Author : Erica Cowin
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 101 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (746 download)
Book Synopsis The Evolution of U.S. Corporate Logos by : Erica Cowin
Download or read book The Evolution of U.S. Corporate Logos written by Erica Cowin and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of six U.S. corporate logos--Apple, McDonald's, Nike, Pepsi, Shell, and Starbucks--from each logo's inception until the newest version of the graphic emblem today. The objective is to determine the meanings that logos have for a corporation's identity, mission, and relationships, as well as the messages that logos convey to viewers (i.e., mostly customers). By "evolution" of logos here, the researcher means "ongoing transformation" of logos. The semiotic model used in this analysis is Charles Sanders Peirce's (1958(1931)) semiotic framework. Peircean semiotics is made up of a three-part paradigm of signification: the representamen (or the sign itself), the object (or "referent"--What the sign refers to), and the interpretant (the effect on the viewer, or the viewer's interpretation). Based on the semiotic data on logo evolution, the researcher found six main themes that emerged across the analyses of U.S. corporate logos. These themes are (1) Direction toward the Future, (2) Identity with Viewers, (3) Instant Recognition and Distinctiveness, (4) Consistency throughout Evolution, (5) Invocation of Change, and (6) True Representation of Corporate Identity. The ultimate conclusion of this analysis is that the communicative intent of a company, through its logo, tends to take a long time to develop. A successful logo is one that portrays the true objectives and principles of a company. For this reason, the ideal identity of a corporation tends to be built over a long period of time, which makes logo improvement "evolutionary" in nature. In all six cases, communication plays a major part in logo improvement.