Not Every Brand Problem Needs a New Logo

One of the most important branding lessons I learned early on:

not every problem needs a new logo.

I was part of a small creative team at Mt. Baker Vapor during a period of major industry shift.

The company had once built strong traction, but increased competition and regulation had diluted its presence.

The initial instinct was to redesign the logo.

But after looking closer, it was clear the identity wasn’t broken, the expression was.

So instead of redesigning, we focused on alignment.

We clarified the brand’s tone.

Made the messaging more energetic and human.

Introduced real-time flash sales to create urgency.

And launched a re-engagement campaign: “Baby Come Back” — reaching former customers through direct mail, email, and social.

The response was immediate.

Dormant customers returned.

Momentum followed.

It reinforced a belief I still hold today:

strong branding isn’t about changing how a brand looks, it’s about aligning how it shows up. This video reflects how the brand showed up once clarity and direction were established: