The impact of effective logo design on branding and organizational profitability

This study analyzes the impact of logos on the profitability of organizations and their branding strategy. It examines the importance of logo design and its influence on consumer purchasing decisions. The study also identifies strategies for improving logo design.

Running head: PROJECT DISSERTATION
Project Dissertation
Name of the Student
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Abstract
The entire study had help in analysing the impact of the logos is beneficial or non-beneficial
to the different organizations in an effective manner. The main aim of the study had assisted
in identifying the impact of the logos on the profitability gained by the organizations in the
entire competitive industry or market. In this present study, different cases have been
analysed where different companies have changed their logos and have developed a unique
global brand. The study has depicted the failure of UBER in rebranding their offerings and
the companies like Apple, SHELL, Adidas, Pepsi and McDonalds have also been analysed
that have gained success due to their effective branding strategy. The results from the report
shows that colour, shape, size, design, text and message are the important elements of
developing an effective logo. The companies that have fared in the market are those having a
distinctive and unique logo which is memorable and recognizable. The study has limitation as
it is based on qualitative analysis of data where the perception of the consumers could have
analysed in a better way by conducting quantitative analysis using survey method. Therefore,
there is specific scope of research in the future in majority of the areas.

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1....................................................................................................................................5
1.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................5
1.2 Background of the Study..................................................................................................5
1.3 Research Aim and Objective............................................................................................6
1.4 Research Questions..........................................................................................................7
1.5 Research Hypothesis........................................................................................................8
1.6 Summary..........................................................................................................................8
Chapter 2- Literature review......................................................................................................9
2.1 Introduction......................................................................................................................9
2.2 Effect of branding on consumer purchase decision.......................................................10
2.3 Models of branding........................................................................................................12
2.4 Concept of Marketing Management and Consumer Behaviour.....................................15
2.5 Influence of Logos on Purchasing Decisions of Consumers.........................................16
2.6 Theoretical Approach of Logos or Brand Value on Purchasing Decisions of Consumers
..............................................................................................................................................18
2.7 Models of Consumer Behavior......................................................................................19
2.8 Importance of Brand Value or Logos on Purchases of Consumers...............................20
2.9 Importance of Brand Value on Increasing profitability of Organization.......................20
2.10 Power of Logos............................................................................................................21
Chapter 3 - Research Methodology..........................................................................................22
3.1 Research philosophy......................................................................................................23

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3.2 Research Approach........................................................................................................24
3.3 Research Design.............................................................................................................26
3.4 Data collection and analysis...........................................................................................26
3.5 Sampling........................................................................................................................27
3.6 Reliability and Validity..................................................................................................28
3.7 Ethical consideration......................................................................................................28
Chapter 4- Data Findings and Analysis...................................................................................29
4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................29
4.2 Case Analysis.................................................................................................................29
4.2.1 UBER’s radical rebranding.........................................................................................29
4.2.2 Shell’s journey of insignificance to iconic status........................................................34
4.2.3 Apple’s iconic logo.....................................................................................................38
4.2.4 Adidas three stripes branding......................................................................................42
4.2.5 Pepsi ‘s logo refreshed or rebranded...........................................................................45
4.2.6 McDonald’s Logo evolution.......................................................................................48
4.3 Ranking system..............................................................................................................51
4.4 Discussion......................................................................................................................53
Chapter 5- Conclusion..............................................................................................................55
5.1 Conclusion......................................................................................................................55
5.2 Research limitation.........................................................................................................57
5.3 Scope of future research.................................................................................................58

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References................................................................................................................................59

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Topic- The impact of effective logo design on branding and organizational profitability
Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction
The entire study will help in analysing the impact of the logos is beneficial or non-
beneficial to the different organizations in an effective manner. The main aim of the study
will help in identifying the impact of the logos on the profitability gained by the
organizations in the entire competitive industry or market. The logo is defined as the virtual
kind of cornerstone of the brand of the company which will be helpful in nature for the
company to be successful in nature in order to make the business more stable and this helps
the company in connecting to the memory of the different individuals.
Furthermore, the importance of the logos on the consumers and this helps in
influencing the purchasing decisions of the company in a positive manner. The playing with
the logo is beneficial for the organizations which will help in understanding the importance
which is provided to the customers to help them to be accustomed of the brand in a positive
manner and they will be recommending others to purchase that respective brand in the future.
Additionally, it has been seen and analysed that the brand loyalty is the other main factor
which is helpful for that respective brand to gain more popularity in the entire competitive
market.
1.2 Background of the Study
The main aim and purpose of the report is to analyse the role of logos which are used
by the different companies is beneficial or non-beneficial for them. Proper analysis is
required to be done which will help in understanding the actual importance of the logos in the
company or the brands which is essential in nature for analysing the different techniques for
communicating the same to target the audiences. Creating a logo is vital in nature for the

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company as this is the marketing efforts for the company. This is the main reason in which
the tailor brands try to create feature rich design suite which helps in building logo along with
the brand in an appropriate manner. The entire study will assist and help in analysing the
positive impacts of the logo on the brands which are sold by the company to their customers.
There are different examples which can be analysed such as Apple Inc’s iconic fruit and
unmistakable swoop. The logos will act as the synonyms with the brand that is represented by
them in a positive manner.
Furthermore, there are various other reasons which are required to be analyzed with
the proper implementation of the different kinds of impacts of the logo on the brands of the
business in an effective manner. Additionally, it has been seen that the impact of the brand
value or logo on the entire profitability of the business is positive in nature and this has
created positive influence on the business. The characteristics of the logo is required to be
versatile, relevant and simple in nature which will help in improving the conditions of the
business in a positive manner.
The main purpose of the logo is to provide and analyse visual presentation of the
company brand in a positive manner. The successful design of the logo along with the proper
marketing of the product is positive in nature which will help in becoming effective and this
will create positive impact on the brand image as well. The logo will assist the different
companies along with the brand to become memorable and iconic in nature which will assist
in managing the demands of the customers and this will influence the fair share of the
purchasing decisions of the customers in the market.
1.3 Research Aim and Objective
The research aim of the entire study is to analyse the importance of the logo or the
brand of the company in attracting the different customers in the market. There is different

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importance of the logo in the business which will help the different companies in attracting
the customers in the competitive market. Furthermore, the main and essential component of
the entire research study is the logo and the usage of the logo by the companies in order to
gain profitability in the business which will improve their business and gain more
profitability in the organization. Lastly, the research will help in identifying the different
strategies that can be adopted by the organizations to improve their business in an appropriate
manner.
There are different research objectives that is required to be identified in an effective
manner which will help in analysing the two major elements which is required to be taken
into consideration and investigate the importance as well. the research objectives are as
follows:
To determine the importance of the logo in gaining competitive advantage in the
entire competitive market
To examine the influence of logos on the purchasing decisions of the customers in the
market
To analyse the various strategies that can be adopted to improve the logo design
adopted by the company effectively
1.4 Research Questions
There are different research questions which are required to be analysed in an
effective manner which will help in analysing the same appropriately.
Research Question 1. What is the impact of brand value or logo on the profitability of a
business organization?
Research Question 2. How Brand value or logo of a company can influence a fair share of
the target customer’s purchasing decisions?

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1.5 Research Hypothesis
The research hypothesis is essential which is required to be analysed and conducted
while conducting a research in a positive manner. This helps in speculating on the outcomes
which will be generated from the research or experiment.
H0- The logos do not have positive impact on the entire success of the organization
H1- The logos have any positive impact on the entire success of the organization
1.6 Summary
From the above, it can be analyzed that the importance of logos has been discussed
which has been created on the different organizations in a positive manner. The research
questions are taken into consideration to analyze the impact of the logos or the brand value on
the success of the organization along with on the entire purchasing decisions which is taken
by the organizations effectively.

