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> Logo design in today’s world is totally underrated. I totally disagree take for example the case of the Pepsi versus the Coke logo changes: http://cache.gawk

> Logo design in today’s world is totally underrated. I totally disagree take for example the case of the Pepsi versus the Coke logo changes: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/consumerist/2009/07/pepsivscoke.jpg http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/consumerist/2009/07/pe... and who is still on top? Coke, because they still have the better product (http://www.nytimes.com/ref/business/20070527_COKE_GRAPHIC.html http://www.nytimes.com/ref/business/20070527_COKE_GRAPHIC.ht...). So, in my opinion a good logo is totally overrated. Sure, Pepsi and Coke are well established brands and maybe this won't apply to a startup but I wouldn't say either of the logos are particularly outstanding, especially the most recent Pepsi one but if I prefer Pepsi over Coke, the logo ain't stopping me. Edit: Just to add, really liked the article just thought the above was an interesting thought.

docmach 17y ago
How does Coke have the better product? Maybe Coke's dominance is due to choosing the right logo and sticking with it instead of constantly changing their visual identity.
- benofsky 17y ago
  You know, now I think more about it, I would very much doubt it does have a better product but that it is down to branding, so maybe logo is important. Not really so sure anymore :). See my reply to briansmith.
- unalone 17y ago
  Coke's product is less sweet than Pepsi. What that means is that if you're drinking a lot of soda, Coke takes much longer to start tasting repulsive than Pepsi does, even though at first sip Pepsi might taste more delicious for some. That was what led to the New Coke disaster. In taste tests, five out of seven people tested preferred the New Coke taste, because it was sweeter. But when rolled out, people found it got old fast. And while now New Coke is seen as a branding disaster, the truth is if it had been a more appealing product, the brand would have caught on and it might have led to a rout of Pepsi. While most of a brand is perception, the product does matter somewhat.
  - kyro 17y ago
    I actually find Coke a lot more sweet than Pepsi, which is why I've always preferred drinking Pepsi. To me, Pepsi is a lot more clean and crisp, while Coke is sweet and foamy. Of course, I'm sure you'll find people fiercely arguing either of the products that have been competing for ages now, so trying to come up with a rubric based on your taste preference is pretty useless.
    - slyn 17y ago
      "Of course, I'm sure you'll find people fiercely arguing either of the products that have been competing for ages now, so trying to come up with a rubric based on your taste preference is pretty useless." The only people still arguing are those who have not experienced the cola-nirvana that is RC cola. Interestingly enough even RC had it's own can label redesign recently, getting rid of its classy old-school look for a more modern one. The armchair designer in me preferred the old one, it seemed to fit the brand name better. I remember back when it first hit me how perfect the logo design for the Nike swoosh was, it blew my mind. Ever since then I've tried to pay more attention to what companies are trying to portray through the images, fonts, and colors they use in their advertising and logo's.
briansmith 17y ago
Coca-cola has changed its logo MANY times in the last 100 years: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/coca-cola_vs_pepsi_revised_edition.php http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/coca-col... Remember, Coca-cola tried to rebrand the product as "Coke," then rebranded it as "Coca-Cola Classic" when that failed, and then rebranded it again as just "Coca-Cola" recently. That's three names for the product. Pepsi has only used two (Pepsi and Pepsi-Cola).
- benofsky 17y ago
  Very interesting, I feel kinda stupid now. However after docmach's comment below I believe this reenforces the point about logo design being overrated. However, I think it is more down to an overall brand rather than a specific logo.
  - akamaka 17y ago
    The point of the Coke vs. Pepsi article, IMO, is that the logo does matter, and you should invest the time to get it right the first time.
david 17y ago
Of course visual design always comes second to the quality of the actual product/experience, but that doesn't mean design isn't important. A company's brand is a reflection of their user experience. The main contributer to Coca-Cola's brand, then, is in the actual drink itself. Graphic design, logo design, or identity design is important not because it can really alter the branding or make a bad product look good, but because they can make that branding more apparent to someone before they even take a sip, and guide them towards whatever decisions happen to be the most profitable for Coca-Cola. So for example, a good Coca-Cola logo would give people the idea that coke is more refined/sophisticated, and is made to be appealing throughout the entire drink, instead of sacrificing total experience for a short rush of sugar flavor. That would get the attention of people who are looking for that sort of drink, and filter out the people who might be better served by pepsi. Whereas, if they had a logo that lead to a greater feeling of spectacle than sophistication, it would be more likely that people who wouldn't appreciate coke would try it (deciding they don't like it and going back to pepsi), and the people who would buy coke would be less likely to consider it. That's why logo design is important. You may have a great product, but if your visual identity doesn't reflect that, your marketing efforts will be spent fighting against your image rather than running alongside it.

