Uber's Rebranding: The Potential & Why Customers Should Give It A Chance

In recent days, Uber customers everywhere have headed to social to vent confusion for the recent logo revamp of their beloved ride hailing app. The familiar "U" logo is now replaced with a new icon that many users describe as unrecognizable. According to a Wired's inside story, Uber promises that this rebranding will "transform its purpose and cement a new reputation—to change not only how it is perceived throughout the world, but how it perceives itself."

In the past day alone, there has been a lot of negative social chatter and press surrounding Uber's recent rebranding. Many went as far as calling it an absolute failure. However, like all changes, time and acceptance are needed. Rather than coming up with another list of shortcomings, let's first focus on the potential of this rebranding before discussing some areas for improvement. 

Expanding Beyond On-Demand Ride Hailing 

The majority of complaints for the new logo stemmed from the fact that it no longer resembles the recognizable letter "U". Social has been calling this new logo the crooked U or even a backward C in many instances. This logomark change along with branding materials highlighting Uber's non-ride hailing services suggest that the company is attempting to break away from its current image of being just a ride-on-demand app. In its rebranding video, Uber is seen highlighting UberEats and UberRush, while showing aspirations to have a fleet of self-riding cars as part of its vision for the future.

This type of rebranding is not uncommon. Last summer, Logitech dropped the suffix "tech" from its logo, explaining that the term was outdated in a time where tech is now a table stake. In the past few days, Logitech has discussed plans to begin selling virtual reality (VR) peripherals. Several months later, the start-up ZenPayroll adopted a new name, Gusto. By dropping payroll from its name, Gusto allowed itself to expand beyond just payroll and enter into other services such as benefits.

(Photo: Logitech's New Logo)

Localized Experience

The rebranding promises a more localized feel and look for individual country and city. While customers in Mexico will see a design with pink and patterns of local tiles, Ireland will experience a color palette inspired from Georgian architecture and lush greens. Despite the disdain for the new logo, most users have not complained about the colorful background. As Uber scales globally, having this unique feel and look may help the brand stand out on the international stage. I welcome this change as it makes the Uber experience more wholesome and unique for people who use the service from multiple locations.

(Photo: Uber's Local Color Palette for Ireland)

Cleaner Logotype For Mobile

The new logotype stood out as the champion of this rebrand. Note that we are speaking of the new logotype (i.e. Uber) and not the new logomark. Gone are the curls from the letters "U" and "r". The revamped logotype gives Uber a much cleaner and compact look. Translated to a mobile screen, the new font is tidier. I'm all for a cleaner look.

A Slight Shortcoming

The term "uberization" is a common term among the start-up community for businesses that deliver on-demand services. When consumers think of Uber, they think of a quick and simple experience for ride hailing. This rebranding unfortunately made it slightly harder for old customers to identify the recognizable "U" logo. 

Many users have complained that the new logomark is now unrecognizable on their devices. On average, mobile users interface with roughly 26 apps a month (Nielsen). This also means that every second matters when it comes to app finding and utilization. The extra few seconds that a user takes to locate an app could ultimately open doors to brand defection and lost revenue.

Like any rebranding, it takes time for both brands and customers to readjust. I highly doubt customers will stop using an app over a logo redesign. Will it be a slight inconvenience at first? Definitely. In the long run, this problem is invisible. Uber remains the on-demanded app that customers have always known and relied on for ride hailing (and recently ride sharing as well).

Parting Thoughts

Rebranding is never an easy transformation for any brand. I am optimistic that this rebranding will help with Uber's long-term vision of global expansion and service mix diversification. My recommendation? While introducing its new look and purpose, Uber should take a step back and re-evaluate its activation strategy: information can be better communicated to customers, consideration of customers feedback in the preliminary design process. Decide what is resonating and what's not, then address them appropriately and timely.

What are your thoughts on Uber's recent rebranding? What was your initial reaction? Did you feel the rebranding was needed? What are your recommendations for Uber moving forward from this rebranding? Comment below.

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Tai Tran writes as a millennial voice on marketing, millennials, and thought leadership, and academia. Tai is also a LinkedIn Top Voice and Forbes 30 Under 30 in Marketing & Advertising. He teaches marketing and digital publishing at UC Berkeley.

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