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‘Just Do It’ branding will probably result in ‘Just Blew It’
- 30/04/2017
- Written by Lawrence Flude

It seems to be a trend. Three conversations on brand-building I have had with prospective clients over the last fortnight have started along the lines of: ‘Can’t I just start with a temporary logo and then do it properly when I’ve got my business off the ground?’
This is a disastrous idea. Temporary logos are usually chosen from a line up of pretty hopefuls all trying to be picked as the winner in the Logo Beauty Parade. They are not borne out of any strategic thinking at all. It is also important to remember that logos are not brands; they are only one building block of a brand.
And once a logo is implemented on a business card and website, the business owner is often pleased that they’ve ‘got something out there’, but if it’s an ill-considered, quick-fix, unruly mess, the poor impression can’t be undone.
Brands are built on strategic thinking that considers (amongst other things) the company’s story, the competitive environment, the personality of the brand, its aspirations and the needs of its target audience. Temporary logos, and the brands that they represent, generally don’t contemplate any of these critical long-term components.
The process of creating a brand strategy doesn’t have to be a lengthy or costly exercise, but it should be a considered one. Redesigning a logo or renaming a product once you have gone to market is often more frustrating and costly than doing it properly in the first place. Moreover it’s embarrassing – consider Tropicana’s repackaging design catastrophe in 2009 and Gap’s disastrous rebrand in 2010. They both blew it with their customers and the market.
‘Just Do It’ was the central idea to a superb marketing, branding and advertising campaign for Nike in 1988 – but is a terrible idea as an approach to building a brand.
People develop an opinion of your business and your offering based on your temporary logo. And unless you want to give the impression that you are a knee-jerk, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants outfit, going to market with a temporary logo is something you should avoid doing.
As the cliché states: ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression’. Make sure that it’s a good one.

Lawrence Flude
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