldn't find the Starbucks app after searching for a long time.

I searched and found this.

(I didn’t save the picture at that time, I found this one on the Internet)

Ah, this is really not a copycat?

I wasn’t sure, so I walked over to the coffee guy and asked, “Is this the app? It’s different from before. When did you change the logo?”

The young man blushed and said, "We don't know either, but several customers said it doesn't look good. You're not the first one."

I smiled and said, "No, no, it just looks a little weird."

After buying the coffee, I searched on my phone and sure enough, there were a lot of complaints online, saying that it felt very “stealthy”.

(This picture is so apt that it made me spit out my latte)

Some people even said, “It’s too ugly, I want to uninstall this app.” I checked the Apple Store and found that many people were asking for the logo to be changed back.

But I gradually forgot about this matter. Starbucks is now my "personal space" when I wait for my children to finish school. As long as I can easily find the app to place an order and earn points, that's enough.

But when I went to Starbucks yesterday and tried to find the big yellow star on top of the mermaid's head, I couldn't find it.

The old logo is back.

It seems that Starbucks understands the Internet and its main marketing strategy is “listen to advice”.

I began to think about the impact of logos on brands and consumers.

In the past, companies needed to spend a lot of time designing a logo that was beautiful and meaningful.

But what is good?

Different people have different opinions, and it is difficult to have a standard.

For example, in my opinion, the Starbucks logo is really ugly (regardless of whether it is new or old, but after seeing it many times, I think it is okay). I personally like the logos of Weilai, Feishu, and Heytea, but you may not think they are very good either.

Whether it looks good or not really depends on the individual.

Times are changing, and consumers/customers are exposed to massive amounts of images, texts, and videos every day. The corporate brand department’s obsession with “making the logo look eye-catching” is almost impossible, and in fact, it is not very important.

So what’s important? Spread the word.

No matter how good a design is, it needs to be known by people, not just on the designer’s computer screen. How to make more people see, remember, and have a good impression.

I moved the case library from Canva. They all look good, but I can’t remember what the brand is after looking at them…

Only through multiple exposures can you be remembered, such as through social media, all the displays in retail stores (including the door), product packaging, sales materials, and other media.

Sometimes you need to buy and experience something before it will be remembered.

The key word here is "continuously and repeatedly" so as to establish brand association and trust.

It is easy to be seen, especially when there are sufficient funds, manpower and creativity, all you need to do is spend money on advertising to get exposure.

But it is actually quite difficult to sustain. For example, Starbucks just changed its logo and then changed it back, leaving customers using the app confused.

But this does not mean that the logo cannot be changed. Some companies have not changed their brand image for many years and have long been unable to keep up with the preferences of young people and need to be renewed.

What is this degree (or standard)? I think it is still brand strategy.

That is to say, before starting to design, think clearly

• Who are the target customers?
• What do they like?
• What brand concept do we want to convey?

Instead of "the old one is not eye-catching and has no novelty, so it needs to be replaced"

After reaching a consensus internally on the brand strategy, we can then decide whether it is oriental charm or western fashion, the founder’s portrait or a cartoon super symbol.

It is easier said than done.

The effect of a brand is “invisible and intangible”, not to mention the return of a single factor such as a logo.

Perhaps the only way is to interact sincerely with consumers and customers and listen to their opinions.

A popular saying nowadays, "listen to advice", may mean exactly this.

We need to listen to consumers’ advice, actively listen and make corrections quickly.

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Many people say, "Listening to advice is the new code of brand marketing."

I think it makes sense. When brands start making friends with consumers and customers, and stop being self-indulgent and condescending, marketing opportunities will naturally arise.

I was surprised by Starbucks' quick response after hearing the feedback, which is rare among big brands. It virtually made up for the points that were deducted for changing the logo.

Thinking of this, I can go for a drink next time.

Author: Hanni

Source public account: Time Notebook