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Chapter 2- Literature review
2.1 Introduction
The research is based mainly on the effect that branding of an organization has on the
decisions that are made by the consumers related to purchase of products. The other variable
that is considered in the research is the role that is played by marketing activities on the
buying decisions of the customers.
The logo creation related activities of the company have an effect on the loyalty of the
customers towards the organization. The level up to which branding and logo is able to affect
the decisions that are taken by the consumers is a major part of the entire literature review.
The second variable which is considered in the discussion are the marketing activities of the
company. The promotional activities that are conducted by the organizations are also
important for influencing the decisions that are made by the consumers. The marketing
activities are able to affect purchasing behavior of the consumers (East et al. 2016). The level
of the impact of marketing activities on the purchasing-based decisions of the consumers is
an important part of the literature review. The impact of these two variables on the buying
decisions of the consumers is analyzed in the review. The dependency of the consumer
behavior on the two variables is discussed in the literature review.
The literature is further based on the discussion of the different impacts that the
branding of the organization has on the consumers and the buying decisions that are taken by
the consumers. The effect of marketing and promotional activities on the consumer decision
is also a part of the entire literature review. The comparison of the variables will be based on
the levels of effect of the promotional activities with respect to the effect that the effect that
branding and logo has on the consumer purchase decisions. The literature review will thereby
help in understanding the extent up to which the two variables are able to affect the

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consumers and their decisions (Schivinski and Dabrowski 2016). The different perspectives
of the customers and their decision-making process is taking into consideration for the
review.
2.2 Effect of branding on consumer purchase decision
The effect that logo or branding has on the purchase decision that is taken by the
consumers has been analyzed by many different researchers. The logo of an organization has
been found to play an important role in the purchase-based decisions that are taken by
customers. A positive relation has been developed between branding and customer purchase
decision. The positive feeling that the customer has about the brand is later translated to the
purchase of the products. The brand can be termed as the symbol or name that is able to
differentiate the products from the competitors. The name of the manufacturer and the logo
that is used by them is the considered to be the brand value that the organization carries in the
market. As discussed by, Sasmita and Mohd Suki (2015), the brands have a positive impact
on the consumers. The strong brand is thereby able to reflect the leadership of the
organization in the market. The customers are able to evaluate the brand so that they can take
the decisions based on purchase much faster. The positive association that the name of the
brand has with the perceptions of the customers and the rates of purchase affects the
profitability of the organization to the highest levels (Lassoued and Hobbs 2015).
The familiarity of the customers with the brand is also an important factor that leads
to the increase in confidence on the products and the brand itself. The positive effects cannot
however be sustained by the brand for a long time and the organizations thereby need to take
necessary steps to improve the brand value and quality of the products as well. The buying
behavior of the consumers need to be carefully analyzed by the organization so that they are
able to develop the brand according to the needs and choice of the customers. The brand is
able to affect the decisions that are taken by the consumers to buy one product over another

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(van Dijk, Antonides and Schillewaert 2014). The logo of the organization is however
retained for a longer time as compared to the value that is provided by the brand.
The branding-based activities that have been undertaken by the organizations are
related to the aim of creating a share in the market. The company thereby aims at gaining a
higher market share in the already crowded market. The global brands that are developed by
the organizations are related to the assurance that is provided by the company related to the
quality and the premium prices that are offered to the customers. The logo or branding of the
company is sometimes responsible for the leadership that is gained by the brand in the market
(Veloutsou 2015).
The customers are mainly attracted towards the brands due to the high-quality goods
that are provided to them by the customers. The logo of the organization is an intangible
benefit that the company has over the others in the industry. The brands are able to create
buyer aspirations which helps in creating needs for the products among the groups of
customers. The products of the brand are made desirable by the brand with the help of perfect
advertising techniques. The intentions of the buyers can be changed or altered with the help
of perfect branding of the products and services that are offered by the organizations
(Malthouse et al. 2016). The brand plays an important role in aligning itself with the self-
concept of the brand. The loyalty of the customers towards the products that are offered by
the organizations is created with the help of brands and the quality of products that are
offered by the brands.
The brands thereby need to understand the target market to whom the products will be
offered so that they are able to offer the best quality and desired products that are offered to
the customers. The logos them aim at developing a personality of the products that are a part
pf the product line of the company. The logo of the company has thereby been found to play

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a major role in the ways by which the customers take their buying decisions (Viktoria Rampl
and Kenning 2014).
2.3 Models of branding
The individuals who purchase products for their personal use can be termed as a
consumer. The consumers are thereby responsible for taking the decisions that are related to
the purchase of products. The perception related to the brand is also able to influence the
consumers. This can also be done with the help of the promotional activities that are
conducted by the organizations. The consumers mainly take the decision that is related to the
purchase of any specific items or products (Wallace, Buil and de Chernatony 2014).
The decisions of the consumers are influenced by their own perceptions of the brand.
The branding related activities that are conducted by the company are considered to be a
major reason behind the decisions that are taken by the consumers. The brand concepts are
based on the services and the products that add a different dimension to the organizational
activities. The differences that are able to create the position of a brand include, rational,
functional, intangible and emotional aspects (Godey et al. 2016).
The lifestyles of consumers and their interests are based on the concepts that are
created by the brands. The factors which affect the brand image and the brand perception is
the marketing communication. Brand perception is thereby based on the ability of the
consumers to identify the brands that they prefer among the others in the industry. The brand
equity based on consumers can be defined based on four major dimensions which include,
brand association, brand awareness, brand loyalty and perceived quality. This aspect is also
used to describe the strength of the presence of the brand in the minds of consumers
(Ramaseshan and Stein 2014).

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The awareness about the brand is based on the ways by which the consumers
recognize the brands among the others in their minds. Brand building is also a major way of
distinguishing one producer from the others. The recognition of a brand by the customers
affects the purchasing decisions of the consumers as a whole. The different factors related to
an organization that have positive relationship include, perceived quality of the brands, brand
awareness and the equity of the brand. The brand equity also adds value to the products and
the services that are offered to the consumers. The two major perspectives of brand equity
are, customer based and financial based (Piehler et al. 2016).
The first perspective is based on the ways by which the asset value of the brand name
helps in creating the value of the business. The premise of the customer-based equity system
according to the second perspective is therefore related to the power of the brand that lies in
the hands of the consumers. The communication based on marketing is related to the strategic
activities for the brand managers which help in building and maintaining the image of the
brand of target customers. The behaviour that is displayed by the consumers is based on the
purchase, use, evaluation and the disposal of the services and products which they expect are
able to fulfil the needs (Krystallis and Chrysochou 2014).
The buying behaviour of the consumers incorporate the acts in which the individuals
are directly involved. According to, Zenker, Braun and Petersen (2017), the behaviour of
consumers is mainly related to the study of different processes which are used by the
consumers to take their decisions related to purchase. The consumers are also considered to
be quite complex in nature and they are changing on a constant basis. The marketers need to
improve the understanding the consumers and the ways by which they influence the needs of
consumers. The study of the buying behaviour of the consumers is also important for the
survival of the organizations (Piehler et al. 2016).

