"The world's biggest chipmaker said on Thursday it will scrap its 37-year-old logo and well-known tagline as part of a major rebranding that will emphasize its shift away from its core PC business and into consumer products. The original Intel logo featuring a lowered 'e' will be replaced with one showing an oval swirl surrounding the company's name." Here is an interview with Paul Otellini, Intel's CEO.
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Member since:2005-06-29
From a marketing standpoint, rebranding most always is a indicator of desparation or just some new kid in marketing fresh out of college who hasn't learned how the business world REALLY works yet.
Don't talk nonsense. Brand refreshment is very important because not only does it attract free publicitity, it may also introduce your brand to a whole new group of people you did not address before.
A company cannot feed off of the same marketing strategy for too long. Changing it doesn't automatically mean that your company is in bad weather; it can also mean that your company is entering new waters, or is simply having a shift in thinking in general.
Member since:2005-07-09
Yeah? Just changing the logo opens entire new markets. Hopefully intel doesn't place too much emphasis on this, people aren't picking cpus like cans of soup or soda down at the market store, "I'm attracted to the cpu in the red can more than the blue can". What this really means is some graphic artists kid may get to go to college after all.
Member since:2005-07-12
That just gave me an idea. Maybe Intel should adopt the Lexus, Toyota | Infinity, Nissan | Audi : VW, [automobile industry] approach and just come up with a myriad of logos and start separate marketing campaigns for their proessors! Hey, everyone is complaining that clock speed is being downplayed and the latest techniques to label processors are insanely unintuitive and confusing. I can see it now, folks with chrome "Lextel" logo's on their dual-core state-of-the-art chip, while those lower on the foodchain are sporting plastic "Chevytel logos on their cases - with doors that don't quite close right.
In all seriousness, there is a point here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Member since:2005-07-06
exactly, every company needs a refresh here and there.
I think the best example is professional sports teams. They often get in slumps and fad away. Then they go, build a new stadium, new logo give the team a fresh look and most of the time it works well. (Tampa Bay Bucs, New England Patriots etc)
Member since:2005-07-06
Thom, babe, no use trying to explain to the Johnny Geeks here, most are the type who, if you hired them, would lock down in the basement of a company and occasionally give them some food and water to keep them occupied.
Its a basic rebranding based around the lanch of a completely new archicture and direction stratergy in regards to the focus of development and market focus - but hey, like I said, guys here will always look for some grand conspiracy theory, claiming that as arm chair CEO"s, they've got the brains.
Its about remaking the whole company around a whole new product line up, thats no different to the move Microsoft is making with Windows Vista or Apple with their product line up etc. Its about refocusing and relaunching the whole product line up.
Member since:2005-06-30
I can assure you that Fortune 500 companies do not have "some new kid in marketing fresh out of college who hasn't learned how the business world REALLY works yet" making company wide branding decisions. In this economy, your brand is one of your most important assets. Why do you think the copyright limits keep getting extended? Although not a trademark, the copyrighted character Mickey Mouse is so closely incorporated into Disney's brand that it would injure its ability to market itself and make the company less recognizable. I'm not supporting copyright extensions, but you understand the illustration. Brand changes are a big deal. It would be like you changing your complete legal name.
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Member since:2005-07-12
Brand recogntion is an important component of product marketing. There's a lot of science behind it. When a company achieves franchise recognition, the last thing they want to do is "change" the typeface, layout or structure of what the public can recognize and identify with.
I believe you have a valid point although you go overboard with your "kid out of college" remark. Intel is losing its computing pop culture to AMD and is making a rather desperate and risky move by messing with its ID. It may bring attention to itself with this change, but it can only be considered a forced change rather than a desired change. The pressure is on. 2006 is going to be fun.
Member since:
2005-07-12
Given their track record the past five years, shouldn't the new motto be "Plod along"?
From a marketing standpoint, rebranding most always is a indicator of desparation or just some new kid in marketing fresh out of college who hasn't learned how the business world REALLY works yet.