"What's the beef?"

"Branding London ahead of the 2012 Olympics. Cost: half a million sov" by BrandForensics.co.uk

My comment:

Hang on @JonathanGabay, The London 2012 identity wasn’t a failure. How could it be, we’re only just coming to the end of January 2010.

London 2012’s BIG mistake was it’s launch — releasing a dynamic and versatile identity through static methods and means — and not maximising on the platforms the identity was actually created for. The result: The Press driving the Public to disapprove and disown. If I’m honest: I don’t think the £400,000 spent was enough — failing to appreciate the value of a good launch!

Other than both being best-in-class, practising the art of institutional and corporate branding (as inspired, like most brand practitioners, by the same leader) and having a strong and valuable association to his surname, today, Wolff Olins and Wally Olins have little else in common. Wally relinquished his shareholdings, partially in a management buy-out in the 90s, later, as Chairman selling WO to Omnicom.

As for the perceived costs argument: Well, the brand identity creation process, when conducted thoroughly and properly — engaging with all necessary stakeholders to capture and define the essence, personality and values of an institution, helping to articulate the intentions and ambitions of its leaders, and creating an appropriate visual interpretation and language of a brand, suitable for on and off-line use — is certainly no mean feat. Time is money, and if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well, non? Also, it’s worth noting, some programmes can take up to 18-24 months, from start (strategic positioning) to finish (implementation and rollout).

Branding is both an art and a science — a key leadership tool that relies on strategic expertise and creative execution. I suspect the budget is for the entire programme, which would include collateral printing, marketing literature etc, costly web-development and possibly the manufacture of signage and hoarding.

As a branding professional, I despise The Press for never questioning the physical stuff, and for always focusing on the total cost. It’s the time spent, the expertise and deep strategic thinking that the Media have a hard-time getting their ‘head’s around’ — which is the valuable stuff — and always questioning a discipline that so few understand or appreciate.

So, taking the above in to consideration, is £500,000 still too much?

Let’s never forget, a logo does not a brand make!