Change an Iconic Logo at your Peril; Gap finds out the Hard Way via Social Media

by Richard Earle
Regis Affiliate

At The Regis Group we often guide our clients into change, even to the point of re-branding, so it may seem odd for us to blog about a big mistake (later corrected) by a company that did just that.

For more than 40 years, the Gap has been a successful clothing purveyor.  For many of those years, it was the world’s largest apparel retailer. But lately, sales have been flat.  In response, Gap decided to completely re-brand the company, starting with the 20+year-old logo.  The new version was posted on the home page of their web site before changing it company-wide.

What they had not counted on was the almost instantaneous negative reaction of the blogosphere. “Disgusting,” “amateur,” “it looks like something a child created using a clip-art gallery,” were some of the comments on Facebook and Twitter reports Ad Age.  

So Gap reversed itself.  Gap President Marka Hanse said in announcing the reversal "We've been listening to and watching all of the comments this past week. We heard them say over and over again they are passionate about our blue box logo, and they want it back. So we've made the decision to do just that."

There are two lessons to be learned here: First, pay attention to the posts on social media, they are an incredible new source of consumer opinion - preferably before committing to any major decision that is immediately visible to the consumer.  Second, even if you are tired of it, think long and hard about retiring an iconic logo.  You can re-brand around it, but if it is beloved by many, leave it alone!  A tip of the hat to Gap for doing just that!

Marketing News: New Facebook App. Helps you Locate and Reach Smartphone Users

by Richard Earle
Regis Affiliate

For a few years, I handled Marketing for the Cape Ann Symphony, a wonderful Regional symphony in Massachusetts.

At a meeting at the Symphony Orchestra League in New York City, I met Gene Carr, CEO of Patron Technology, a service that provides e-mail distribution and other marketing aids to Arts organizations. I still get his newsletter and this week there appeared an article about a new feature offered by aggressive Social Marketer Facebook that locates a customer geographically and offers them a deal on their Smartphone. If this takes off, it has implications far beyond marketers in the Arts community, for anyone who sells a product or service and even for charity fundraisers.

Read more of Gene's article and follow his links to the Facebook Deals video.

Lessons from the Election

by Richard Earle
Regis Affiliate


Well, all the pundits are weighing in about the meaning of Tuesday’s vote. I’ve absorbed as much as I could take, I learned a bit. and will now add my voice to the chatter.

Importance of Planning and Organization. I live and vote in Massachusetts, which went in a direction contrary to the national trend, by returning Democratic Governor Deval Patrick (thought to be a total lost cause just a few weeks ago), and voting in all 9 Democratic Congressional candidates. 

But I think there’s a very good reason for that, that we at The Regis Group should  applaud,  because it’s part of what we help our clients do. When there’s an obvious change in the climate, look around and carefully assess the situation; then make or change plans and organize accordingly. 

In a strange way, a well-publicized loss earlier this year was the best thing that could have happened to the state’s Democratic establishment. We are a predictably “Blue” state, so when Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat became suddenly available after his unfortunate demise, and it was being pursued by an articulate and generally popular Democratic State Attorney General, Martha Coakley, the state Democratic leadership relaxed and sat on their hands. And low-and-behold, an attractive but relatively unknown Republican State Senator named Scott Brown who had quietly been going door-to-door throughout the state and talking to the PEOPLE, was swept into office.

A Republican in Ted Kennedy’s seat?  What a wake-up call that was for the state’s Democrats. So they went to work and assessed the mood of the people and planned and organized very effectively (I’m told they knocked on nearly 100,000 doors,) with the country-surprising result (even Martha was re-elected A.G.).

Two more lessons learned:

The People are Angry, not Mad. I’m also always amazed at the ultimate sanity of our electorate. Amid a sea of angry anti-establishment candidates, none of the real “kooks” made it into office.

A Lot of Money Doesn’t Guarantee Victory. Somehow every year more former CEOs decide that their experience in the boardroom equips them to make laws and serve their constituents, and if they just throw enough money at a race they will win. Fortunately, the electorate who rejected the kooks see these people as unqualified too, and rarely vote for them. This year, there were quite a few, and most were roundly defeated.

A Tip of the Hat to the Poll Workers

by Richard Earle
Regis Affiliate


A lot of voters are extremely angry, leading political pundits to believe  that it will lead to a record turnout today for a mid-term election.  That could have many unpredictable impacts on our country and the world. Amidst a sea of negative campaigning and mud-slinging stands a very positive and predictable constant of every voting day.  It is upon some people who are essentially invisible to most of us: the Poll Workers.

Many voters tend to forget that these are volunteers; community members who are profoundly committed to serving the finest manifestation of our democracy: our ability to vote for those who will lead us, and make our laws for the next few years.

And a heavy turnout can put extra stress on those good citizens who have given up their day to make sure that the process runs in an orderly and lawful fashion. If you haven’t voted yet, or if you have, please remember next time you close that curtain behind you, to say “thanks” to these selfless neighbors. They are the human face of our democracy, and deserve not only a tip of our hat, but deep bow in their direction.