What’s in a name? Wouldn’t a brand with any other logo smell as sweet? Perhaps not. With the increased demand for mobile app entry into your product or company, it has become essential that your app logo reflects the most important aspects of your business and is compatible with a number of growing different types of devices and platforms.
One example of a major logo change is the one that took place recently with Netflix, the popular on-demand service that provides both mobile and stationary entertainment to millions of subscribers daily.
So, what is up with the new Netflix logo? Many people have started to notice that Netflix has taken their logo from a simple “Netflix” company title on top of a red background to a simple “N” on a red background. Some people like it, many don’t.
They did this because they know that the future of on-demand programming is primarily through mobile. More people use mobile than desktops already in a variety of situations and on-demand video is no exception.
Netflix Updates Their Look with a New Logo Design
Netflix has always been a brand that has attracted a lot of attention. From it’s beginning days of being a DVD-by-mail company, to the never ending streaming service it is today, it seems like someone is always praising or attacking NetFlix for one reason or another. No matter what your thoughts are on the company, they have completely changed the way we all watch television shows and movies forever.
As the business model continues to change with time and customer demands, so must the branding of the service it’s so closely been associated with. But what will the new logo do for Netflix?
First, it will simplify the brand’s message. At first, there may be some confusion as users move from seeing the full Netflix company name to a simple letter. But with time, people will transition in their minds to this simpler format and prefer it.
Logo change is a part of long-term branding. Businesses must change a lot of things to keep up with the times and with the demands of customers. When more and more customers started using Netflix on mobile devices, the powers of Netflix realized that this was the best move. That “N” on a simple red background will soon begin to be considered an integral part of the brand that people will easily recognize.
Why do companies change designs?
If you have a good logo already that fits into the environment of your brand, there is no need to change it. But mobile technology and other changes regarding how people are coming to your brand have created the need for rethinking logos to fit on the mobile screen.
Redesigning a Logo
Redesigning a logo that people will respond to is a demanding task. Just like any other type of major change you make to your brand or your company, it must be done in a way that people will respect and learn to appreciate. A bad or confusing design can create havoc for your brand if it is not thought through carefully before doing so. In some cases, a complete logo design might not be necessary. If you are adapting an old offline logo into a high-quality and digital format, all you might need is a simple logo repair.
Rethinking as an App Icon
Another factor that is true today that was not always the case, is the fact that your mobile app must pay close attention to the icon design, because it is the first thing people see when they click through to your brand on a mobile device.
Designing for Multiple Platforms
You also have to keep in mind the fact that they may come in through a variety of different mobile devices that may show the icon differently. So, once you decide on an icon and a new logo design, you should also test it to make sure it shows up well on most devices and platforms. This can be challenging in the long-run when you need to try it out on a variety of devices in order to see how it will appear to different ones.
The More Things Change
It is worth noting here that Netflix is only adding the “N” to their branding, not using it exclusively as their logo. In other words, they are still going to use their full name “Netflix” on the TV applications and big screen when they show a program or movie. You’ll still see the big white Netflix title splash across your screen once you’re in the program. So, in essence, all Netflix is really doing is changing their app icon logo to improve their branding and make it more solid in the minds of customers and subscribers.
So, the more things change, the more they stay the same!
Evolution of a Species
In this article from Wired.com, you can see the evolution of various company’s designs from 2010 to 2016, including Twitter, Uber, and Instagram’s logo changes. Instagram, for example, started out as an old-fashioned Polaroid camera in 2010 on a brown background. It communicated most of what the company meant to about it being a photo app, but had a sense of antiquity about it due to the Polaroid instant film camera reference. So the company changed it logo to an attractive flat more modern-looking camera with a rainbow pattern that they have kept until very recently. Now, in 2016, they are making a more drastic change by introducing a hot pink, yellow, and orange icon that is less realistic in appearance and resembles an iOS app icon.
Why Instagram decided to make the icon less like a real camera and create an iOS-looking app icon is not known. But perhaps they are trying to appeal more to Apple users. Sometimes companies change their logo because they are not getting enough attention with the old one. Whatever the case, this last change might be more of a challenge to acclimate users to for Instagram, since it is so markedly different than any of their icons that came before.
As a brand, you need to be careful about making drastic changes. If you notice in the same graph, Twitter has also changed it icon numerous times but the changes are slight. The Twitter bird looks somewhat different each time but the changes are so slight and the bird so much a part of the branding, that no one has any trouble knowing that it is still Twitter.
Netflix may have somewhat of a challenge with the “N” logo on the apps but this is not as big of a change as Instagram’s latest changes, since the “N” is a solid red “N” on a black background that seems to remind us of Netflix. It is also a highly used app among subscribers, so it will likely be a fairly easy transition.
In some cases, businesses may need to spend some advertising dollars on acclimating their current subscribers or customers to the changes.
One newsletter via email on company letterhead explaining and introducing the change could be sufficient to put it in the minds of subscribers and help them make the mental transition.
Mobile application logo redesign and how you introduce this to your current customers are equally important. People grow accustomed to seeing your logo associated with your brand on everything they do with your business. So, when you make such a change, you will need to have a plan for getting the word out so that you will not lose anyone in the transition who does not recognize the new branding or packaging.
Getting Help with Your Mobile App Logo Redesign
Like many things today in your business, you can either do it yourself, or you can seek out help from experts who deal with this sort of thing all of the time.
In addition to creating amazing infographics, Infographic Design Team also specialize in logo creation and redesign. Whether you are looking for a completely new logo design or trying to create that perfect icon to represent your mobile app, our team of design experts know exactly what it takes to create a design that fit your needs and grabs the attention of your audience. You can contact them for an estimate of what you can have them do and they will be happy to help you.
Remember that, when it comes to internet business, mobile presence, and branding, you should focus on getting the best. Your logo is just too important and there are too many millions of mobile customers to miss out on that market. Contact someone today and let them help you analyze your current logo and mobile app icon and see what should be done to improve it.
Remember, it’s your logo and brand identity we are talking about and it’s too important to trust to just anyone.
What’s in a name? Answer: Everything!
