By the Numbers
The Golden Arches. The Swoosh. Colonel Sanders. Strong logos and symbols are often as valuable in the corporate world as the products and services they represent. And one slight tweak can be the difference between colossal sales or devastating losses.
Make your mark stand out by following the lead of these hall-of-fame brands.
20% | The drop in Tropicana’s first-quarter sales after rebranding. |
Ditching the straw and the orange in its logo proved disastrous for PepsiCo’s Tropicana in 2009. Dollar sales decreased by $33 million while other brands posted double-digit increases during the same period. Marriott School research may explain the flop. Professor Ryan Elder found that depicting products visually so consumers can imagine picking them up is key to generating sales. Case in point: a ready-to-squeeze orange is far more appealing than amorphous juice.
Source: AdAge.com
$35 | The amount paid by Nike for its swoosh. |
Created by graphic design student Carolyn Davidson in 1971, the Swoosh is proof positive that a logo doesn’t need to be complex—or expensive—to generate brand recognition. Davidson later received a gold Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with an undisclosed amount of Nike stock for her stroke of creative genius.
Source: The Logo Factory
2 | The number of letters affected by Google’s 2014 logo change. |
The folks at Google aren’t obsessive; they’re smart. Last year the company adjusted its logo by moving the g one pixel to the right and the l one pixel down and to the right, making the logo crisper for a variety of screen resolutions. Netflix, Instagram, and Spotify have also opted for flatter designs that are mobile compatible. Follow the tech trend and make sure your logo reads well across devices.
Source: Then Is Now: Sampling from the Past for Today’s Graphics, by Cheryl Dangel Cullen
6 | The number of feathers on the NBC Peacock. |
Appearing on screens in 1956, the National Broadcasting Company Peacock was designed to showcase the network’s vibrancy and promote color TV sales. In 1986 “The Bird” was streamlined from eleven feathers to six, representing NBC’s business interests: entertainment, networks, news, productions, sports, and stations. Consider adding internal symbolism to your logo to reflect your organization’s spirit and personality.
Source: Then Is Now: Sampling from the Past for Today’s Graphics, by Cheryl Dangel Cullen
1266 | The year the first trademark legislation was passed. |
Under the reign of King Henry III—the Henry that Shakespeare didn’t write about—the English Parliament passed a law requiring all bakers to put a distinctive mark on their bread. Fast-forward nearly 750 years and the United States has one million trademarks currently in use. While some legal protection is given to unregistered marks, an ® provides the best guard against copycats.
Source: United States Patent and Trademark Office; An Abridgment of the Publick Statutes in Force and Use from Magna Charta, in the Ninth Year of King Henry III to the Eleventh Year of His Present Majesty King George II Inclusive, Volume 1 (1939), by John Cay
