If it’s not broken… don’t fix it

Oct. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- Gap has scrapped their new logo after a public outcry on Facebook. Gap’s customers showed their support in their thousands for the old, iconic navy blue logo on their Facebook page, which they are now using again. This has not only sparked comments from Gap’s customers but also fellow marketers who question Gap’s decision claiming that they have caved into their consumers.

Consumers showed their dislike for the new logo and the saying ‘if it’s not broken don’t try to fix it’ springs to mind. Facebookers highlighted that the iconic blue logo is part of the brand’s identity. Gap announced the following on their Facebook page ‘Ok. We’ve heard loud and clear that you don’t like the new logo. We’ve learned a lot from the feedback. We only want what’s best for the brand and our customers. So instead of crowd sourcing, we’re bringing back the Blue Box tonight.’

If they had decided on the new logo; surely they should have given it more than a week? Customers were always going to have something to say about it, whether that would be a positive or negative. It seems like a bit of a knee jerk reaction by Gap responding to the negative comments posted up on the social media sites. Re-branding will always take time for it to take hold on the consumers especially an iconic brand such as Gap who have used the same logo for over twenty years. Some feel that this shows that Gap are weak and should have stuck to their guns with the new logo but others feel that Gap have listened to what the customer wants and that this is a positive thing.

As Gap’s press release reveals, “We’ve learned a lot in this process. And we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way. We recognize that we missed the opportunity to engage with the online community.  This wasn’t the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing.

“There may be a time to evolve our logo, but if and when that time comes, we’ll handle it in a different way."

This shows how powerful consumers and particularly social media can be! Even on Brand Recruitment’s Facebook page there have been a few comments made about the logo. This certainly has created a social media hype and should be a lesson to other brands.

This could all be a very clever PR stunt by Gap. This has attracted lots of media attention and maybe Gap’s sales will mirror this too…

For more information on marketing jobs in the Eastern Region
http://www.brandrecruitment.co.uk

# # #

Brand are the only specialist PR and Marketing recruitment firm in the Eastern Region. With the widest variety of marketing jobs in the area, we work with clients ranging from boutique marketing agencies to global FMCG giants.