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The decision-making process of the consumers is based on some important steps that
are important for making ultimate purchase of the products or services. The price of the
products is taken into consideration while determining the decisions that are taken by them.
This quality of the products is also given importance while taking the decision related to
purchase by the consumers.
The branding activities are based on the ways by which the company tries to
communicate the price and quality of the products. The decisions are further taken by the
consumers based on the ways by which the brands are able to attract them towards the
organization. This can also create an awareness and loyalty about the products that are
offered to them (McDonagh and Prothero 2014).
The consumer buying decisions can be divided into three different categories which
include, response programmed behaviour, limited levels of decision making and extensive
process of decision making. The consumers engage in buying behaviour which is quite
complex in nature. The branding of the organizations thereby plays an important role in
making the process of decision making simpler as compared to the other products.
This helps the consumers to take decisions of the choice of the brand that with respect
to the others in their minds. The brand equity model that has been described by Keller has
described that the company needs to shape the minds of the consumers and the ways by
which they feel about the products. The company also needs to build right type of the
experiences with respect to the brand. The strong brand equity the customers are able to buy
more from the brands that are recommended to them. The customers in this case are more
loyal to the brand as compared to the competitors. The major steps related to brand equity
that have been described by Keller include, brand identity, brand meaning, brand response,

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brand resonance. The model is able to target the products towards the customers who are
appropriate for the company (McDaniel 2014).
The customers are also able to gain optimum knowledge about the products and the
levels up to which they are able to perform in the industry. The credibility of the products can
also be increased with the help of the brand equity that has been gained by the company in
the market. The model has thereby been able to depict that the brand equity and brand value
of the company is able to affect the decisions of the consumers (Ramaseshan and Stein 2014).
2.4 Concept of Marketing Management and Consumer Behaviour
According to Baker (2016), the marketing management is the process of developing
different kinds of strategies and planning for the different products and services. Furthermore,
the marketing planning will improve the sales as this will reach the desired customer
segment. The marketing of the different products and services which is provided to the
customers is essential in nature as this will improve the entire business condition in an
effective manner.
Furthermore, Baker (2014) has commented that the proper marketing of the different
products and services is essential in nature which is required to be performed by the
organizations to gain competitive advantage in the entire economy. The entire heart of the
business lies in the marketing management that includes proper advertising and promoting
the products and services in an effective manner. Furthermore, the logo or the brand value of
the products or the organization will create a proper view on the establishing the relationship
between the different customers along with the organizations that is offering in the entire
market.
Baker (2016) has stated that the different functions of the marketing have to be
analyzed and adopted by the organizations which will assist them in gaining profitability for

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the business appropriately. It has been seen and noticed that there are different functions of
marketing which the impact of the brand value on gaining profitability of the business. On the
other hand, the consumer behavior is required to be provided with proper attention as they are
the major assets of the companies (Keller 2017).
2.5 Influence of Logos on Purchasing Decisions of Consumers
As per Adams, Gabler and Landers (2017), there are various players in the logos
space and the convergence is the major issue which is being faced by the different customers
in the everyday life. There is huge competition in the market which is affecting the entire
brand image of one company and the other company is gaining more competitive advantage.
Furthermore, Baker (2016) has stated and commented that there is huge amount of challenges
which are faced by the companies and this is affecting their brand image of the company in a
negative manner as the logos as this is the visual cornerstone of the brand of a company.
On the other hand, Baker and Saren (2016) has commented that there are different
organizations which faced these kinds of challenges that are traditional product oriented
organizational structures and these create huge issues for the company in the entire
competitive market. Yang and Gabrielsson (2017) has commented that the alignment of the
customer relationship management is essential which is required to be analyzed in an
effective manner. With the alignment of the customer relationship management along with
proper and accurate organizational structure, this has helped the different organizations in
gaining the sustained kind of excellence and responsiveness.
Scarborough (2016) opine that the customer centric marketing is distinct in nature in
comparison to the other marketing concepts and this is one to one marketing which helps the
customers in enhancing their purchases effectively. The customer centric model helps in
increasing the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the marketing and branding activities

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performed by the organizations and they mainly focus on the different profitable customers in
a proper manner. Furthermore, Melewar and Skinner (2018) has stated that the customer
centric model in marketing and branding helps them in maintaining and gaining more
profitability in the entire market which is competitive in nature. The logos help in becoming
more versatile in managing the different kinds of intellects and this helps the company in
appealing the customers.
According to Kotler (2015), brand value or the logo has created a positive influence
on the entire organizations which has assisted them in maintaining their competitive position
in the entire market. It has been seen that the customer relationship management is not a
system or a technology, rather this helps in placing the preferences of the customers and
make them their top priority for the organization. Furthermore, Seyed-Javadin et al. (2014)
has stated that the CRM is the holistic kind of strategy which mainly focuses on the voice of
the customers in which it is defined as the integration of the people, processes which helps
them in attracting and retaining the profitable customers in an effective manner.
According to Elenkov (2014), proper branding of the different products sold by the
companies is mandatory in nature which assists them in managing their sales and increase the
overall profitability of the organization as well in an effective manner. The customer centric
companies are better in nature as they provide the customers by offering them brand loyalty
and the process of communication is efficient in nature which helps them in managing the
different operations in an appropriate manner. Lidstone and MacLennan (2017) has stated
and analyzed that entire consumer behavior is regarding how individuals make and take their
decisions regarding the different brands which are selected by them for shopping.
On the other hand, Piperopoulos (2016) has commented that the it provides a holistic
view that helps in defining that the consumer behavior as the different activities along with

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the processes wherein the individuals or the groups that are being chosen for buying the
different products or the experiences in an appropriate manner. The study of the consumer
behavior is defined as the choice to dispose the different services, ideas, products and
services in an efficient manner which will help in studying the consumer behavior approach
in creating a positive impact on the brand image of the company. Furthermore, it has been
seen that there are different other qualities that is required to be maintained in an effective
manner which will help and assist in managing the quality in such manner (Cascio 2018).
2.6 Theoretical Approach of Logos or Brand Value on Purchasing Decisions of
Consumers
There are different models and theories which are connected with branding and this
helps in analyzing the purchasing decisions of the customers in an effective manner. The
Ansoff’s matrix is the model that can be used to identify the alternative growth strategies
which will help in analyzing the potential products in future and current markets in an
appropriate manner. Panigyrakis and Veloutsou (2015) has commented that the brand identity
is essential in nature which will deal with the term brand salience.
On the other hand, Tomczak, Reinecke and Kuss (2018) has commented that proper
delivering of the product or service that meets and exceeds the different consumer needs and
wants is prerequisite for successful building of the brand in an effective manner. On the other
hand, Kavaratzis (2017) commented that brand imagery helps in dealing with the process in
which the brand will help in meeting the different expectations of the customers social and
psychological needs. In this entire building block, the advertising plays a major role in
shaping the image of the brand in a positive manner. Kavaratzis, Warnaby and Ashworth
(2014) has stated that proper brand loyalty is essential in maintaining the positivity in the
brand and this will improve the number of loyal customers in the respective organization as
well.

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2.7 Models of Consumer Behavior
There are different models of the consumer behavior which is required to be analyzed
in an effective manner as this will help in improving the overall effectiveness of the
company. Tkotz, Munck and Wald (2018) has defined as the consumer behavior is the total
summation of the acquisition, consumption, divestment and evaluation. The models of the
consumer behavior are essential in nature which will improve the overall effectiveness of the
company and this will help in identifying the decision process of the consumers in a positive
manner.
Schematic Model of Consumer Decision Process
There are different stages of the consumer decision process in which the different
consumers will be aware of the differences between the actual satisfaction and their level of
perception. According to Armstrong et al. (2015), the process of buying is initiated when the
individuals try to identify the satisfaction and the dissatisfaction levels and this will help and
assist in analyzing the various needs of the customers and this helps the company in gaining
profitability in comparison to the other competitors in the economy.
Furthermore, Armstrong et al. (2014) has stated and commented that the logo or the
brand value is required to be maintained by the company in such a manner which will provide
them a proper and brief overview on the purchasing decisions which are taken by the
different customers in the market. This has been analyzed and identified that the brand
evaluation is mandatory which is required to be performed by the organizations as this will
help and assist them in managing the purchase of the different customers and contribute
towards the purchasing power of the customers which will assist them in affecting and
influencing their decisions on the brand effectively.

