gap logosSo, you may have heard about the whole new GAP logo story last week.  Long story short in case you missed it: GAP updated their logo, people revolted, GAP did an about-face and will now be using the original logo.

I have not heard what type of research was performed in testing the new logo (I am assuming they did some testing given the large stakes), but obviously it didn’t properly capture their customers’ sentiments (or it was ignored).

In an era of rapid communications, the way we approach consumer feedback must change too.  Focus groups, surveys, and other market research tools can still do the job in many cases, but for large brands, gauging reaction from their biggest fans, especially online, is yet another dimension that needs to be accounted for in designing their research.