Cars.com rebrands in new campaign

Advertising firm Leo Burnett Worldwide Inc. produced three, 30-second spots showing consumers at different stages of life who need vehicles — all showcasing a shopper driving off a dealership lot. Plans call for the ads to run across network TV, social media and other digital venues. A Cars.com spokesperson declined to disclose what the company is spending on the campaign.

A substantial amount of focus group testing went into revising the logo and making sure it conveyed the right message, Vianello said. Cars.com used surveys that measured specific brand attributes and visual preferences for three potential logos, working with both consumers and dealers.

Cars.com surveyed customers and dealers about emotional responses generated by the designs with a goal of communicating emotional responses such as “energetic,” “modern,” “simple” and “transparent,” Vianello said.

The broader branding campaign also went through a rigorous process.

“What we are trying to accomplish is maintaining our awareness and continuing the consideration among consumers of using Cars.com as their primary resource,” she said.

Updating a brand can be a complex process. As companies age, they often need to refresh logos, slogans or tag lines to help address changing consumer needs, plus evolving markets, according to an online brand management course taught by Harvard Business School.

A brand refresh also can introduce a new direction to customers.

In January, for example, car dealership technology giant Reynolds and Reynolds Co. introduced an updated logo at the NADA Show in Dallas. The visual update was in tandem with Reynolds and Reynolds’ effort to show it had moved away from inflexible customer service practices and toward a more customer-friendly future.

Regardless of company type, reinforcing brand identity — through a refresh, new logo, advertising campaign or other means — will always be an important task, Vianello said.

“Any large consumer-facing national brand needs to ensure that it maintains awareness, consideration and an emotional appeal for consumers,” she said. “A brand investment is an investment in the future of our business and the future of our audience growth.”