So you may have recently heard that Microsoft today has unveiled a new logo for the company and you might be thinking – new logo, what’s the big deal? – on the surface it might seem like a simple change that’s irrelevant but is it? Maybe, and maybe not. As you can see from the search results, as with anything else, some will like it and some wont.
To dig a bit deeper I think one should ask: What’s in a logo – brand –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand?
So from the link one of the things noted about a brand is "…A brand is therefore one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme, as it demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the marketplace…". In other words it defines your identity. This is what makes Microsoft’s logo change, though small, very significant. In effect to me what Microsoft are saying – or at least trying to say – to the world is we’re changing, we’re no longer the same company that you’ve known for over 25 years.
In my previous post – Ballmer’s baby – Time to let it grow – I spoke about how I think Microsoft needs a change at the top for the main reason being changing the perception about the company (their image –brand) to the industry to indicate that they’re now different. I believe that the significant changes they’ve made to their core products Windows, Office, Windows Phone, Developer tools …etc. whether or not you agree they are good or bad, innovative and rethought from the bottom up or not. They’re still significant changes and are a step towards the future of what Microsoft is to become.
With all the changes to the Microsoft core products I think Microsoft which started off back in the day with the vision ‘a computer on every desktop and in every home‘ is now trying to get back in touch with the ‘in every home‘ part without forgetting the business side. During the rise of apple over the past decade I think the general perception of Microsoft has been that they’re the business company and not the consumer company, now with all these changes I think they’re trying to find a balance/intersection between the two. Will they succeed? I guess time will tell!