Is it still a logo ? if it changes everyday

I asked a simple question to some of my friends in Branding,Marketing,and Advertisement -" Why is a company Logo important?and if it changes everyday-Is it still a logo?.

I was frowned upon at first and then in a very kotleresque manner was doused with marketing gyan; some obvious answers..

• A good and unique logo is the first step to achieve brand recognition;
• It shows what the company is about and it attracts people and is a good marketing tool to market the product;
• A companies advertising and promotional efforts should be centered around brand image. A logo represents that image without saying anything. Its an extension of the brand and should merit its qualities; etc

Well I don't' disagree with the marketing and traditional views, but was wondering :-" Do we place too much importance on a Logo?". Google is a company that changes its logo almost everyday, and still is one of the most popular brands.

My quest led me to an interesting old post by Doug Edwards -director of consumer marketing and brand management for Google 1999-2005.

I will be happy to hear from readers what they think about this.....

Letting volunteers build your business

Everyday millions of people make all sort of voluntary contributions to companies-from informed opinions to computing resources-that create tremendous value for those firms' customers and, consequently for their shareholders.In the Oct 08 issue of HBR, Intuit co founder Scott Cook suggests that companies should collaborate actively with their customers. This might not seem an insightful idea at first , but more deeply he explores the idea, the more profound it becomes.

Now the concept of user contribution isn't new, but the companies such as Google, ebay,Skype,Honda, Procter & Gamble, Hyatt, Amazon etc.- have created a user contribution system, methods for aggregating and leveraging people's contribution or behaviours in ways that are useful to other people.

Do Schools kill creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson in his Out of our minds asks the same question.

"Throughout the world, companies and organizations are trying to compete in a world of economic and technological change that is moving faster than ever. They urgently need people who are creative, innovative and flexible. Too often they can't find them. Why not, and what should be done about it? Why is it essential to promote creativity? Organizations everywhere are concerned as never before with promoting creativity and innovation. Why is this so important? What's the problem? Why do so many adults think they're not very creative (and not very intelligent)? How do we lose the confidence to be creative? What should be done? Is everyone creative or just a select few? Can creativity be developed? If so, how? "

I remember an old quote by Picasso “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” Children often have extraordinary capacity when they are young, the problem is they start squandering it when they grow up.

Hence the question : Do schools kill creativity ? As we grow-Do we educate out of creativity? Many a times people change careers(stream) in schools, because the thing that they were good at was stigmatized.

Do we in our ecosystem( schools, communities, organisations) do the same?

Have we created an environment wherein it is uncomfortable to be different; not okay to fail or make a mistake.This straight jacket approach of living is depriving us of the immense possibilities (many a Picasso, DaVinci,Beethoven are getting lost in this one way traffic ).

Think about it....

Is The Importance of People Overrated?

Scott Belsky of Behance.com has written an interesting post on American Express Open Forums. He writes about the importance of 'chemistry' in successful teams. So what is Team Chemistry? Team chemistry or team cohesion can be defined as a group dynamic that occurs when team members work together and make a united effort to accomplish the goals and objectives of the collective whole. But the vital question is - Is chemistry a result (by-product) of success or the cause of it? Still a good read...