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Armstrong et al. (2015) has commented that the logo plays a major role in analyzing
the different kinds of phases which help the organizations in contributing towards the
generation of the profitability and improve the productivity of the organization in an overall
manner. The consumer buying decision will help and improve the overall brand image of the
company or the product that is essential in attracting the customers in the entire competitive
market which is essential to be conducted by the organizations as to target the customers. On
the other hand, Adams, Gabler and Landers (2017) has commented and analyzed that the
other stage is the pre-evaluation in which it can be analyzed and noticed that consumers try to
compare the brand of the different products with other products which are available in the
market and this helps in providing a brief overview of the offers that can be provided to the
customers in an appropriate manner.
2.8 Importance of Brand Value or Logos on Purchases of Consumers
There is various importance of the brand value or the logo on the purchases of the
customers as this has been noticed that the consumers require proper and appropriate review
of the products before they tend to purchase the object in comparison to the other products
which are available in the market. Armstrong et al. (2015) has commented that the brand
value or the logo helps in managing the overall efficiency of the organization or the product
which is sold by them. On the other hand, Armstrong et al. (2014) has stated and commented
that the brand value plays a major role in influencing the brand value of the product and this
will increase the purchase decisions of the consumers in an effective manner.
2.9 Importance of Brand Value on Increasing profitability of Organization
Adams, Gabler and Landers (2015) has stated that the brand value on increasing
profitability of the organization in which it has been seen and analyzed that the appropriate
brand value on increasing the entire profitability of the organizations. Armstrong et al. (2015)
has commented that brand association is the last dimension of brand equity.

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According to Adams, Gabler and Landers (2017), it has been seen and analyzed that
the brand awareness of the customers is to recall and recognize the brand and this will
increase the number of customers in an appropriate manner. It has been seen that the product
needs to enter the awareness set as this will assist in managing the overall enhance of entering
into the market and this will increase the overall brand awareness as this will increase the
purchasing power of the different customers. Branding is the important decision which is
required to be maintained by the new product is being developed or branded or created a
proper logo for the same (Baker and Saren 2017).
Lastly, it has been seen and analyzed that the branding is essential for improving the
purchasing power of the different consumers in the market along with improving the
profitability of the organization in an effective manner. It has been seen and analyzed that the
communication is essential in making the entire branding more successful in nature and this
will improve the entire brand image of the products which are sold by them. There are
different kinds of analysis which is essential in nature for making the purchase of the
individuals or consumers successful in nature (Wrenn and Mansfield 2014).
2.10 Power of Logos
Logos play a major role in the branding of the different organizations as this helps in
managing the different kinds of branding is essential in nature. Choosing a logo is essential
and this is the face of the company and the brand image will be recognizable in nature. A
brand logo is never love at first sight, however this is the balance of the graphic designers
along with the customers. If the logo fails in delivering the instant association with the brand
or the product, this will help in managing the different kinds of brand image of the company
which is creating positive impact on the organization effectively.

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Chapter 3 - Research Methodology
Research methodology contains the framework within which the research is
conducted. Research methodology is chosen based on different factors such as the nature of
the study, purpose of the study and the general classification and research design (Flick
2015). Research methodology defines all the elements of the research onion developed by
Saunders. The different layers of the research onion will unfold the method in which the
findings will be revealed in the study. The research methodology will provide valid
justifications for choosing each of the methods along with their positives and negatives.
When the nature of the study is taken into account, research can be divided into two parts,
one is fundamental research and another is applied research. In this current study, the
research topic has provided the scope to implement applied research where a practical
research problem will be analysed (Ledford and Gast 2018). The research findings will be
used to develop recommendations for managers and can be implemented in practical
scenarios. In this current study, the impact of logos on the scalability and reputation of brand
will be analysed and the results will facilitate the managers of different companies to
implement these recommendations.

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Figure 1: Research onion Model
(Source: Saunders et al. 2015)
3.1 Research philosophy
The different methods used for data collection and analysis is defined in the research
philosophy. Research philosophy deals with the development of assumptions and beliefs of
the study based on the general awareness. The different types of research methodologies
used in research are pragmatism, positivism, interpretivism and realism (Saunders et al.
2015). Positivism is the research philosophy chosen in the current study and practical
implication of the research is the reason for choosing this philosophy. Positivism is based on
observations and facts, where the only part of the research activity is collection of data and
observation. The theories discussed in the literature review will be validated using this
philosophy. Positivism is manly objective in nature where data has to be quantifiable and
observable (Edson, Henning and Sankaran, 2016). However, in some instances qualitative
research can also be conducted using the positivism philosophy where different cases will be

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compared to prove the hypothesis in the study. The study has use statistical data that has
already been used in other peer-reviewed journals and articles.
Figure 2: Research Philosophy
(Source: Kennedy 2017)
Justification for choosing positivism
In this current study, positivism has been chosen as the research philosophy as it has
assisted in proving the different theories discussed in the literature review. The research has
already defined the conclusion and premises for the study so the unknown evidences had
been revealed using this philosophy.
3.2 Research Approach
Research approach defines the method in which the data has been collected and
analysed. The different approaches of research are inductive, deductive and abductive
(Sekaran and Bougie 2016). The abductive approach presents shocking facts at the
introduction and then rest of the research is focused on justifying these facts. The significance

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of hypothesis differentiates between the inductive and the deductive research approach. In
this current study, deductive approach has been used where a hypothesis has been developed
based on the existing literature and an appropriate research strategy to analyse the causal
relationship between the variables (Singh 2015). Therefore, a link between the variables has
been established using the deductive approach and a comparison has been made between the
expected and the observed pattern. The inductive approach is used for developed new
paradigms and dogmas which may not produce any result and the time span required for such
approach is very high so deductive approach is more suitable.
Figure 3: Research Approach
(Source: H 2015)
Justification for selecting the deductive approach

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The choice of selecting deductive approach is appropriate as the theories discussed in
the literature review of the study can be proven and tested using this approach. The
observation scope has been increased using this method. The use of deductive approach is
less time consuming, less risky and less costly when compared to the other approaches.
Deductive approach has also facilitated in testing the formulated hypothesis in the study.
3.3 Research Design
Research design has been explained by different authors in different ways where
some consider it as the method of choosing between the qualitative and quantitative method
whereas some regard is as the method of data analysis and collection (Marczyk, DeMatteo
and Festinger 2017). Research design can be considered as the general plan of executing the
research and defining each of the method for data collection and analysis. There are two
types of research design, one is the conclusive and other is exploratory in nature. In this
current study, conclusive design has been used to generate crucial findings from secondary
data. According to chosen research conclusive study is the best method. Conclusive design
can be further divided into two aspects, one is descriptive research design and another is
causal research design (Meyers, Gamst and Guarino 2016). The descriptive research design
has been used in the study which has facilitated in analysing cases of different organizations
that have implemented their changes in logos and have gained success.
3.4 Data collection and analysis
The data collected is secondary data from different peer reviewed journals and
articles. Secondary data has also been collected from different cases of organizations that had
been analyzed to reach a definitive conclusion. The collected data is subjected to content
analysis where coding has been used to analyze the content (Lu and Wang 2017). The study
has used open coding and axial coding to analyze the data. In open coding the theories are
identified in the cases where data has been broken down into information that is relevant to

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the study. Axial coding has been used to prove the concepts that has been identified using
open coding and comparing them with the theories discussed in the literature review (Stuckey
2015). The findings have been tabulated in a table so that it can be further streamlined to
developed significant conclusion and recommendations.
3.5 Sampling
Sampling is the method of reducing the sample population from the overall
population. When the sample population are large, it is difficult to analyze such large data as
it increases the research cost and time. However, sampling is used to select elements that will
represent the total population (Palinkas et al. 2015). There are two types of sampling
methods, one is probabilistic sampling and other is non-probabilistic sampling. In this
current study, we had used non-probabilistic sampling to analyze 5 different articles on the
branding and 6 different cases of organizations that have changed their logo and have
succeeded in developing an effective branding strategy. The sample population was huge and
using probabilistic sampling in this context where randomization is the basis of selection
would have hampered the reliability of the research (Gentles et al. 2015). However, using
non-probabilistic sampling the exact required and suitable secondary data for the research has
been collected.

