Rebranding Untours

How do you develop a new website, redesign your email correspondence and introduce a new logo without alienating your loyal, long-time clientele?

Not an easy question to answer in a 40-year-old company with a mom-and-pop-shop ethic and a committed following of “alumni” who have travelled with us for decades. Our brand presentation has been decided unslick but at the same time has needed to evolve and tighten as our price point increases.

The Logo

Though familiar and endearing to some, I knew that aside from looking dated, our old logo sent the wrong message.

There is something topsy-turvy about the “un” in our name that is not reassuring to travelers in the post-9/11 era, when we want security and solidity. People want a brand they can trust and choose Untours over increasingly popular direct-booking apartment sites largely because they want security. Anything that hints at precariousness is unhelpful to the success of our brand.

Our new logo is legible, playful, bright, and happy.

The Roll-out

Here is our rollout of our new logo. Our newsletter speaks to our core constituency and the blog post it links to explains the backstory and meaning of our new logo. Note the design of the newsletter itself has also changed.

The Website

Tracking visitors’ behavior on Google Analytics, we knew that moving to a responsive website was critical. And the old website design was dull, with a drab palette and dated design.

There were too many options and distractions on the homepage, with several items competing for clicks and no real navigation path or clear call to action.

Our new website is pending. It is responsive, with a clean design and imple navigation. The updated palette includes blue, chosen based on industry research that tracks conversions and trust. There are clear calls to action.

The photo carousel features both people and places, adding a human warmth to the site. Many of the people featured on the site are actual customers on site in Europe, and they will be labeled as such. Client testimonials and staff profiles will figure heavily on the site.

The new website will be launched soon, and I will report back on its impact.