After 18 years, Mercedes-Benz is updating its image with a new brand identity. With fresh positioning, the car company intends to show the vitality and dynamism of the brand. The changes, which began in 2006, will be introduced in all markets November 1, 2007. The C-Class Estate is the first product to be launched under the new strategy.
The update that’s grabbing the most attention is the introduction of an acoustic trademark for broadcast use. Sound logos have been used effectively before by companies like Intel and NBC.
Criticism of the audio is widely available online, but here’s the executive defense: “Our new sound logo is going to make the Mercedes-Benz brand not only visually, but also acoustically distinctive, and thus more quickly recognizable,” says Dr. Olaf Göttgens, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz “This acoustic trademark is a perfect fit for Mercedes-Benz — it is emotional, elegant, and unmistakably associated with our brand.”Mercedes is the world’s most valuable premium auto brand and its logo has become one of the most recognizable symbols on the planet. Therefore, the star logo itself will change very little. It will still be seen three dimensionally as usual on the cars and in dealerships, but a two dimensional version will be uniquely positioned in printed media. The symbol will always be placed above the picture or body, with the written trademark (Mercedes-Benz) below. This visually represents their new motto: The star always shines from above.
Adding a sound logo will definitely make the brand more widely memorable, even if it’s not particularly “liked.” The numbers will have to show whether the sound trademark is a stroke of genius or a wasted effort. But, when it comes to market research, I’d generally suspect that the multi-billion dollar car company knows what it’s doing.
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