Could Toyota Salvage its Image with a Logo Refresh?
Toyota has beefed up their advertising in Q1 of 2010 with the hope of off setting some of the hot press surrounding their recalls. The automotive giant is still reeling from the recall of their Avalon, Camry, Highlander Hybrid, Highlander, Prius, Truck,
Corolla, Matrix, and Venza product lines. The consumer outcry has represented the collective voice of frustration and worry about how the company handled the cases of deaths related to these recalls.
Other industry defining companies have under gone logo rebrands to easy the public resentment and hostility. Wal-Mart, facing public scrutiny for their poor internal HR management and harmful environmental practices, decided to give their company image a face lift. They opted to ease the logo’s rich, deep blue for a softer shade of turquoise.
The militant blue star was transformed into a friendly 6 spoked yellow orb. This repositioning may have offset some negative association with the old brand, but the true test will be if Wal-mart can make the internal changes necessary to reflect their new brand image.
Now that the economy is seeing faint rays of light indicating that the recession has begun to reside, is it time to revisit your company logo? Do your customers or clients know that your company weathered the storm?
Trust in the market place will be built by those companies that advertise the message, “We are still here and going strong!”
Now is the time to tell your story!!! Don’t wait.
Tags: Advertising, Brand, Business Growth, Business Strategy, Customer Advocacy, Marketing, Strategy, Trust Marketing, Vision and Values