docmach 17y ago

How does Coke have the better product? Maybe Coke's dominance is due to choosing the right logo and sticking with it instead of constantly changing their visual identity.

benofsky 17y ago
You know, now I think more about it, I would very much doubt it does have a better product but that it is down to branding, so maybe logo is important. Not really so sure anymore :). See my reply to briansmith.
unalone 17y ago
Coke's product is less sweet than Pepsi. What that means is that if you're drinking a lot of soda, Coke takes much longer to start tasting repulsive than Pepsi does, even though at first sip Pepsi might taste more delicious for some. That was what led to the New Coke disaster. In taste tests, five out of seven people tested preferred the New Coke taste, because it was sweeter. But when rolled out, people found it got old fast. And while now New Coke is seen as a branding disaster, the truth is if it had been a more appealing product, the brand would have caught on and it might have led to a rout of Pepsi. While most of a brand is perception, the product does matter somewhat.
- kyro 17y ago
  I actually find Coke a lot more sweet than Pepsi, which is why I've always preferred drinking Pepsi. To me, Pepsi is a lot more clean and crisp, while Coke is sweet and foamy. Of course, I'm sure you'll find people fiercely arguing either of the products that have been competing for ages now, so trying to come up with a rubric based on your taste preference is pretty useless.
  - slyn 17y ago
    "Of course, I'm sure you'll find people fiercely arguing either of the products that have been competing for ages now, so trying to come up with a rubric based on your taste preference is pretty useless." The only people still arguing are those who have not experienced the cola-nirvana that is RC cola. Interestingly enough even RC had it's own can label redesign recently, getting rid of its classy old-school look for a more modern one. The armchair designer in me preferred the old one, it seemed to fit the brand name better. I remember back when it first hit me how perfect the logo design for the Nike swoosh was, it blew my mind. Ever since then I've tried to pay more attention to what companies are trying to portray through the images, fonts, and colors they use in their advertising and logo's.

briansmith 17y ago

Coca-cola has changed its logo MANY times in the last 100 years: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/coca-cola_vs_pepsi_revised_edition.php http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/coca-col... Remember, Coca-cola tried to rebrand the product as "Coke," then rebranded it as "Coca-Cola Classic" when that failed, and then rebranded it again as just "Coca-Cola" recently. That's three names for the product. Pepsi has only used two (Pepsi and Pepsi-Cola).

benofsky 17y ago
Very interesting, I feel kinda stupid now. However after docmach's comment below I believe this reenforces the point about logo design being overrated. However, I think it is more down to an overall brand rather than a specific logo.
- akamaka 17y ago
  The point of the Coke vs. Pepsi article, IMO, is that the logo does matter, and you should invest the time to get it right the first time.

david 17y ago

Of course visual design always comes second to the quality of the actual product/experience, but that doesn't mean design isn't important. A company's brand is a reflection of their user experience. The main contributer to Coca-Cola's brand, then, is in the actual drink itself. Graphic design, logo design, or identity design is important not because it can really alter the branding or make a bad product look good, but because they can make that branding more apparent to someone before they even take a sip, and guide them towards whatever decisions happen to be the most profitable for Coca-Cola. So for example, a good Coca-Cola logo would give people the idea that coke is more refined/sophisticated, and is made to be appealing throughout the entire drink, instead of sacrificing total experience for a short rush of sugar flavor. That would get the attention of people who are looking for that sort of drink, and filter out the people who might be better served by pepsi. Whereas, if they had a logo that lead to a greater feeling of spectacle than sophistication, it would be more likely that people who wouldn't appreciate coke would try it (deciding they don't like it and going back to pepsi), and the people who would buy coke would be less likely to consider it. That's why logo design is important. You may have a great product, but if your visual identity doesn't reflect that, your marketing efforts will be spent fighting against your image rather than running alongside it.