Back off logo bashing

Public backlash towards Telecom's new logo is understandable but unwarranted says a design professional.Comments online and in various sources of media highlight a perception that the expense of the rebrand is a waste of money, but a design academic says the public has missed the point."The cost is not just in the design; it is in all the other costs - seeing if it will work across a range of different media, on a truck, on a car, on a billboard. And then there is the cost of changing all of the signage. It's an expensive business."But, for a corporate company such as Telecom, change is often needed, he says."A redesign must been done for the long-term, not the short-term. The public don't often react well to change," he says. "But it is something they needed to do. The old logo was stable and responsible, but clearly they felt they needed to change the public's perception. They need to make themselves seem exciting."It is about perception - look at it as the clothes you wear. What you wear says something about you. And I'm sure you wouldn't like to wear the same clothes for 10 years. Like clothes, brands date from the time they're launched."Although Telecom were getting publicity from the rebrand, the true marker of its success will be in the share price reaction."A rebrand can be worth millions over time if it gives something back to the company."The Telecom share price started Friday 16 at $2.55. The new logo was launched that evening. The share price dropped to $2.53 on Monday 19 before returning to $2.55 today.