People Can't Read New Kia Logo, Resulting in 30,000 Monthly Searches for "KN Car" - Core77

The old Kia logo was pretty legible:

Image: Mark Bishop on Unsplash

Alas, the new Kia logo (redesigned in 2021), not so much:

Image: Mark Chan on Unsplash

This graphic design disaster means that “Despite being aesthetically pleasing, our survey has found that most people are unable to recognize the letters in the new KIA logo,” writes automotive brand experts Rerev. This comes nearly two years after the new logo has been in circulation. All told, just 56% of the 1,062 survey participants nailed it, while 44% could not correctly identify the letters. Furthermore, 26% of respondents guessed it says “KN”—which results in roughly 30,000 online searches for “KN car” a month, according to Rerev.

Image: Rerev

“The survey highlights the importance of conducting thorough market research when designing a logo. Companies should ensure that their logos are easily recognizable to their target audience in order to effectively convey their brand message.”

“While KIA has likely done an extensive amount of research on how people perceive their logo to shape their brand identity, our research shows the brand has fallen short. These findings are surprising given the amount of time and resources that companies typically put into designing their logos. A logo is often a key part of a company’s brand identity, and is meant to be easily recognizable to consumers.”