History of a copycat brand in the marketplace

In just over two decades, we've worked to help small business owners put an attractive face on their companies.  We were able to listen closely to our client's goals and needs for these "faces" better known as brands, which has helped many of our clients grow their online and offline exposure.  That's why the history of a copycat brand is so appealing to us.  

Clients will say something along the lines of, "We want a logo that's different, but one that really helps consumers connect with our core values".  If this is you, then this article about a #copycatbrand in the marketplace may help you decide if should copy another brand's logo, even if it's the polar opposite.

There are as many attributes that make up a logo as there are to build a great education.  And, knowingly, even if two companies sell opposite products, it's not necessarily a compliment to copy someone else's logo as a musician might sample the tempo of a popular song.

Last time that I checked, the logo for your company still reigns supreme over the most influential influencer, which is really just an extension of your brand or perhaps more similar to a new fragrance. Your logo, as you know is your brand's single most identifiable symbol.  Here in the United States.  There's Apple's "apple", McDonald's "golden arches", Nike's "Swoosh", Starbuck's "siren", and Coco Chanel's "CC" just to unpack a few.  All are super popular, none mimics the other.  

But, let's go back to a time when Whole Foods Market, introduced a new private brand called 365, a remarkably catchy logo that used four primary colors, and a simple, wholesome character.  There's just one problem here, the logo looks like it was made by Microsoft.  

The similarities of these two logos only entered my mind when I would visit Whole Foods, never did I see the Microsoft 365 logo and think of the Whole Foods brand.  I'm sure there's a dollar amount tied to that, but moving on.  The logos share the same colors, shapes, and for the most part similar values (functional, important, smart, wise, natural).  However, what brings this observation to our blog is the recent email migration at Godaddy.  That is to say, Godaddy Workspace Email is being retired and  Microsoft 365 is the way of the walk.  Microsoft 365 Email certainly brings a host of benefits that the Godaddy Workspace just can't do in a manner that keeps small business owners efficient.

Here's the kicker, Whole Foods changed its private brand 365 logos to one that's relatively simple in comparison to the Microsoft 365 logo.  I believe this was a smart change.  Disclaimer – I'm not implying that Whole Foods copied Microsoft, however, the similarities are remarkable.

What do the colors in the Microsoft logo mean?

The four squares are meant to express Microsoft product portfolio diversity" – blue represents Windows, red equals Office, yellow Bing, and green equates to Xbox.

Not to be confused with the Whole Foods 365 logo (originally introduced in 1992 by the Nancy Frame Design), highly resembling the Microsoft 365 logo, was created to celebrate Whole Foods' belief that fresh healthy foods can be readily available to more people in an affordable way every day… 365 days a year.  The 365 by Whole Foods logo was updated in both 2013, and 2015 with only mild changes in its overall appearance. 

 "We designed the original 365 logo and package design system to help Whole Foods attract conventional grocery store customers with a value-priced line backed by Whole Foods' reputation for quality." – Nancy Frame Design

Sometimes as a small business owner, you can benefit from taking shortcuts or using ways of conducting business that has been improved over the years.  However, there's one element of a business that you should refrain from, and that is creating a logo for your new brand that looks too similar to another brand. Often our clients will reference logos of other brands that they admire, but a successful logo depends heavily upon your brand's primary goal, and how you want to position your brand in the marketplace (demographic).

Sometimes all you need is a little help.

Oevae.com can help you sort out the graphic details.  We offer a full suite of marketing solutions for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups.  And, for those who just need marketing advice, you can take advantage of our two decades of experience – Oevae offers Small Business Therapy – A short conversation can do wonders for improving perspectives and bringing clarity to the Internet/marketing terminology, and how you can utilize the latest marketing technologies to grow your small business most efficiently.

Small Business Therapy is billed at $0.99/per minute with no minimum. So you get the marketing help you need in less time, and at a fraction of the cost.

Simply purchase the number of minutes you would like to discuss your topic. You will receive an email with a Zoom link and calendar within 24/hrs.

Make a brand difference.™

 

Use logo designs to strengthen brand and small business growth

When customers are just getting to know a brand, that brand's messaging is critical.  In addition to being aware of varying personal needs states, brands need to be aware of the broader world they (and their customers) live in. 

"Awareness (mental availability) is the best path to customer acquisition, which is, in turn, the only true path to growth."   

 – Ehrenberg-Bass Institute

If we deconstruct a brand's messaging we can then take those parts to reconstruct perhaps an even stronger brand, and objectively gain a better understanding of what brands are saying to consumers.  Similar to an autopsy of a human that uncovers the cause of death and brings knowledge that could prevent similar deaths in the future. 

When you think about it, a brand often recognized by its logo can be broken down into three major parts (1) Colors, (2) Shapes, and (3) Words.  Although there are some other factors used to fine-tune a brand such as a jingle, marketing channel, and voice.  This article will focus on the prior. 

Number One: Colors

color | ˈkələr (British colour) | noun 

1 the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations in the eye 

Let's take a look at how colors work together and how they influence your brand messaging.

