Everybody has been talking about this ridiculous Xiaomi logo redesign move overseen by Japanese designer Kenya Hara, but that's not the only thing it's worth it for.
It's not a secret that marketing can sometimes be pricy, but 300,000$ for this overall unrecognizable change to Xiaomi's logo might sound preposterous.
The internet has been foaming about the new logo, even painting it as some sort of a Meme, to ridicule how unrealistic the prices of those high-end designers are, and the massive amounts of budget to spend nonsensically, companies of this size have.
So, why is it worth 300,00$?
The new logo design is part of a bigger move to transform and enhance Xiaomi’s “brand identity”.
“The new logo is not a simple redesign of the shape but an encapsulation of Xiaomi’s inner spirit”
-Designer Kenya Hara
Xiaomi didn't pay for a logo, they paid for values.
Besides the media storm, the new logo created, which is easily worth more than 300,000$, they get a whole lot than just a logo. They get to reshape the way people unconsciously perceive them.
Marketing's biggest strength is changing people's perceptions, and when done right, you can't even notice when it happens. Xiaomi (literally) stepped out of the box they were in, presenting a slicker look with round edges, to bring more modern values to their logo, stabilizing them at the forefront of technology and enhancing their overall image in the field they operate in. Tough competition means psychological war. that's marketing. Xiaomi's move narrows the creative gap between them and their competitors and enables Xiaomi to adapt and embrace the new aesthetics of the digital world.
“the company didn’t just change the shape from square to round but also changed the internal spirit as well as the mentality of the brand.”
- Xiaomi CEO, Lei Chun
Good marketing is priceless, and good marketers sometimes operate in the shadows, lurking with their ninja cloaking technique, utilizing psychological warfare tools to send you messages. Laugh all you want, but Xiaomi did not pay 300,000$ for a new logo design, they paid 300,000$ for a very-well executed branding move.