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Figure 4: Research Sampling
(Source: Gentles 2016)
3.6 Reliability and Validity
Reliability is the capability of the research of replicating the results using diverse sets
of data. Reliability of a qualitative study is crucial and is difficult to obtain due to the
inclusion of human experience into the study. The study has used test rated reliability to use
different sample to check whether same is obtained or not (LoBiondo-Wood and Haber
2014). Validity examines the appropriateness of the methods used when compared to the
prescribed method. The study has used content validity to compare the prescribed and the
used method. The reliability and validity of the data is high and positive results have been
obtained using it.
3.7 Ethical consideration
In this current study, data protection act of 1998 has been taken into consideration and
none of the data has been used for other purposes. The secondary data has been collected
from authentic journals and articles (Bryman and Bell 2015). The results have not been

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manipulated and exaggerated any point, and all the data is accurate. The study has not used
any plagiarized content and has been properly cited so that the authentic source can be cross
referenced.
Chapter 4- Data Findings and Analysis
4.1 Introduction
This chapter of the study will analyse different cases of reputed companies who have
changed their logo and have gained success in the market. The study will use the case study
method to analyse different cases along with their financial data before and after the
implementation of change.
4.2 Case Analysis
4.2.1 UBER’s radical rebranding
UBER made a drastic change to their logo where the black and white icon changed to
a colourful geometric shape. The new logo can be interpreted differently from different
person’s perspectives where the shape can be considered circular if they are riders and it can
considered hexagonal if they drive. Even though the logo is same, the patterns and colours

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varies from country to country (Hempel et al. 2016). The new application opens with pattern
and elegant animation which signifies the complete rebranding effort from the organizations.
The update of the application logo reflects the individuality of the market to which UBER
caters. The change from conventional colours to choosing bright colours represents UBER’s
urge to develop a more flexible brand so that it can flourish by catering to new consumers by
developing new products. The change of UBER’s “U “logo is more than an effort of
corporate rebranding, it has attempted to transform the whole organization and create a new
perception into the minds of the consumers. Initially, UBER commenced as a company
providing premium vehicles to clients having high disposable income. However, this was just
the initial phase where the application represented luxury (Kokalitcheva 2016). The major
issue the organization had been facing was that they catered to different markets, for instance,
the market in Lagos is quite different from the market in Mumbai. The rebranding focused
on assisting every person involved in the ecosystem and providing them with benefits.
Figure 5: UBER previous logo
(Source: Ganti 2016)

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Even though most experts hire experts for rebranding and designing of logos but
UBER had the whole process of rebranding internally. The involvement of the top most level
of management in the rebranding process can be explained by the type of rebranding which
was internal and personal to the company. This rebranding was trying to explain the level of
self-exploration and the attempt at personalizing the offerings of the organization (Hempel et
al. 2016). The expansion of the UBER business has changed its nature of business from
being a start up to a multinational company so rebranding was necessary to deal with the
issues faced by the company. The new logo has been inspired by the “atom” and “bit
“technological aspect where the application logo will represent the current values of the
organization. The organization had diversified their services to different segments, the
updated design has attempt to portray the journey of UBER from the company came from
and where they are attempting to reach (Kokalitcheva 2016). This signified UBER’s
expansion into logistics by launching its UBER rush service. The bits represent technology
and atom represents humanity and putting them together is the main motto of the
organization.
The company changed the colour of the logo in different countries and is represented
by different patterns by the companies. However, this change is uncommon for all the
multinational company as consistency is a key aspect of branding. The change in colour and
design is the accurate representation of the existing culture of that country. The new logo is
also signifying the unparalleled growth of the organization all over the world so the new logo
had been developed as such that it has been celebrating its presence in all the countries they
exist in (Chernev 2016). UBER had diversified their business where they are not limited to
moving people around countries and cities but they are even moving goods and foods and
many more possibilities are in the pipeline. According to the founder, Kalanick and the global
director of design, Shalin Amin, the new logo is the best way to connect all the services

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provided by the organization. However, the initial reaction of the general population
regarding the change on the logo were negative where the organization received criticism for
this change (Irani 2016). However, it is difficult for people to accept change and but the
company was willing to take the risk in order to expand in potential markets like India which
could become one of their highest revenue generating sources.
Figure 6: UBER new logo
(Source: Admin 2017)
The new logo was aimed at providing consistency, make the brand easily
recognizable and highlight essential information. According to Bariso (2016), even though
the website design and the logo type are aligned with the organization goals, the logo is not
up to the mark to represent the brand and is less recognizable when compared to the previous
logo. The main aim of a logo is to increase the level of identity of the brand, associate with
the consumers and differentiate their offerings from the competitors in the market. However,
the new logo has not been able to match up to any of the above mentioned criteria’s and is
not recognizable with the brand. The logo could define and suit to any other company in the

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different sectors such as communication, computer and biotechnology (Kokalitcheva 2016).
The creation of meaningful association into the minds of the consumer is one such factor
which left a question mark in the minds of various experts. The story of bits and atoms may
be considered as too abstract for the consumers and it may be used to represent any other
organization which makes the application logo to be generic. However, the expanding
business and reputation among the consumers are enough to provide the company with
competitive advantage but the logo has been considered to be a misstep and could have
weaken its brand value in front of the consumers. UBER had already been able to create a
distinct brand image with their first logo but the use of the new logo could have weakened
their competitive advantage in the market (Chernev 2016).
Figure 7: UBER profit margin since 2013
(Source: Statista 2018)
The financial data in the year of the 2017 shows that the rebranding was not a success
where UBER faced considerable amount of losses. Even though the UBER had been growing

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rapidly, in most of the countries the growth is much less when compared to the potential
growth. The attempt at rebranding and change in logo is beyond the comprehension of the
consumer as the new concept does not hold true for all the consumers and the perception of
UBER has been different. It has not been a wise and far sighted decision as bits and atom
representation of the company defines the connectivity between humanity and technology
(Kelly 2017). This is not a unique value proposition and rebranding for the organization as
they have made change to the basic value and what they are trying to achieve. Connecting
technology with people can a value proposition for Apple, Microsoft or any other
technological company and it does not have distinction or uniqueness. This has been reflected
in the loss incurred by the organization in the last two years where the organization has
expanded their business in different countries (Seraphin et al. 2016). They have not been able
to take competitive advantage in markets like India, where they have faced immense
competition from the Bangalore based OLA. This shows that their rebranding efforts have not
succeeded effectively in drawing the attention of consumers.
4.2.2 Shell’s journey of insignificance to iconic status
The logo of Shell has initially emerged in the early phase of the 20th century and it has
evolved drastically over the past decades. If the first logo of the company is revisited an
astounding change can be noticed. The present logo is the apt representation of the elegant
and sophisticated look of the global oil and natural gas organization (Kel 2018). The logo
has played a significant role in the success of the organization and left a mark on the minds of
the consumers. The logo has communicated with the consumers without personally reaching
out to them, the main value proposition of the organization and what they are trying to
achieve. The first logo of the company was a basic and poor drawing of a mussel shell.
However, the initial drawing was not at all up to the mark which shows the lack of awareness
in branding.

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The first redesigning attempt of the product failed miserably where the organization
changed their logo from a mussel shell to a scallop shell. This was done to make
improvements to the aesthetic value of the logos but the overall colour contrast was not eye
catching and dull. Thus, the logo was unable to fulfil its purpose of creating a perception into
the minds of the consumers. The next phase of redesigning was done in the year of 1930
where the logo designed skilfully having an art style shape. The logo was symmetrical which
was in the shape of a crown representing a crown which implied they were the king of this
sector. Therefore, this phase of redesigning of the logo was a massive success as it was
relatable to the consumers and they were able to understand the true purpose of developing
the logo. Colour was first introduced in the logo in the year of 1948 but the new design took
them a step backwards due to the clumsiness of new logo and the progress made with the
logo in the early 30s were completely missing (Kel 2018). Radical change had been
experienced when the logo was changed drastically in the year of 1971. There were cleaner
lines in the logo which resembled the crown and the yellow strips were bordered with red
colour (Kel. 2018). This red outline completely transformed the look of the logo and this logo
development has been so impressive that Shell has been using the same logo ever since.
However, in the year of 1995, lighter shades of yellow and red were introduced so that the
dark colour do not offend the consumers.

