JCB - brand suicide?

[Digga]

Is it just me, or has JCB been subject to the most crass, idiotic external-consultancy-led brand destruction?

I'm referring to the gradual disappearance of the iconic logo:


This is how the new yellow products are being stickered-up these days:


FWIW, I think it is a dead-end move and one that removes and immediate brand recognition. Even the illeterate could have recognised the old logo. Shame.

[Digga]

Eric Mc said:

Companies often rebrand. Both the BBC and BP had fundamental changes to their logos over the past 15 years or so and I don't think it made much of a difference to their fortunes.

BA, on the other hand, made a disastrous brand change in 1997.

BBC is a monopoly though - if you have a TV, you need a TV licence, ergo taunty gets their money. They are not, strictly a commerical organisation.

In my mind, this is the desecration of an iconic brand - which carries the sort of instant recognition that many frims would kill for.

[Digga]

Personally, I think this equates to McDonalds (not that I care much for that brand) getting rid of the golden arches logo.

And FWIW, I still disagree that, although it does engage in commercial activity, the BBC is anything other than a public ssector entity. It may well 'sell' abroad, but IMHO more because ti is seen to be a national institution.

[Digga]

Globs said:

Most rebranding (99% IMO) is a completely waste of money and brand awareness.

I 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.

[Digga]

I always thought that, on the last re-branding, BT had stolen the Conservative party's clothes.

[Digga]

davepoth said:

It does look like their logo is still their logo, they're just writing JCB in big letters on the side of all their diggers and trucks as well.

Sure, but WFT is the point?!

I'd been pondering this for a while, but a 3CX came down the by-pass, past our office this morning and you really couldn't tell if it was a Jake or a New Holland or some such. The old logo, even to the semi-literate on site, was instantly recognisable.

[Digga]

Yertis said:

I think it's unfair to slag off designers as a total waste of money though.

I'll allow that their talents are perhaps misdirected.

Yertis said:

I know the perception is that we just play around with crayons then charge loads of money, but like it or not the visual identity is an incredibly important and valuable part of any brand, and presumably you'd agree that the best people at the job should be properly remunerated?

Although IMO those who are best remunerated are not necessarily the best at the job.

True and a shame. FWIW I'd say the visual identity of JCB's machines is a good case in opint. The actual 'look' of the machines is pretty good - cohesive and attractive - but this logog thing is madness.

[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.

[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.

[Digga]

tuffer said:

mmmmmmmmmmmmm Diggers:

With the 'proper' logo.

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Hunky Dory said:

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?

I do happen to know a bit about how the place works. Family owned it may be, but there's a lot of people who are busier building their little empires or toadying to the Bamfords than they are doing their job. In that kind of environment, these things happen - but no one will (likely) have pulled the trigger on it and in so doing left their neck directly on the block. All IMHO.

[Digga]

TimmyWimmyWoo said:

Eric Mc said:

BA, on the other hand, made a disastrous brand change in 1997.

Just out of interest, what did they do? I've done a quick look on the internets and couldn't find anything. Did they try and change their name or something? I was too young to care at the time. I remember the Post Office / Consignia fiasco though!

The tail fins of all their aricraft used to sport a union flag design. It being British airways, this was deemed a key part of thier identitity.

However, this was removed overnight and replaced with sundry, cack-handed and un-cohesive alternatives. I beleive that they have recently tried to return to their previous image.