WH Smith: new year – rebrand?

WH Smith decided to showcase a new, shortened version of its logo across 10 of its stores – some of which were in Preston and York – just in time for Christmas and the New Year. While the logo change was only supposed to be a test, the retailer caused some drama on social media among customers, once again highlighting that branding is a fickle creature. WH Smith, which was first established in 1792, debuted new signage, along with the changed logo, that featured a list of products sold in-store and the name of each location. The response to this change ranged from confusion to concern, as people made snarky comments online – particularly in reference to the new look’s similarity to the NHS branding. In a statement confirming the trial, WH Smith said: “With some customers telling us they aren’t always aware of the wide range of high quality, great value products we stock in our high street stores, we are testing new signage at a small number of locations to localise our offer and highlight the key product categories customers can always find at WH Smith. “This is a trial and in only 10 locations. There is no plan to roll this out to the rest of the estate.” The retailer’s statement implies there is no more detail to add at this stage, but a few questions do spring to mind when the topic of rebranding crops up: did they work with an agency, or is the work from an in-house team? And will the signage on the 10 stores be reversed if it is deemed unsuccessful? For heritage brands such as WH Smith, this attention will be particularly intense, as the stationary and book retailer has customers that have grown up with this brand and are accustomed to seeing its logo as a fixture on the high street. And this still rings true even in spite of WH Smith’s rapid expansion in recent years, particularly within the travel category. Rami El Bogdhadly, co-founder of marketing and branding agency Be Known and a university lecturer in brand marketing, says: "Rebranding can be an effective way of refreshing a heritage brand and doing so at a time of growth can have its advantages as it looks strategic rather than reactionary. “I do find the rationale behind this rebranding rather strange though. Irrelevant of its likeness to another well-known British institution, the value of a heritage brand is in its familiarity with its audience. WH Smiths is a recognised name, but actually, how many customers use the full name? I know I for one have always said 'I'm popping into Smiths'.” El Bogdhadly added: “The power of a brand isn't just in the logo, it is in how you are known by your audience. My advice would have been that if you want to modernise, then look at how to do so using the Smiths element of the name, not the initials. Oh and choose a font that is more interesting than Sans Serif!" Colloquially, the retailer is widely referred to as ‘Smiths’ as El Bogdhadly mentioned – and in the past it has leaned into this identity. In regards to the most recent WHS blunder, it is not the first time it has happened; the retailer revisited this format to capitalise on the nostalgia of its cube branding in 2017 for ‘Smith’s 225th birthday. Pete Champion, director at design agency I-AM, says: “With long-established and often well-loved icons of the British high street such as this, the holy grail is to achieve an outcome where the result comes across as respectful of a long heritage and even affectionate of it, while bringing a combination of freshness with relevance and resonance. “A critical factor in hitting that balance is quality target audience insight, being used at the heart of any brand strategy. Put simply – people will always respond to great design, because great design responds to people. I do wonder what insight led to the suggestion that customers perceive them as ‘WHS’ instead of ‘Smiths’.” Champion added: “By understanding ‘what clicks?’, some have achieved successful high street re-brands, from Starbucks’ elegant shift to its siren iconography, to Dunkin’ Donuts’ becoming simply ‘Dunkin’ and Burger King’s unashamedly retro spot of time travel.” What branding experts seem to have in common is the gripe that WH Smith’s new branding has no bearing in its earlier iterations, which is what caused such confusion and disappointment among its customers – especially when the more widely known logo is still in use everywhere else. WH Smith made it known in its recent financial results that it plans to further expand in North America this year, so a brand refresh could be prudent (on paper). However, judging how this one panned out among the Brits, Smith’s might have to adjust its game plan.