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Figure 9: SHELL logo evolution
(Source: Kel 2018)
The most important aspect of a logo is its shape, size, colour and font which is
important for aesthetics. However, logo defines the brand and conveys a message to the
consumers about the purpose of the organization. The mollusc shell of the logo has never
undergone a change which signifies their association with the eco-cycle of oil exploration.
The logo sends the message that SHELL is an ethical corporate house that has been meeting
the environmental concerns. The company never felt the need of changing their logo as it has
created a powerful image in the minds of the consumers (Kel 2018). The colour of the logo
enhances its beauty and signifies the colour of energy and the bold letters to represent the
organization signifies the high qualities that the company adheres to. Since the
commencement of the organization there has not been any change to the logo shape, typeface

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and colour which sends the message that the organization maintained their power, strength
and supremacy in the global market.
However, SHELL removed the text from the logo in the year of 1999 which signifies
their diversification in different forms of fuel and power, for instance, renewables and natural
gas. SHELL is the market leader in the majority of the categories they cater to. The most
important aspect of oil and natural gas companies are dealing with the impact on the
corresponding environment. The operations of oil and natural gas companies have heavily
affected the environment including both flora and fauna (Wenzel 2018). The logo has been
able to create within the minds of the consumers, a perception which reinstated their faith that
the company adheres to the environmental laws and trying their best to protect the
environment. This logo has been from the early 20th century which shows the farsightedness
of the organization while developing the logo. SHELL has delivered innovative and ground-
breaking products such as Nitrogen Enriched Fuels (Shell.com 2018). The logo has left an
impact on the brand and removal of the text from the logo shows that general consumers can
easily identify the company’s logo due to its unique design, colour and font. Therefore, the
logo of SHELL has been instrumental in developing a brand which has become power house
and market leader in the modern global era.

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Figure 10: SHELL profit margin from 2006 to 2017
(Source: Macrotrends.net 2018)
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Revenue (in $ million) 4,51,23
5
4,21,10
5
2,64,96
0
2,33,59
1
3,05,17
9
Income for the period
(in $ million)
16,526 14,730 2,200 4,777 13,435
Income/(loss) attributable
to non-controlling interest
(in $ million)
155 -144 261 202 458
Income attributable to
Royal Dutch Shell plc
shareholders (in $ million)
16,371 14,874 1,939 4,575 12,977
Table 1: Income Statement
(Source: Shell.com 2018)

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Figure 11: SHELL income statement from 2013 to 2017
(Source: Shell.com 2018)
4.2.3 Apple’s iconic logo
The first logo of Apple was totally different from what can be seen in the present
times and was not remotely similar to the present logo. However, the logo was still relatable
to the brand and had been developed by the co-founder of Apple, Ronald Wayne. The first
logo featured Isaac Newton in it where the discovery of gravity had been depicted in it and
there was a quotation of William Wordsworth (Marketing 2012). However, this logo was too
intricate and detailed to be represented for the brand. Moreover, developing such intricate
logo design in smaller sizes were cumbersome so Steve Jobs wanted to change the logo to
something different which could be reproduced in smaller sizes. However, if the logo, it had
good representation of the brand but the quote was not appropriate and had hampered the
corporate identity of such a reputed brand.
As Steve Job believed that the logo was too arcane, he appointed Rob Janoff as the
graphic designer of the logo. The classic logo of the brand represented by a bitten Apple was

40PROJECT DISSERTATION
developed by him. The first logo created by the graphic designer contained a rainbow
spectrum which represented the first computer in the world with a colour display in it.
However, the reason behind developing such a logo was mysterious as different experts had
different interpretation of the logo and the logo fitted into each of these stories (Marketing
2012). This logo change had been great way of rebranding their company as the logo had the
business more recognizable, the logo had been able to aptly identify the business, the logo
had been memorable, the logo had been cost effective, the logo had been adaptive and the
logo stood out for so manty years and will be there for years to come. This iconic logo had
been able to create the accurate perception about the company and the products they offer
into the minds of the consumers (Ray 2014). The bite in the apple was made to let the
consumers understand the fact that the fruit was an apple and not a cherry tomato. Moreover,
“byte” gave an intellectual play of words and had been one of the apt references for a tech
organization.
The logo created in the year of 1977, remained there for two decades and it was then
again changed in the year of 1998. Three major aspects of a logo are colour, shape and size
and the old logo was looking silly (Ray 2014). In the year of 1998, the company was going
through a phase of financial crisis and Steve Jobs thought that they could leverage their logo
to gain competitive advantage in the market. The shape of the logo was recognizable to all
and the organization wanted to put it somewhere people could see it. When Apple launched
their first ever iMac into the market they changed their logo and the previous logo was not
compatible within the colour combination of a sky-blue laptop. Therefore, the logo was given
a metallic look which featured all of their products in the past two decades (Ray 2014). The
logo has further developed in the past decade and has been given a millennial look which is
basically flatter than the previous logo and is available in three colours, black white and
silver. The decision made by Steve Jobs of changing the logo to something more relatable

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and unique was an extraordinary idea which has made Apple Inc. into such a global brand.
The logo had been a stand out due to its shape, colour, size and the story the logo is trying to
convey about the organization.
Figure 12: Apple Logo evolution
(Source: Lakra 2017)
Apple Inc. is the market leader in their segment and they have developed their own
niche market by developing a blue ocean strategy. This has been very much possible as the
logo is memorable and recognizable at all times. The famous logo can be identified and
known all the consumer as the significance of a premium brand offering best quality
innovative products its consumer segment. The logo created had been revolutionary and
iconic in setting examples for other organization (Ray 2014). The simple design of the brand
was so relatable and memorable due to the cutting-edge design. Consumers were offered
something very simple to remember and the logo in the past decades has been the most
recognizable brand all over the world. The logo has been innovative and effective at such
extent that organization does not even need to put their name on the logo. The consumer
segments are all aware of the logo, the purpose of the organization and the products they
offer to their consumers (Koshy and Narayanan 2017). Logo is an important aspect of

42PROJECT DISSERTATION
rebranding, when a company is ready to take it to the next level and rebrand their offerings,
the logo has to be focused as the logo is the depiction of the brands current values and depicts
the story to the consumers. This is solely visible from the appropriateness of the Apple Logo
and how it can make the brand recognizable and profitable.
Figure 13: Apple Revenue since 2000
(Source: Miglani 2017)

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Figure 14: Apple Net Profit since 2000
(Source: Miglani 2017)
4.2.4 Adidas three stripes branding
Adidas’s three stripes logo is one of the most recognizable brand among the fortune
500 and it is one of the best examples of effective logo and how it can create a recognition
among the consumers in the market (Museum, Highsnobiety.com and Highsnobiety.com
2017). The simple design of the logo makes it work even further, and the company created
something which is very much relatable for the athletes that use it. The three stripes pattern
has remained constant over the evolution of the logo in the past decades. Even though the
organization started selling their footwear since 1924, their trefoil logo unveiled in the year of
1971 (Rajanayagam 2016). This logo has represented the organization till the late 90’s and
the simplicity of the logo left a mark on the minds of the consumers. The logo was again
changed in the year of 1997 but the three stripes remained and made into a simpler iconic
logo (Marketing 2013). However, the new logo was designed to represent a mountain which

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signified that the brand will assist athletes in overcoming different challenges and fulfilling
the goals of the organization.
Figure 15: Adidas net sales from 2000 to 2017 worldwide
(Source: Statista 20018)
Adidas has used the word mark since 2005 which shows the simplicity of the logo
which represents leadership and quality (Marketing 2013). There have been significant
changes in their respective and has been used in all the diversified products served by the
organization shows that the initial design is enough to empower their brand and the logo will
go unrecognized even if they launch a diversified product. The organization merged with
Salmon in the year of 1998 and changed their logo and developed a new logo which

