JCB - brand suicide?

[Digga]

stevenr said:

You couldn't tell the difference? Really? If that's the case why are you getting so upset about how their logo is written?

Munter said:

I suspect people buying JCB products on impulse are few and far between.

You suspect wrong.

Perhaps purchases are concerned, you're right, but in terms of hires - crucial to the majority of UK purchasers - then widespread anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise.

[Yertis]

Especially as here in the UK "JCB" is a synonym for any excavator (there's a proper word for that which rather embarrassingly eludes me at the moment). That's priceless really, you don't bugger about with it unless there's a very good reason.

[Digga]

Yertis said:

Especially as here in the UK "JCB" is a synonym for any excavator (there's a proper word for that which rather embarrassingly eludes me at the moment).

I know what you mean; like Hoover = vacuum cleaner. That sort of association.

Buggered if I know what the word is either.

[tuffer]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm Diggers:

[guru_1071]

backhoe

[Digga]

tuffer said:

mmmmmmmmmmmmm Diggers:

With the 'proper' logo.

[Chimune]

Eric Mc said:

I thought they were into coloured blobs these days -

[

I reckon they've changed their image at least once every four years.

I was taught by the lass who claimed to have designed that logo !

[S7Paul]

It's a bit like when BAe (British Aerospace) merged with Marconi Electronic Systems to form BAE Systems. In an attempt to convince the Marconi staff that it wasn't a takeover, when we asked what the 'BAE' in BAE Systems stood for the answer was "nothing, it's just 3 letters". In other words, the letters BAE no longer stand for British Aerospace, and internally the name British Aerospace hasn't been used since.

The trouble is, by using the same three letters, many people outside the company still haven't got the message. 12 years on, I still regularly see us mentioned in the media as British Aerospace or British Aerospace Systems.

[Yertis]

BAE - It's a st ident as well, stands for nothing, looks like countless other 'white text on red lozenge' type idents, and has an unrealistically restrictive set of usage guidelines.

Says to me "this organisation has no soul".

[Yertis]

Digga said:

know what you mean; like Hoover = vacuum cleaner. That sort of association.

Buggered if I know what the word is either.

'Generic', possibly.

[mph1977]

guru_1071 said:

backhoe

'backhoe loader' technically as a backhoe need not have the loader arrangement on the front - you can get backhoes that hook onto a standard agri 3 point linkage and plug in to hydraulics ... equally lots of tractors with loader buckets fitted ...

[Hunky Dory]

Digga said:

agree. It's probably IMHO the biggest waste of money on external consultancy in the corporate world.

Sure, evolve a logo, but don't try to kill it or smother it. Frankly, in the case of JCB - a very privately-owned company and one where tthe very name is synonomous with the family who owns it - I'm astonished this has happened.

Given it's a family owned company, what makes you think anyone other than the top man made the decision, or that money was "wasted" on external consultants?

[mickrick]

Buy a Caterpillar.
I spent six years at Desford working on Backhoe Loaders, They'rrreee Greeeaaat!
Oh! That's Tony the Tiger, wasn't he something to do with serials?
If you want to see crap re-branding, have a look at Caterham's latest efforts!

[Mobile Chicane]

Chimune said:

Eric Mc said:

I thought they were into coloured blobs these days -

[

I reckon they've changed their image at least once every four years.

I was taught by the lass who claimed to have designed that logo !

Nope.

It was designed by Colin Banks in 1981.

He's the (late) father of a friend of mine.

[mrloudly]

Brand suicide was allowing Countax to brand one of their heap of sh.t lawn mowers JCB...

[ShampooEfficient]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4...

- isn't really what I'd think of JCB doing...

[elan_fan]

#

Yo Dawg I heard you liked the JCB logo etc...

[ShampooEfficient]

elan_fan said:

Yo Dawg I heard you liked the JCB logo etc...

[_Batty_]

Could be worse, could be MF/Fermec/Terex.
I like where JCB are going, with the phones and branded powertools.
But i have to agree that the new logo is awful!

[Chimune]

Mobile Chicane said:

Nope.

It was designed by Colin Banks in 1981.

He's the (late) father of a friend of mine.

hehe - another personal myth busted by ph !