Rolling Out That New Logo Properly

Nov 05, 2007

Erwin Winter finally relented. For years, people had been telling him it was time for an image makeover for his firm, Winter Engineers. He couldn’t see it— the icy blue “Winter” script next to the old English-style “Engineers” underneath a jagged mountain icon looked plenty good to him— especially when rendered in shiny brass like it was on the front of their office building. Heck, twice a year, they even had those letters polished by a little old man who specialized in doing stuff like this! Anyway, Winter’s marketing person, Sally Lubber, could see that they had to change. She was doing more and more trade shows, direct mail, and e-marketing, and that “Winter Engineers” logo was ruining everything. Plus, it had never been used consistently. Sometimes, there was no mountain. Sometimes “Winter” and “Engineers” were the same font. Sometimes it was dark blue and sometimes light blue. Sometimes it was silver and other times gold. The whole thing was a mess! So, after many, many meetings, and lots of survey data from clients and potential clients that proved the logo was not well-perceived, Winter gave Sally the go-ahead for a new one. It wasn’t easy getting agreement on what it should be, either. More meetings, many alternatives, and a considerable amount of creative frustration finally resulted in a logo that looked like it came from this century. A simple, modern font in gunmetal grey-blue of “Winter Engineers” was floated across a greatly simplified outline of a mountain. Everyone loved it, even Erwin Winter! To get the logo out there in a big way, Sally Lubber attacked on many fronts. Here’s some of what they did: They mailed a three-piece postcard series to announce the change and explain the significance of the new logo. They came up with an e-mail template incorporating the logo that everyone had to use for all outgoing e-mail. They changed all signs on their building. They used the biggest sign they could. They developed all new signs for job sites and made sure they were used every time. They put the logo on every single window in their building. They issued magnetic signs for vehicles that employees could use when going on company business. They made bumper stickers with the logo on them and put them in the lobby in large quantities. They gave license plate frames away with the logo on them to all of their employees. They changed all company vehicles to Scion xBs, and had huge decals applied to their sides with the company name and logo on them. They made sure everyone got new business cards and stationery. They made sure all title blocks were changed. They eliminated ALL versions of the old logo wherever they were used. The rollout was a success. The market responded well to the Winter Engineers image overhaul. The company’s visibility increased dramatically and its name recognition was significantly enhanced in the months and years that followed Originally published 11/05/2007

About Zweig Group

Zweig Group, a four-time Inc. 500/5000 honoree, is the premiere authority in AEC management consulting, the go-to source for industry research, and the leading provider of customized learning and training. Zweig Group specializes in four core consulting areas: Talent, Performance, Growth, and Transition, including innovative solutions in mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, financial management, ownership transition, executive search, business development, valuation, and more. Zweig Group exists to help AEC firms succeed in a competitive marketplace. The firm has offices in Dallas and Fayetteville, Arkansas.