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represented the values and purpose of both the organization (Marketing 2013). The logo
inherited blue colour from Adidas and Red colour from Salmon where three shapes were
incorporated to make it look like a diamond. Adidas has increased their product line and
gone through mergers but always has maintained a simplistic approach to logo development
so that it is relatable to all the athletes.
Figure 16: Adidas financial development from 2000 to 2017 worldwide
(Source: Singh 2018)

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Figure 17: Diversification in Adidas Group
(Source: Marketing 2013)
The design created by Adidas is so simple that it can incorporated all the products the
organization is offering to the athletes. The logo is challenging people to push their limits and
try their best to achieve their goals where Adidas is going to play an important role in
assisting them to achieve their goals (Teodorescu 2015). The brand they have developed with
these logos is immense and the logo has been empowering for making the changes
(Rajanayagam 2016). The logo has been instrumental in developing an effective brand and
the organization has not made much changes to their logo as they have not changed their
values and their target consumers.
4.2.5 Pepsi ‘s logo refreshed or rebranded
Pepsi is one of the iconic brands in the fortune 500 which has been competing with
Coco Cola and is one of the oldest brands in this beverage sector. Initially, there were
resemblance between the logo of Coco Cola and Pepsi, where Pepsi imitated the swirly text
of Coco Cola (Kel 2017). Even though, the logo went through series of typography and lots
of texts were incorporated it was more or less the same thing. The logo attained the spherical

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shape for the first time which became a huge success among the consumers and that shape is
still used in the company logo. The company changed the shape to the spherical design in
order to accommodate the slogan” The Original Pure Food Drink” (Kel 2017). The
organization made changes to the logo in the year of 1940 where a rectangular box was
incorporated in the logo which served as the background. The letters were written in red and
the entire background was in white which symbolised the organizational support for the
American and their efforts in the world war II. The curlicues of the logo were dropped in
order to accommodate the support for the American government and army.
The word cola was dropped from the logo in the year of 1960 and a bottle cap design
was introduced and the two bulls’ eyes in the design added up to the words PEPSI which
signified the dominance of the organization in the soft drink sector both locally and globally.
The radical changes in the 70s impacted the logo of PEPSI as the company sensed the change
in the consumer needs where they were ready to accept new technologies and modernity.
The organization took the minimalist approach to make the design look clear and neat. The
white colour was dropped and the logo was outlined by the white in a spherical shape. The
logo was again redesigned in the year of 1991 (Kel 2017). The spherical shape was
minimized and pushed to the right-hand corner and PEPSI text was featured in bold letters at
the top. However, the red and blue colour in the colour in the logo still dominated and
covered the majority of the space. The logo was again changed in the year of 1998 after their
commencement where for the first time the white background was changed to blue and
PEPSI text was written in white. The current design of the logo resembled a smile but the
uniqueness of the traditional colour remains the same and a swirl has been added to its
spherical shape which separates the lower and the upper disk (HuffPost 2014).
The logo evolution of the logo shows that there are key features in shapes, size and
colour which were kept intact even after a century. This represents their key values and goals

48PROJECT DISSERTATION
which stills remains the same. The logo gained its popularity when initially the sphere and the
colour was introduced and it has not changed since then which shows the branding efforts of
the organization. The logo is simple yet it is easily recognizable and memorable which has
been the reason for success of the organization (HuffPost 2014). The changes to the logo has
been based on their marketing initiatives and needs of the organization. The organization has
focused on the attractiveness of the brand and made the changes to the logo each time based
on this factor. The logo is one of the finest example of presenting a company’s business and
corporate identity by incorporating changes on a regular basis. However, there is a drastic
difference between logo refresh and rebranding, there are companies that completely change
their logos and rebrand their position in the market (Fresh Inc. Marketing 2015). However,
well known companies like PEPSI did not need to rebrand instead they went for refresh
which kept the colour, shape and size similar but there were minute changes in the logo
which may go unnoticed in the eyes of the consumers. Refreshing is logo with changes in
technology as aesthetics is a crucial aspect of marketing where the logo of different
companies attract the consumers.

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Figure 18: PEPSI logo evolution
(Source: Fresh Inc. Marketing 2015)
Figure 19: PEPSI net revenue worldwide
(Source: Statista 2018)
4.2.6 McDonald’s Logo evolution
The iconic logo of the McDonald’s is completely different from the original logo, the
initial logo was in black and white which consisted of a sketch of a chef. The company
started in the year of 1940 where the main speciality of the company was burgers and
barbecues. The company gained their supremacy with in a decade in the fast food industry
(Darwin 2018). The company introduced their Speeder Service System and in order to make
this popular, they introduced their logo. The company redesigned their logo in the year of
1952 and hired a designer to develop a logo where two giant arches was developed. The logo
represented the word “M” and a slanting line was added in between which represented the
roof of the store. This logo was significantly changed but the basic shape, design, colour

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remained the same (Darwin 2018). The analysis of the logo showed few basic features which
has enhanced the brand where logo refresh was sufficient to make the changes.
The logo had a simple design to it and the unnecessary elements of the logo in the
McDonalds logo has been removed over the years. The logo changed drastically and became
thinner day by day from being a black and bulky design. The three arches were heavy designs
in the beginning but with time the arch was made much simpler (Admin 2017). The next key
characteristic is the colour of the logo where use of one or two colours in enough to evoke
right feelings with the minds of the consumers. The font of the text in the logo is the next
feature where a single type face is most effective in depicting the text. The logo is used to
convey the message of the organization to the consumers about their purpose and goals. The
quality fast food aspect of the company is represented through the logo effectively which is
the reason for the company’s sustainability and profitability for so many years.
Figure 20: McDonald’s logo evolution
(Source: Darwin 2018)

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McDonald’s faced their biggest challenge as they were put in the lime light after a
series of documentaries on obesity. This significantly reduced the popularity of the fast food
chain. However, they were able to handle the situation which has been reflected in their
rebranding efforts. In the earlier cases, it has been seen there are companies where the logo
refresh is enough while making rebranding efforts. However, McDonald had to make drastic
changes to their logo as they had to include healthier food products into their menu for the
increasing obesity among people (Admin 2017). The use of catchy tagline such as “I am
loving it” was one of the best examples of branding where the organization has been trying to
convey their purpose and the product they offer to the consumers. The logo of the company
shows that each time McDonalds focused on a particular aspect and they portrayed it with
their logo. McDonalds had to rebrand their offerings due to the change in needs of the
consumers which has been reflected effectively through their logo. McDonalds have managed
to maintain their supremacy in the market as they had developed effective logo.

