HP has revealed a shiny new logo on their Spectre 13, the world’s thinnest laptop. Except the logo isn’t new, and is in fact one that the company rejected five years previously, designed for them by Moving Brands. HP is reviving the logo, but only for its Premium products.
The revelation has got people talking. Will a new logo for only one branch of the HP brand confuse and alienate customers? There are advantages to HP’s approach, but we think when it comes to branding, consistency is the answer.
The importance of brand consistency
It makes sense to keep not only visual branding but also messaging consistent across all your communication channels. Consistent branding reinforces and strengthens your business’ identity, making it credible and recognisable. Gaining brand recognition is key in developing trust and loyalty with your customers.
How do you keep a brand consistent?
Brand consistency doesn’t mean everything looks exactly the same.
At Digital Glue, we adhere to a set of brand guidelines. We also create brand guidelines for clients, ensuring they know how to communicate all elements of their brand across any channel, including:
- Name
- Logo
- Tagline
- Typeface and typestyles
- Colour palettes
- Imagery
We make ‘style guides’ with visual examples of how to implement the brand properly. Brand guidelines should be simple and easy to follow, and accessible to every employee of your business in order to be impactful.
What happens when a brand isn’t consistent?
Inconsistent branding breaks the link that the customer makes in their mind with the brand. Think of Coca-Cola and Nike, for example. They are instantly recognisable to customers due to their consistency across all methods of communication. There’s a danger for HP that their new Premium logo won’t be recognisable, and as a trusted brand, that instant consumer recognition is important for them.
However, the introduction of this logo has its positives. It sets apart HP’s Premium range from the rest of its products, and could revitalise HP’s presence in the computing industry by proving they’re not afraid to be innovative. One thing is for sure; it has certainly made people curious, and got them talking about the brand.
Does your branding need a push in the right direction? Get in touch with our design team for a chat.
If you want to learn more about how Digital Glue can help you ensure that you focus your marketing efforts, get in touch with the team, alternatively, head to our insights page to learn more or join our exclusive mailing list for updates direct to your inbox.