The colors you choose for your brand set the tone, just as a red stop sign helps you identify the warning.  If you don't stop and there is a collision, the next color you might see is flashing red lights, and when someone dies, the color black will be commonplace at the funeral.  So, it's by association with real-life events that colors can be used to trigger human emotions like happiness, e.g., emoji yellow.  All colors, like people, have negative and positive traits.

When you apply these colors to some of today's most popular brands (McDonald's, Starbucks, Walmart), it's clear why they use the colors they do and a better understanding of what colors you might consider for your new brand's logo.

Number Two: Shapes

shape | SHāp | noun

1 the external form or appearance characteristic of someone or something; the outline of an area or figure.

Let's take a look now at how shapes work together, and how they influence your brand messaging.

The shapes that you choose for your brand set the direction just as a straight line helps you identify a direction or a boundary.  If you cross the solid line on a two-way road and there is a collision, the next line you might see is the zigzag line that records your heartbeat/pulse, better known as PEA (pulseless electrical activity), and if the some dies, the term "flatline" will be common in the ER (emergency room), thus, before the funeral.  So, it's by association with real-life events that shapes are used to trigger human direction and outcomes.  All shapes, like people, are made up of different curves and lengths.

It's common to see an "arrow" used for companies that offer solutions for growth.  However, the hexagon is most like the single most common shape in nature, and one that most astounds mathematicians.  Most labels on fruits and vegetables are oval or circles, which many of the most iconic brands (Mercedes, Target, ABC) in the world use. The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning – notions of totality, wholeness, perfection, and the infinite. Meanwhile, a heating and air company or swimming pool business often uses wavy lines to represent air and water respectively.  

Shapes of your product are also commonplace in branding.  For example, Play-Doh uses images that represent letters made of clay, while McDonald's "Golden Arches" resemble their World Famous French Fries®.  Starbucks uses a Green mythological creature (a super mermaid) as the biggest symbol and the face of the brand, inspired by Moby Dick, which makes perfect sense for a coffee company's hometown of Seattle, a port city.  

When thinking about the shapes your brand might use, you might ask yourself where "it" comes from, and what will "it" do for consumers?  For companies that serve food, this may be pretty simple, but what shapes would a package delivery or pet supply business use?  

Although the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) which empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy predicts the rise in the volume of online orders and the consumer willingness to pay extra for fast delivery pushed the value of the Last Mile market to $31.2b in 2018, and the market is predicted to reach $61.6b by 2025.  And, the Pet Supply CPG (consumer packaged goods) are growing the fastest online, we are not at liberty to tell you which shapes you should consider for your brand without being hired as your brand consultant. 

Number 3: Words

word | wərd | noun

1 a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed.

Let's take a look at how a word can influence your brand messaging

The word that you choose for your brand name can reinforce and refine the color choice and shape of your logo.  Using a short word is not only easy to spell, but it's also ideal because it tends to be very brandable and easy for consumers to remember aka catchy.  Some of the most recognized brands (IBM, Hulu, Uber, Lyft) use as few as three or four letters, while others only a single letter (Google,  Pinterest, McDonald's) to represent their brand's logo.

A backstory helps when thinking of words that represent brand names.  One huge brand examples that come to mind are Sam's Club and Wal-Mart created by Sam Walmart. 

"The key to greater productivity is to work smarter, not harder." 

– Allen F. Morgenstern  

Over two decades ago the founder of Oevae Marketing Consultants, Gibrón Williams set out to create a logo to represent the company.  He chose "Oevae"  –  a derivative of the Yiddish word "Oy Vey" and what he calls, "the original OMG."  He first heard of this Yiddish word through a close Jewish friend.  Gibrón was a young artist, and aspiring entrepreneur looking for the best brand name that would embody the essence of his creativity. He had a strong desire for a unique and memorable brand name people would admire and one that is fun to say, a brand name that represented the creative ideas the company intended to produce for small businesses. His Jewish friend would cry out "Oy Vey" whenever Gibrón did something highly creative and unusual. So he decided to name the creative marketing company "Oevae" – a short word with only five letters.

Consider how and where your brand will be distributed or visualized by consumers.  Will your logo be on a business card, t-shirt, merchandise, packaging, banners, brochures, and billboards? The combination of message and marketing channels can drive significant synergies that can boost the effectiveness of your marketing efforts for your brand.

"Marketing accounts for 10%-35% of a brand’s equity (visibility, such as seeing a product on the shelf or signage on a storefront and regular product usage)." 

– Nielsen   

Oevae logo designs use graphic messaging techniques to influence consumer perceptions with a broad reach because brand-building efforts are a lever to drive future sales.  Given the prevalence of choice and access, staying top-of-mind with consumers could be the difference-maker when a sale is at stake. This increased pressure on non-marketing sources of equity elevates the importance of marketing in preserving a brand’s health.  For more information or to get your brand design from oevae marketing consultants, visit oevae.com

Make a brand difference.™