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Figure 21: McDonald’s Net Profit Margin
(Source: Stock Analysis on Net 2018)
4.3 Ranking system
Traffic light system
Green (good
performance)
Green Amber
(good with some
concerns)
Red Amber
(Some
concerns)
Red (Serious
concerns)
Colour Apple,
McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell,
Adidas
Uber
Shape Apple,
McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell,
Adidas
Uber
Size Apple,
McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell,
Adidas
Uber
Text Apple,
McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell,
Uber

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Adidas
Message Apple,
McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell,
Adidas
Uber
Source: (As created by author)
Star rating system
Colour Apple, McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell, Adidas
Uber
Shape Apple, McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell, Adidas
Uber
Size Apple, Pepsi, Shell,
Adidas
McDonalds Uber
Text Apple, Shell, Adidas Uber,
McDonalds,
Pepsi
Message Apple, McDonalds,
Pepsi, Shell, Adidas
Uber
Source: (As created by author)
4.4 Discussion
In the first chapter of the study, a hypothesis has been developed which aimed to
measure if logos have any impact on the success of the organization or not. The analysis of

54PROJECT DISSERTATION
the different cases have established facts that shows the logos have a significant impact on
developing a brand. Logo of reputed companies have been analysed which has thrown light
of the fact that the logo is the visual representation of the branding strategy which portrays
the organizational story. The logo defines the organization and the message the logo conveys,
determines the perception of the consumers towards this offerings of the organization. UBER
failed miserably in various countries because their logo was confusing and were unable to
match upto the recognition of the previous logo. UBER has undergone heavy losses only due
to the fact that they have not been able to represent what they were trying to achieving. The
branding strategy of the organization failed miserably and logo played an important part it.
Similarly, analysing the logo of companies that have prospered over the years and
maintained their strong presence in the market. Apple and Shell are classic examples of
companies that prospered due to their unique and distinctive logo. The organization were able
to portray their message effectively to the consumers and the designs were so simple that they
were able to create memorable and relatable designs. The effectiveness of the logo
determines the effectiveness of the branding they have achieved. This is the very reason that
they are market leader in their respective segments and managed to keep their supremacy as
they had been able to develop an authentic perception of the organizational offerings in the
minds of the consumers. Pepsi, Adidas and McDonalds are companies’ enjoying a bulk of the
share in the market. The analysis of the logo evolution of these companies has a similar story
to it which shows that simplicity in the logo design is a common factor among the companies
that belong to the fortune 500. Adidas’ three striped logo is simple but it represents a
mountain which shows that the organization will help all the athletes in overcoming the
obstacles in their life. The effectiveness of the logo is very high and memorable for all the
target consumers which will be able to easily identify the brand. Similarly, the logo is small
enough to be printed in any kind of organizational offerings. Pepsi has hold on to their

55PROJECT DISSERTATION
traditional colours as it showed their support towards the World War II. This major brands
have either implemented logo refresh or made minor adjust to their logo depending upon the
rebranding strategy. McDonalds faced issues due to the increase in obesity in the United
States so they introduced healthier products and made changes to their logo. However, the
basic design is never changed which is the reason that consumers have high level of
commitment to the products offerings made by these companies.
The analysis of the different logos has shown that company logos have a strong
impact of the profitability and brand image. The different ranking and rating systems used to
identify the suitable logos of the organization clearly depicts that companies having excellent
logos have been successful in branding their offerings effectively. The success of their
branding efforts have made them improve the organizational productivity and all of them
enjoy a large share in the market and majority of them are market leaders in their segment.
Therefore, it can be deduced from the collected data that the null hypothesis can be rejected
and the alternative hypothesis can be accepted. However, this is solely based on the
secondary data obtained from different blogs, journals and articles so the conclusion is
tentative and the level of significance cannot be calculated, which is the limitation of the
research. The indication from the secondary data collected in the study and current status of
each of the companies are accurate reflected by the status of their respective logos. Therefore,
it is safe to say that there is significant impact of logos on the branding and profitability of the
organization. This means that the success of a company depends on the effective designing of
the logo as the company is recognizable by their logo.

56PROJECT DISSERTATION
Chapter 5- Conclusion
5.1 Conclusion
This chapter will effectively conclude the findings from the research and provide
significant insights on the research topic. The findings gained from the secondary data will
be linked with the objectives set in the study so that inferences can be drawn from. The
conclusion chapter will also recommend strategies and key components of developing an
effective logo. The scope of future research in this research topic will also be discussed along
with the limitation of the current research.
Objective 1: To determine the importance of the logo in gaining competitive advantage in
the entire competitive market
The findings of the study has revealed that logo is essential for gaining competitive
advantage in the market. The logo has essential features to it and determines the effectiveness
of the branding. The brand is represented by the logo and effective logo development
provides the organization recognition and makes it more memorable. The different case
study evaluated in the chapter 4 of the study shows that the companies having excellent logo
designs have been able to brand and rebrand their products effectively. Apple is one of the
biggest example of developing effective logo where the logo of the company is so popular
that the logo defines the brand. The logo is easily recognizable and memorable; even the
message behind the story is conveyed effectively. Shell has not changed the structure of the
mollusc shell from the very beginning and have added colour to it and changed the design
effectively. The analysis of different companies show that the logo and branding efforts affect
the profitability and UBER has been facing significant issues due to this factor. The new logo
and their branding strategy is confusing and has not been represented effectively. The
alternative hypothesis in the study has been accepted as the analysis of the secondary data

57PROJECT DISSERTATION
indicates that companies having excellent logo design have gained prosperity and competitive
advantage in the market.
Objective 2: To examine the influence of logos on the purchasing decisions of the
customers in the market
The purchasing decision of the consumers are highly affected by the effectiveness of
the logo. When initially UBER changed their organization logo, the majority of the
consumers were not happy with the logo and majority of the consumers criticized their logo.
However, the consumers did not stop using UBER only because of the logo change as the
organization has already been able to develop a good brand using just a single letter “U”. The
new logo transformation was not the proper depiction of what the organization was trying to
achieve. The concept of the logo was based on bits and atoms which represents technology
and humanity. The company was trying to portray that they connect human beings to
technology which could be a message from any technological company and there is no
significant uniqueness to the logo and the concept. This is the reason that UBER faced issues
in different countries where potential opportunities were high as the consumers could not
relate nor could they remember such a complex logo. On the contrary, the logo of Adidas is a
simple design but it remembered by all consumers as it has been able to effectively convey
the message. The company is one of the top sports brand in the global market and will
continue to do so due to their superior logo and branding strategies.
Objective 3: To analyse the various strategies that can be adopted to improve the logo
design adopted by the company effectively
The ranking and rating system of the logos of different multinational companies have
thrown light on the factors that are essential for developing an effective logo. The different
factors affecting the development of an effective logo are colour, shape, size, message, text

58PROJECT DISSERTATION
and design. The colour of the logo defines the context of the logo, the blue and red colour of
the PEPSI logo depicts the company’s support for America’s effort in World War II. The
colour of the logo became so popular they the colour has not been changed and there is only
minute logo refresh from time to time. The rainbow colour of the Apple logo and availability
in colour transparent, white and black colour are popular among the consumers and majority
of the consumers want to get hold of any of the offerings made by the organization. Similarly,
the colour of the Shell logo remained the same with minute changes in the shades. This
shows that choice is important. In case of UBER, the new application was available in
different design and colours in different countries which was a good representation of the
culture in respective countries. The shape and size defines the design of the logo where
Apple‘s logo of a bitten Apple and Adidas’ three stripes depicting a mountain is well known
to the consumers. On the other hand, UBER’s new design is very confusing and can be
interpreted differently by different consumers. Therefore, clarity in the logo is essential for
developing a effective logo design. The message and the text are equally important where the
text type should be suitable and for instance SHELL used their name in bold letters to
represents its supremacy in the market. However, companies already having developed an
effective image among the consumers remove the text as the logo is enough to identify the
brand which is the case of Apple and Shell.
5.2 Research limitation
The research is limited to qualitative and secondary analysis of data and mixed
research design could have provided a different dimension to the research. In this current
study, the topic could have been narrowed down to a particular organization to conduct
survey and quantitative analysis of data. Moreover, the results obtained are generalised and
are not specific to a particular organization. The hypothesis in the study has been rejected
based on assumptions and lacks confirmation and is based on indication.

59PROJECT DISSERTATION
5.3 Scope of future research
There are very research in the aspect of logo and importance of logo in branding. The
study has been able to cover effectively the different attributes of effective logo and whether
there is significant importance of logo in branding and organizational productivity. In future,
quantitative analysis on this research topic will help in identifying the perspective of the
consumer and what they feel think about different logos of famous organizations. The future
scope of research in this topic is vast as majority of the companies are unable to differentiate
between branding and logo. Therefore, future studies will provide distinction between
branding and logo.

60PROJECT DISSERTATION
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