Starbucks is causing a bit of a stir as, in a major rebranding initiative, it's taking the words "Starbucks" and "Coffee" out of its logo! This is only the second time that Starbucks has rebranded in the last 40 years or so.
If you look around, you can see that quite a few progressive companies are going or have gone down the route of having an icon-only logo (e.g. Nike, Apple) or a logo that is still readily identifiable when you see the icon part of it without the words (e.g. Macdonalds, Audi).
It's quite a brave move and suggests a brand that is extremely confident of the fact that it is well-known.
There are a number of positives that come out of such a move. Firstly, the iconic logo will have no language or alphabetic barriers around the world. Secondly, it lends itself nicely to any plans that may be afoot to launch digital applications such as smartphone apps, where simplicity is king.
Mike P, Starbucks Senior Creative Manager says: "After hundreds of explorations, we found the answer in simplicity. Removing the words from the mark, bringing in the green, and taking the Siren out of her ring. For forty years she’s represented coffee, and now she is the star."
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says: "Throughout the last four decades, the Siren has been there through it all. And now, we’ve given her a small but meaningful update to ensure that the Starbucks brand continues to embrace our heritage in ways that are true to our core values and that also ensure we remain relevant and poised for future growth."
"As we look forward to Starbucks next chapter, we see a world in which we are a vital part of over 16,000 neighborhoods around the world, in more than 50 countries, forming connections with millions of customers every day in our stores, in grocery aisles, at home and at work. Starbucks will continue to offer the highest-quality coffee, but we will offer other products as well – and while the integrity, quality and consistency of these products must remain true to who we are, our new brand identity will give us the freedom and flexibility to explore innovations and new channels of distribution that will keep us in step with our current customers and build strong connections with new customers."
Personally, I'm not sure I would immediately equate the new brand to Starbucks, would you?
If you look around, you can see that quite a few progressive companies are going or have gone down the route of having an icon-only logo (e.g. Nike, Apple) or a logo that is still readily identifiable when you see the icon part of it without the words (e.g. Macdonalds, Audi).
It's quite a brave move and suggests a brand that is extremely confident of the fact that it is well-known.
There are a number of positives that come out of such a move. Firstly, the iconic logo will have no language or alphabetic barriers around the world. Secondly, it lends itself nicely to any plans that may be afoot to launch digital applications such as smartphone apps, where simplicity is king.
Mike P, Starbucks Senior Creative Manager says: "After hundreds of explorations, we found the answer in simplicity. Removing the words from the mark, bringing in the green, and taking the Siren out of her ring. For forty years she’s represented coffee, and now she is the star."
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz says: "Throughout the last four decades, the Siren has been there through it all. And now, we’ve given her a small but meaningful update to ensure that the Starbucks brand continues to embrace our heritage in ways that are true to our core values and that also ensure we remain relevant and poised for future growth."
"As we look forward to Starbucks next chapter, we see a world in which we are a vital part of over 16,000 neighborhoods around the world, in more than 50 countries, forming connections with millions of customers every day in our stores, in grocery aisles, at home and at work. Starbucks will continue to offer the highest-quality coffee, but we will offer other products as well – and while the integrity, quality and consistency of these products must remain true to who we are, our new brand identity will give us the freedom and flexibility to explore innovations and new channels of distribution that will keep us in step with our current customers and build strong connections with new customers."
Personally, I'm not sure I would immediately equate the new brand to Starbucks, would you?
