Company News

Avoiding the Communications Gap

by webmaster — October 14, 2010

Brand consistency must be maintained throughout all areas of an organization; it builds credibility and consumer trust, allows for clear ownership of a brand’s differentiated positioning, and inspires a culture of development and innovation.

Yet in a landscape where consumer preferences are ever evolving, market conditions are exceedingly dynamic, and the competition is always changing, it’s equally important to be responsive, creative, open to new ideas, and fully committed to your brand’s continuous development. It’s crucial that your brand management team identifies the elements of your brand that can and can’t be changed without compromising trust or eroding brand equity.

This is where a completed brand strategy or brand foundation can prove to be an invaluable tool. Decisions affecting your brand must be made purposefully, with the intention of providing improved support to the brand as a whole. If and when a decision is made to modify one or more brand elements, it’s essential that you then take the time to appropriately and honestly communicate to all stakeholders what’s behind it.

A little over a week ago, Gap posted a redesigned logo on their website with no explanation for the change. Criticisms poured in from people expressing not only their dislike of the new design, but confusion and irritation over why the logo was changed in the first place. Gap responded to the criticisms by turning the redesign into a crowd-sourcing activity, giving people the opportunity to participate in a logo redesign on their Facebook page.

The reason for the redesign (a new logo to coincide with an updated brand image that includes more modern clothing designs) was a great one. The design, and the company’s delayed explanation for the redesign, was the problem. The original logo is now back up on their website, but it’s important to recognize that Gap had an opportunity to connect positively with fans over their decision to change a meaningful part of their brand’s identity, and the opportunity was compromised by their lack of communication and transparency. Lessons learned? Be thoughtful, be intentional and open the lines of communication. Conversations about your brand are always happening, and the sooner you start them, the better.

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