A little rebrand can go a long way.

There are times in a brand’s life where a little brand revival is necessary. Maybe the look is dated, market strategy has changed, or your company needs to reposition itself within your industry. Whatever the reason, sometimes it is possible to do a lot with what you already have. Not every rebrand has to be a complete brand overhaul. The case of Wyndstorm, one of our recent rebranding projects, is a good example of how small changes can make a big difference.

The Wyndstorm rebrand.

Wyndstorm is a technology company that “provides end-to-end solutions for social networks, entertainment, and ecommerce organizations.” They are a modern company well-versed in current web applications, but their logo was not sending that message. For this project we had to work within tight timeframe, and we needed to make small modifications to an existing logo go a long way.

Original logo.

In it’s original form, their logo contained graphic elements that were not relevant to their core message. The green shape in the “o,” which some people we talked to said reminded them of an olive, did not say anything about the company. It stood as an example of the need to know when to stop – placing a graphic in a logo or anything else for it’s own sake does nothing to successfully communicate a brand message.

The original logo also contained colors that were not conveying the right emotions. Wyndstorm wanted their brand personality to be smart, aggressive, contemporary and strong. However, the light, pastel colors in the logo graphics did not give off that feeling.

The solution

In this case, we were able to make the existing logo work by first removing the unnecessary graphic within the “o.” The four waves emanating form the “o” could be kept because they are a symbol of a storm or strong force, and are therefore representative of the strong, aggressive brand personality. A windstorm, the weather phenomenon reminiscent of the company is name, is high-speed, powerful and dominant. It is about action.

Additionally, we addressed the color issue by removing the distracting green and paring the logo down to two colors: grey and orange. Orange is a strong color that quickly evokes an emotional response. Orange is seen as energetic, enthusiastic and warm. Replacing the pale peach color in the waves with a strong, bright orange re-emphasized the message that Wyndstorm is a force in the technology market.

Removing “corporation” and replacing it with a well-written tag line was the final step in main this simple rebrand work. The word corporation tends to make people think of stuffy offices, rigid management and red tape – all of which are the antithesis of a “modern” brand. With the simplified graphics and colors and the addition of a tag line, the logo is now much more able to tell an accurate brand story.

Wyndstorm rebranding work done in cooperation with Karen Post.