Marketing best practices call for a consistent logo design and application—meaning that a logo is depicted the same regardless of where it appears—to create one recognizable symbol representing the brand. But Lenovo recently challenged the status quo, releasing a new streamlined, customizable logo. The typeface used for the company name is static, but the logo’s colors and background image can be customized for different online applications, advertising needs and in-store signage strategies. Agencies and partners can change its background color, or customize it with images or videos.

AMA recently interviewed David Rabin, Lenovo’s vice president of marketing for North America. Following are some excerpts from the article. AMA members can read the complete story at https://www.ama.org/publications/eNewsletters/Marketing-News-Weekly/Pages/lenovo-launches-logo.aspx

Why did Lenovo decide to release a customizable logo?

A:  Audiences are fickle. There are a million different places to reach audiences based on segmentation or lifestyle interest or niche. The more we can speak their (millennials’) language and look and act as they want us to look and act, the better our chance to engage with them. The more generic we come across, the more staid and old-school we are, and the less likely we’re going to be able to engage.

Does Lenovo’s marketing team have a review process for the final logos, making sure that nothing wonky or problematic is being pushed out?

A: Our expectation, at least at the onset, is that the logo and the adaptations are going to be controlled by our branding and marketing team, and our core set of agencies. At least as of today, we haven’t thought, What’s this going to look like if millions of millennials around the world start adapting the logo? To some extent, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but in the short term, we briefed our agencies and our marketing team, and our branding team has put some guidelines out.

Are you concerned about negative brand impact from changing your logo?

A: When you change a logo, there’s always risk involved. You’re taking something that you’ve been putting in your communications for years, something that over time has become recognizable, but we really felt that the time was right. The brand is changing, consumers are changing, how people purchase is changing and how people engage with brands is changing. See more here.