Logo image
Back
An essay on brand strength and logo minimalism
Dissertation

An essay on brand strength and logo minimalism

Xinge Li
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
May 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011395
pdf
Li_Xinge_2026613.50 kB
PDF Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 30 Jun 2028

Abstract

Brand strength Logo minimalism Processing fluency Rebranding Psychology
With the continuous growth of e-commerce, brands across various industries have recently rebranded themselves and introduced minimalist logos in an effort to remain competitive in today's digital-friendly marketplace. Although minimalist logos can enhance visual clarity and are often perceived as non-confrontational and safer, they sometimes sacrifice a brand's uniqueness, making it less distinctive. To date, research on logo minimalism remains limited, leaving room for further exploration into when a brand might benefit from adopting a minimalist logo. This research aims to contribute to this literature by examining the interplay between logo minimalism and brand strength. It is hypothesized that consumers will evaluate minimalist rebrands launched by weak brands, those with relatively low market performance and weak or absent consumer associations, more favorably. This is because minimalist logos are perceptually easier to process, which in turn can increase brand liking. For brands emphasizing their strong market performance, adopting either a minimalist or complex logo is not expected to significantly influence rebrand evaluations, due to consumers' generally favorable responses to strong brands' marketing efforts. However, for strong brands with rich consumer associations, a minimalist rebrand is expected to lead to less favorable responses. This is because minimalist logos lack visual detail, which is conceptually disfluent with mental associations that are typically rich in detail. Eight studies were conducted to test the hypotheses. Theoretically, this research contributes to the literature on logos, brand strength, and processing fluency. Managerially, it offers valuable insights for firms seeking to predict the effectiveness of minimalist rebranding efforts based on their current market position and branding strategies.

Metrics

1 Record Views

Details

Logo image