{"id":5482,"date":"2019-02-01T14:20:54","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T14:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/?p=5482"},"modified":"2020-10-21T10:43:26","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T10:43:26","slug":"is-crowdsourcing-a-logo-the-solution-to-redesign-backlashes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/is-crowdsourcing-a-logo-the-solution-to-redesign-backlashes","title":{"rendered":"Are crowdsourced logos the solution to redesign backlashes?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Collaboration tool, Slack, recently changed its logo from a hashtag-like design, to…well there have been many <\/span>colorful descriptions<\/span><\/a> of what the new logo looks like.<\/span> Moderate submissions. <\/b>Any UGC campaign must be moderated, but content that\u2019s designed to reflect, enhance or represent the business\u2019s brand is especially important to police. The brand\u2019s reputation is at stake.<\/span> Be transparent about rules, prizes and winning qualities.<\/b> Let consumers know what to expect. Guidelines should be prominent. Not just the legal Ts and Cs, but clear content guidelines should be easy to find and follow. <\/span> Read more about how The Social Element gathers social insights<\/a> to bring to the table.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Collaboration tool, Slack, recently changed its logo from a hashtag-like design, to…well there have been many colorful descriptions of what the new logo looks like. https:\/\/twitter.com\/HeyHeyESJ\/status\/1085613709286764544 You may think that the logo of something people largely use for workplace communication wouldn\u2019t inspire a passionate response; you\u2019d be wrong. But Slack took the feedback in its…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[298],"tags":[],"series":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/rohan-765080-unsplash-2-1.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Genuine-Humans.jpg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/3abc34c3-ff60-4a78-b347-6119461b7ed1\/GENUINE-HUMANS","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/genuine-humans\/id1561811296","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVzb2NpYWxlbGVtZW50LmFnZW5jeS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Q?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwiQz-mM7dzvAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/7jkfw0qeUlwrauhfy2pCGU","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/thesocialelement.agency\/feed\/podcast","embedCode":"
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/HeyHeyESJ\/status\/1085613709286764544<\/span><\/a>
\nYou may think that the logo of something people largely use for workplace communication wouldn\u2019t inspire a passionate response; you\u2019d be wrong. But Slack took the feedback in its stride (the designers knew that 95% of people would <\/span>hate the new logo<\/span><\/a>).<\/span>
\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/SlackHQ\/status\/1085620782787633153<\/span><\/a>
\nAirbnb<\/span><\/a> faced a similar social media backlash in 2014, and <\/span>GAP<\/span><\/a> scrapped its logo redesign after a storm of criticism back in 2010. <\/span>
\nSo, if logos have so much potential for controversy, why don\u2019t brands outsource their new logo design to the people they\u2019re trying to market to?<\/span>
\nThe pitfalls and peaks of crowdsourced branding \u00a0<\/b>
\nThe first thing the brand needs to decide is if it wants to hand any say in branding over to fans, followers and customers. More collaborative brands and those passionate about grassroots activism, may choose to bring outsiders into the design process. Brands that want to set their own standards and influence people with a specific vision would probably shy away from the idea.<\/span>
\nThose brands that do like the idea need to decide how and when to bring people into the process. Should they contribute ideas from the start, or simply be presented with a final selection to choose from?<\/span>
\nKey considerations when crowdsourcing branding<\/b>
\nSet clear guidelines. <\/b>Any design competition must have clear guidelines. These guidelines are especially important if you\u2019re asking people to commit time and skill to helping your brand. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n When a brand wants to collaborate on its branding, it\u2019s best to do this in a controlled space, rather than on social media. <\/span>
\nConsider a pre-selection process to ensure that offensive or choices that are not aligned with company values can be vetted. The UGC campaign should be a passion project for fans, and be focused on the brand\u2019s values – rather than something vague and easy to mock. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
\nLet contributors know what the company values are and be clear about how the winner will be selected. For example, perhaps the brand lets fans vote on their favorite design, but will ultimately select the entry that does the best job of reflecting the brand\u2019s values – this needs to be made clear to avoid a backlash.<\/span>
\nBy using a combination of clear guidelines, setting expectations and being open about the process, the brand can establish a system that lets fans contribute, but still gives the brand overall control over tone and design. One great way to do this is by narrowing down the submissions to a few that the brand approves of, and then putting these designs up for public vote.<\/span>
\nOf course, even in these cases, a winning design is unlikely to be universally popular. There are plenty of examples of brands that asked its fans to come up with new product or content ideas which led to division in the fan community. However, if done right, involving consumers and fans in branding and design can be an effective way to get people engaged and to learn what people are thinking about the brand.<\/span><\/p>\nAre crowdsourced logos the solution to redesign backlashes?<\/a><\/blockquote>