Question

Topic: Branding

Subsidiary Logo

Posted by Anonymous on 8/21/2008 at 6:32 AM ET 250 Points
I work for a midsize manufacturing company.

We are about to launch a 100% fully-owned overseas subsidiary.

Should we use our existing company logo for the subsidiary; use the same logo but change the color or create a different logo?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by ilan on 8/21/2008 at 8:33 AM Accepted
    To make your overall brand stronger, use the same logo.
    Specially when you say you are a mid size company, I assume you are not a global brand, so why not make it a stronger brand globally?
    But if there are any offensive elements to the culture of the location you are going to: in your logo, color, name, or anything else in the brand personality, change the logo to accommodate the local culture and be respectful.
  • Posted by aresnik7 on 8/21/2008 at 9:25 AM Member
    I agree with ilan... if you use the same logo make sure it is not offensive, do some research because it is amazing how different cultures can be. If you find out for some reason your logo is offensive to your new target market, do very little changes to make it look different but the same. You will want the brand recognition when they see the logo. Good luck!

    aresnik7
  • Posted on 8/21/2008 at 9:40 AM Member
    There are some good reasons why I would consider not using my core brand name, and those have to do with risk control. What if the new manufacturing facility does not perform as expected?. will you be sending jobs overseas?, etc.

    Also, in my opinion, being present in two countries does not mean you run a global operation, so global branding is not a key issue for you (nor your customers.)

    Alternatively, you could use a different brand and add a line to say the new facility belongs to your "Group".



  • Posted by georgi.stoilov on 8/21/2008 at 10:09 AM Member
    Do not change YOUR logo !!!!

    Your subsidiary will produces and sell YOUR products and you will be trying to sell YOUR products so no reason to make another logo with any changes on it.

    Do not change YOUR logo !!!!
  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 8/21/2008 at 10:12 AM Member
    Dont change your logo....

    If you must differentiate put --- logo with international under it.
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 8/21/2008 at 12:29 PM Accepted
    I disagree with those that automatically say to change or not change your logo, as I don't think we have enough information to make that choice.

    We can probably safely assume that your logo works in your home country, as you are using it there. But how different is the culture of the new country? Do they currently know your products at all? Do the colors used have different meanings in the new country? Does the shape of the logo infer different meanings in the new country? Does any wording or lettering in the logo infer anything different in the new country?

    Here is a web site I found that has some examples of mistakes that have been made when going international:
    https://www.i18nguy.com/translations.html


    There are benefits to staying the same. There are also times it is beneficial to changing it slightly. And times where you want to use a whole new logo. There is a lot to figuring this out. We may be able to provide some useful information to you, if you provide some details about what you are doing (what the logo is, what country you are going to, etc.). But it really is a big issue. May be best to get an expert who knows the new market well to determine this.
  • Posted on 8/21/2008 at 1:47 PM Member
    There is a lot of variation by industry and by company in terms of what a logo change might mean, but the only way you can tell what it will mean for your company is to talk to your customers. If such a change was very successful or very detrimental to another company, their experience should not necessarily have a bearing on your decision - there are so many variables that may have been different (e.g., circumstances, customers, industry, competition, etc.), that there really isn't a way to know what impact this change might have on both current and future customers unless you ask them directly.

    You might want to consider conducting some qualitative research so you can explore this change with both audiences (current and future customers).
  • Posted by Tracey on 8/21/2008 at 4:51 PM Member
    I have to agree with D4Demand here. This is a much bigger question than this forum can answer. Changing your logo is not the question -- the question is really about your international brand strategy. And you've got a lot more to consider than the logo or the color.

    If you don't want to get a consultant, I'd at least recommend reading up on brand strategy. Try "Kellogg on Branding" for starters.

    I'd highly recommend putting a lot of thought into your strategy, because it will effect your operations for many years to come.
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