eBay redesigns its logo, but is it the right move?

The worldwide company wants to be perceived as much more than just an auction site and feels the new logo will help to do this. Although a large part of the business is still auction listings, eBay says most of its items are sold as new and listed at a “Buy It Now!” price.

They have also said the new logo appears cleaner, more contemporary and consistent. They have kept the same colours and the letters still touch but they do not overlap and are all the same height.

But is this change in logo the right move for a well-known global brand? A logo is an essential element to a company’s marketing strategy and it can have big effects. For example, the McDonald’s ‘M’ is very recognisable and as soon as it is spotted you know you are near one of its restaurants.

Logos visually represent a company and are one of the images that stick in people’s minds, making them remember the brand. They symbolise what a business stands for so changing it may make some to believe the values of that brand have been altered, which could be a dangerous path to take.

Creating a respected and long standing brand is hard to do, so companies need to be careful they do not ruin what they have worked so hard to create. When changing something so vital such as a logo, PR needs to take place as they need to make sure the change is communicated clearly and positive reasons are given for this change.

Personally, I like eBay’s original logo as it’s different to other brands and I find it more interesting. On the plus side, their new logo isn’t something that is completely new as they have only changed the way the letters are displayed (font and size). I do however believe it is cleaner and more contemporary so if this is what they were aiming for, they have succeeded.

What do you think? Do you agree with eBay’s decision? We’d love to hear your thoughts.