The online world this week has been in an uproar. Why? Is it because of child starvation? Unfortunately, not really. Unjust wars? Nope, not this either. Global warming?
No, people have gone crazy because Starbucks announced a redesigned logo. I know, it’s preposterous, how could they change it? It’s iconic…
Are you kidding me? What’s the big deal?
We all know people don’t like change. Look at the constant rabble of Facebook users when change happens. Ok, bad example I don’t like most of Facebook’s changes either. How about the Gap Logo? Oh, I am not batting 1.000 with these.
But seriously, Starbucks has a legitimate reason for dropping coffee from its logo. They are looking towards the future. Without “Starbucks Coffee” circling the mermaid, they can branch out from coffee. The brand is powerful and known for its fast, quality service. Why not launch additional products and services around the Starbucks name? Makes sense to me.
Is the customer always right?
When a company proposes changes that don’t directly affect the end user, should they worry too much about what others think?
Most opponents to change do so under ignorance. They rarely know a slice of the story, let alone the whole pie. Or worse, they follow false pretenses. Take for instance the “Ground Zero Mosque.” If there hasn’t been more false information about a proposal I’d be shocked. It’s a seemingly wonderful project. But the opposition has taken a few sound bites amplified by their ingrown prejudices and completely blew the whole scenario out of proportion.
The Takeaway?
While the contention to the Starbucks logo hasn’t gotten to the point of rallies and riots, it has shown an important reality. As your brand grows and inevitable change happens, you will have people that don’t agree with your plans. But you have to consider the silent majority.
The silent majority are those who love your stuff but also have lives. They could be sitting on websites and forums all day talking about the decisions of your company but that little thing called a job and family gets in the way.
When planning for changes in your brand, remember these are the people that truly matter. They embrace change and understand that any decision was probably made with good reasoning.
