Oct 10
13
How BUZZ changed The GAP Back
As many of you already know I am all about refreshing your look, updating your website and giving your practice a makeover when you need it. However, if you upgrade make sure that it actually is better.
In the crazy world of marketing, short of the “New Coke” fiasco, I haven’t seen such an about face from a company in a long time. Of course I am speaking of The GAP.
For those of you who don’t follow marketing blogs or the buzz around the industry regarding social media, branding and marketing let me fill you in.
Last week, The GAP clothing company unveiled their new logo which replaced the iconic logo that they have had for years. Industry folk speculated that it was an attempt to boost very slacking sales in the bohemian, way- too- expensive shirt and jeans market. The marketing world was all abuzz with comments and critiques of the new image. Almost all of which were overwhelmingly negative.
Left: Old Logo Right: New Logo (now defunct)
As I have shared many times, how social media buzz can make or break your practice and this is exactly what it did to The Gap. NO ONE liked the logo and it actually became a parody on one of the largest industry guru’s blog for several days. Well, as good companies do who have made a huge error, they corrected course immediately and even used a bit of spin to make us take a second look. This morning at 6:25am, I heard the announcement on my local country music radio station that The GAP went back to their original logo stating that they were going back to what’s worked for them for years. The whole…if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, mentality. So, let me get this right…the local Midwest radio station is reporting about a company’s logo change as a result of negative social media buzz. Well that’s proof that social media marketing actually works within days.
Social media did its job and the company listened. It’s a new marketing world out there. If you’re not using social media to leverage your practice and reach your clients then you’re losing out on opportunities and you wouldn’t have the nice GAP logo controversy to discuss at cocktail parties…oh, that only happens at the kind I go to, huh?
Of course it doesn’t end there, today all of the blogs are buzzing about whether this has all been a publicity stunt. No good deed goes unpunished. Regardless, if it is, it did its job as well to get a niche marketer like me to blog about them on a Wednesday morning.
In honor of the power of social media marketing, this week The Legal Nurse Consultant and Life Care Planner’s Guide to Social Media is $10 off if you order through our website at www.lncpracticebuilder.com/books .
Take five minutes and learn a new way to make your practice remarkable!