When a new logo color shocks your audience

There will always be those fans of a brand logo that react badly when it gets changed, but that doesn't mean that the change is a bad idea. However, even something as minor as a new color or shade of the same color can trigger strong reactions in followers, especially if that logo is being dispersed across multiple kinds of media. 

Music streaming service Spotify is encountering this sort of fan response currently thanks to a tweak to its recognizable green "sound wave" symbol. While app logos are likely to have a particular resonance, since they appear on the devices consumers interact with regularly, companies should still learn from this example when planning an update to the dominant colors in their vinyl signs and other forms of marketing.

The music streaming service has changed the color green that it uses for its name and logo. Whereas previously it was a muted, darker green, it's now a deliberately brighter choice that has some fans on Twitter begging the company to switch it back.

In a post addressing the outrage on design community site dribbble, the Spotify design team defended its decision.

"The new green has a little more 'pop' and just feels right at home in our new color palette which has grown to nearly three dozen colors," it said. "It not only looks more fresh & modern but also feels more easy on the eye, especially when applying it fullscreen." The same post refers to the older green as a "broccoli" that they called "dreary."

Depending on what you want to do to your logo, it may be better to mark any change with a big announcement, rather than surprising people with it. Screen printing companies with experience creating custom logos are also a good resource when an existing brand setting needs to be updated.