You may have missed the latest lesson in marketing 101, as apparel maker/marketer Gap introduced its new logo earlier this month.
The updated logo consisted of a small blue box placed above the upper right-hand corner of the
"p" in the company's name. Apparently short-cutting any market testing, the company was unprepared for the loyalty its customers felt for the original, familiar blue box containing the Gap letters.
It ignited an immediate firestorm on Facebook and Twitter. Gap initially defended its choice, then reversed itself within days, agreeing to trash the new logo and revert to the original. In classic corporate understatement, Marka
Hansen, president of Gap North America, announced "...we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way."
Gaffes like this are more notable when they're made by large companies with abundant resources and access to marketing experts.
- In 1985, the Coca Cola Company changed the formula and taste of the world's most popular soft drink. Similar backlash led the company to reintroduce the original formula as "Coke Classic."
- In the 1960s Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux introduced a new slogan "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" in the United States. Whether this was a blunder or just an attempt at clever word play, it didn't last. The current slogan is "Thinking of You." Go figure.
Some large companies may be more prone to these mega-errors precisely because of their size and stature. Large budgets and environments of success can breed complacency, lulling managers into thinking they can skip market testing. At their peril, they presume to know in advance what people will think.
Lapses like these are unforgivable, especially today, given how quick and easy it is to gauge opinion using social media. Small and mid-size companies can't afford big mistakes. Before launching any new initiative, plan a step-by-step process for investigating customer reaction. Test and track everything you do. Allow yourself to make "little mistakes" and learn from them. Once you're confident of a direction, pull out the stops and go for it.
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