“Let's run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it.”
“Let’s put it out on the stoop and see if the cat licks it up.”
Back in my ad agency days as an art director, we had a whole host of what we felt were witty ways of saying “let’s put this concept to the test.” That is, let's conduct some proper consumer research.
No matter what we developed, as a matter of fact, from logo to print ad to radio or television spot, it was always tested with consumers before it ever saw the light of day. And while creative folks aren’t generally fond of testing, we understood all too well that the client’s success—and by extension, our own— hinged on the effectiveness of what we were putting out in the marketplace. We knew, too, that consumer testing was a pretty surefire way of finding out if what we were proposing would be well received by our audience.
This from the August 29, 2025 Forbes article, “Cracker Barrel’s Logo Backlash: 3 Overlooked Marketing Lessons”: One of the ways brands can minimize surprises about negative reactions to what they produce, is by involving the people you want to serve in the planning and creation process. Another way to get a read on how consumers feel is to test messages with a representative sample of the people you are trying to reach.”
Now, also according to Forbes, while Cracker Barrel looked for consumer input on their store redesigns, they did not do the same with their logo redesign. “One of the ways brands can minimize surprises about negative reactions to what they produce, is by involving the people you want to serve in the planning and creation process. It appears that the Cracker Barrel team did all that – at least with their store redesign.”
More than just a graphic
Every brand should treat its logo not as a mere graphic, but as a symbol of credibility and emotional connection. Changing the logo without consumer validation is a high-stakes gamble, no matter how small the tweak may appear. Here are a few things to consider:
Changes can undermine brand equity… and stock price.
The logo serves as the cornerstone of a brand’s equity, helping to own the unique space a brand can occupy in a consumer’s mind. This equity is built through constant, consistent messaging across multiple communication channels, and a chief component of that communication is, of course, the logo. Removing or altering a logo, which serves as a visual anchor to all of that multi-channel messaging, can damage brand equity and, as we saw recently in the Cracker Barrel rebrand, even impact a company’s stock price.
Consumers with strong attachment resist redesigns
A study by Penn State marketing scholars Karen Winterich, Michael Walsh, and Vikas Mittal found that highly committed consumers tend to react more negatively to new logos, while less-committed individuals respond more positively. The perception of a logo change threatens their emotional connection, lowering their overall brand attitude. Further, the negativity felt by the brand's best customers can spill over and cause them to have a lower attitude toward the brand.1
Research mitigates risk
Best practices in branding emphasize user-centric design. This means testing logo concepts with real customers—via surveys, focus groups, and A/B testing—to refine based on actual feedback. Over 60% of consumers prefer clear, simple logos, and color choices can amplify recognition by up to 80%. Similarly, phased rollouts and market pilot testing allow gradual transitions that preserve emotional resonance while introducing freshness.
Cracker Barrel’s recent rebrand, in which it removed beloved “Uncle Herschel”, offers a case study in what happens when the emotional heritage of a brand is disregarded. The modern, text-only design provoked immediate backlash, including a sharp drop in foot traffic and a social media revolt. Within a week, the chain restored the original logo, and the stock price rebounded 8%, signaling the value of heritage-led branding. This illustrates why consumer insights—not editorial design decisions or “refresh for modernity”—must drive any logo update or refresh.
Take the path to customer-led evolution
For community-focused entities, like local banks, the logo embodies stability, trust, and emotional connection. As we’ve just seen, alterations can disrupt community sentiment. Here’s a practical framework for rebranding that centers consumer input at every stage:
- Conduct a Brand Audit: Evaluate current brand health, strengths, and weaknesses before redesigning anything.
- Define Objectives Centric to Audience Needs: Clarify why a logo update is necessary; e.g., digital legibility, expanding demographics, not merely “a fresh look.”
- Engage in Consumer Research Early: Use surveys, focus groups, and market testing to assess resonance, recall, emotional response, and clarity.
- Iterate Based on Feedback: Be willing to revise or scrap designs that don’t test well.
- Implement in Phases: Begin with internal communications, pilot updates in select locations, and ensure consistency across all touchpoints.
- Monitor Post-Launch Consumer Sentiment: Track brand perception, loyalty, and recognition after rollout. Be prepared to adjust if negative feedback emerges.
Final thoughts
In essence, logos aren’t “just graphics.” They’re emotional investments. Protect the trust your community places in your brand by letting consumer insight thread through every design decision. Cracker Barrel’s logo debacle serves as a stark reminder that brand symbols, like “Uncle Herschel”, represent more than aesthetics. They’re timeless connectors between businesses, consumers, and communities. For community bankers, guarding that connection is essential. When updating your brand, let consumer insight guide the process every step of the way, ensuring your logo continues to reinforce your emotional connection with consumers, not erode it.
Bank Marketing Center
We’re Bank Marketing Center, the leading, subscription-based provider of automated marketing services to community banks. Our goal is to help bank marketers with topical, compelling communication with customers that builds trust, relationships, and revenue.
And we do this through automating critical bank marketing functions, such as content creation, social media management, digital asset management and, of course, content routing. All of which contribute to a community bank’s ability to create and distribute content that drives business, without fear of fines, brand damage, or fleeing customers.
We also want to share what we know—and learn along the way—with all our community banking friends. Whether it’s content focused on the latest on AI technology, suggestions on how to attract and retain top talent, or the importance of data protection, we’re here to make bank marketing the best that it can be.
Want to learn more about what we can do for your community bank and your marketing efforts? You can start by visiting bankmarketingcenter.com. Then, feel free to contact me directly by phone at 678-528-6688 or via email at nreynolds@bankmarketingcenter.com. As always, I welcome your thoughts.
1Penn State. The Starbucks effect: Committed customers don't like logo redesigns.