With the New Year now fully upon us, many companies are taking this opportunity to re-brand themselves to cater to what may prove to be a changing marketplace. This directly coincides with what appears to finally be a reemergence from a protracted global recession. With this in mind, many financially oriented enterprises have taken it upon themselves to reevaluate their current logos and to perhaps make some important modifications. So, what can we expect to see in the months ahead? Let us take a quick look at what many analysts feel will be a handful of prominent trends.

A Return to Simplicity

First and foremost, many consumers are still wary of the financial sector. Whether this comes from a lack of awareness or a bad experience, companies are keenly astute of the fact that countless individuals are rather dubious of what the industry has to offer. Therefore, many logos will centre around a simple and straightforward appearance. This will help to lend the company an air of transparency. It is thought that the days of superfluous lettering and ornate designs are (at least for the time being) now supplicated by a more streamlined appearance.

Mottos of Strength

While the largest financial companies may be able to rely on imagery alone, growing businesses will often incorporate mottos and mission statements to coincide with what it is that their company is attempting to portray. However, these statements are predicted to reflect the simplicity of the aforementioned designs themselves. For example, a logo that once read “For trusted advice and only the best in financial planning, trust ABC” may now instead read “ABC: Trust and Integrity”. On other words, less will now equate to more.

Organic Colour

This trend has been popular over the past few years and it is expected to continue into 2014. While traditional black and white may have been espoused in the past, many astute companies are utilising greens, browns, blues and oranges. Such hues give a pronounced “down to earth” appearance of an existing logo and thus, the company itself will echo a more grounded appeal to the intended audience. Such colours will especially be important during the winter months, as they can further lend an appearance of vibrancy to the logo itself. Still, some of these choices will depend on the nature of the business. For example, a company specialising in Forex trading will most likely employ green more than it would blue. Conversely, an enterprise that is focused on retirement plans may use hues of blue to denote peace and clarity.

These are three of the most predominant trends that are expected to take hold during the first quarter of 2014. Still, there may indeed be some maverick companies that adopt entirely different methods. It should nonetheless be emphasised that the New Year season is generally when any such changes will take place and there will be numerous organizations adopting these and similar strategies into the months ahead. ‏