AOL’s new identity – is cosmetic surgery enough?

by Andy Wright

After reading the New York Times article on AOL’s revamped identity, I couldn’t help thinking we’ve been here before. Ailing brand goes shopping to buy a new outfit to make itself feel better. In this case it seems that AOL is getting over its divorce from Time Warner, by having a good old nip tuck. But is it enough to make lost customers think again about the former Internet behemoth?

CEO Tim Armstrong has acknowledged the issues with the brand, even recognising some calls that it’s too little, too late and the brand is dead. Consumers have moved on from their earlier ‘AOL helper’ and now find the brand less relevant.

Enter the brand identity experts, Wolff Olins, one of the biggest and best.

However, I’m not sure on this occasion that a facelift from one of the best surgeons on the market is going to have the desired effect. I’m not going to critique the logo or identity, except for the fact that the changing background idea doesn’t do it for me. It seems like another take on the themed Google logo, changing Bing and Ask.com backgrounds and not really something that will set AOL apart from the rest.

AOL may be one of the biggest names on the planet, but they’ve been almost too successful in carving out their niche. It’s their niche that is no longer relevant – and by default their brand and what they stand for.

The reason consumers chose AOL again and again was for their reliability and helping hand in getting to know the great unknown internet, safely. These were successful brandhabits but the brand didn’t evolve with the advances that were occurring in and outside their market. The walled garden approach became defunct as we all realised the Internet wasn’t as bad and scary as we first thought. Even my Mum, who used to use AOL, has changed providers and moved on.

A revitalised brand identity has to be accompanied by a revitalised strategy, direction and structure for the business to succeed.

Rebuilding the brand

Hopefully, there are more announcements to come. Hopefully, the Time Warner split can allow the brand to breathe and catch up with what’s been happening around them. But, most importantly begin to develop a set of attributes and core competencies that are relevant for today’s (and tomorrow’s) consumer.

I hoped that with the announcement of the new identity an accompanying statement would have included product innovation. Perhaps even a restructure of the company to set itself for future success, building on Tim Armstrong’s statement in May,

“Becoming a standalone public company positions AOL to strengthen its core businesses, deliver new and innovative products and services, and enhance our strategic options.”

A sign that the brand intended to part from the consumer perceptions of old and irrelevant and move to creating expectations of entertainment and discovery.

It’s clear that the IP business has been commoditised and power has changed hands. One of its largest acquisitions Bebo is losing the fight against Facebook and might not be part of the long term plans. Recent acquisitions suggest that local search could well be part of the big idea for the future. So where could AOL’s future relevance lie?

My thoughts – If AOL is going to invest in more than just a facelift, the opportunity could lie in reclaiming its roots in guided discovery. More and more sites, applications and technologies are finding their way onto the Internet. For every Twitter app, there are a thousand others, the same for iPhone apps and uses for maps, all thanks to open collaboration.

AOL could capitalise on its original brand equity to realign expectations. AOL will never be a cool, uber geek brand at the forefront of Internet technology. It won’t ever attract the early adopter. But there is still a mass audience out there that (while no longer newbies) require help in selecting and finding the best of the Internet for their needs. Either this audience relies on others to show them new things, or simply just don’t have the time to find the cool, useful stuff in the long tail. AOL communities could guide users in finding the best applications to make the most of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The brand could create its own applications for user entertainment and discovery. Directories may become relevant again by integrating with sites like Del.icio.us, Digg and StumbleUpon. Recommending sites based on the likes and dislikes of other community members a la Amazon. Sure, similar services may exist, but AOL stands in the perfect position to regain its position. The brand can engage again with customers and deliver positive experiences again.

The future

It won’t be easy and there are few examples of Internet or technology brands that have risen from the flames. Ask.com, MSN and Yahoo! haven’t been able to recapture the golden years. Like AOL they lost relevance and failed to move with their consumers’ needs and desires.

Perhaps, the guided discovery approach or another strategy (I’m certainly not privy to AOL’s capabilities and current priorities) is around the corner. I just hope that the new identity has been developed with this in mind and is capable of representing a brand still relevant in 3-5 years time.

Who knows, portals could actually become relevant again by delivering on what they originally set out to do. Help people find the best of the Internet, without being precious about them remaining within their domain. Google proved, if you help me find something I like, I’ll come back to find something else – habitually.

For another take on the AOL identity I can recommend reading the MTLB and Brand New blogs.