Gap, Inc. is currently in the process of reshaping their brand identity. Annual sales have not increased since the 2005 fiscal year, and Gap has devised a new business strategy, setting their target market as “consumers in their 20s and early 30s”[1]. Not only is Gap changing their target market, but their brand identity as well, “switching from ‘what was classic, American design, to modern, sexy [and] cool’”[1]. In order to enact this business strategy, Gap, Inc. set a new tactic.
Gap’s new tactic is a logo change. Gap believes the change in logo will revamp the brand, and show consumers that Gap is changing. The logo change is supposed to demonstrate Gap’s new image to appeal to a new target market, but initial response to the logo has been negative.
Could it be that Gap’s tactic is not to simply change the logo to re-position their brand to consumers, but to change the logo to garner consumer outcry and media attention. This would bring more attention to Gap’s reshaped brand identity and new target market. A logo change may garner some consumer intrigue and awareness, but news coverage and public commotion elevates publicity of Gap’s new strategy plan to a new level. If this is the case, the logo change is an impressive tactic executed by Gap, Inc. to achieve their strategy.
Daniel Boissonneau-Lehner
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marka-hansen/the-gaps-new-logo_b_754981.html
[1] Finn, Ryan; Townsend, Matt. “Gap’s New ‘Modern, Sexy, Cool’ Logo Irks Shoppers, Designers”. Bloomberg News, October 7, 2010. Accessed: October 9, 2010. <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-08/gap-s-new-modern-sexy-cool-logo-irks-shoppers-designers.html>