But if you rebrand them, they will still be called Skoda so surely some people wil still have the same stereotyped view of Skodas? Or are some people really so shallow that changing the badge would suddenly convince them that Skodas are 'cool'?

I don't really object to the current badge but I do like the one on the concept cars.

I think we are all in agreement that the concept car badge is better than the existing. Why they didn't carry it forward I will never know. And yes, I'm afraid people really are that shallow that a change of badge would make Skoda more cool. People of that fashion conscious mindset will still be slightly ashamed of driving a 'Skoda' (think back to the wheel barrow/skip jokes at school) but the fact that the badge does not scream 80s SKODA will definitely help in their decision to buy one. I know that Orange is one of the most successful mobile networks ever and this is down to the initial advertising/marketing launch and that genius little logo/look and feel. If it were down to me, I would have dropped the name Skoda too and TOTALLY re-branded but I do think it could work if their brand became a logo without a word/name. Just my opinion but what do I know!

I believe that the way forward for Skoda is to continue bring out cars like the Yeti and the Superb. They need to build on those models pushing the other manufacturers hard on terms of quality and value for money. I doubt that changing a badge would have a great deal of impact on potential sales. As for changing the name from Skoda to something else well their are already a huge number of manufacturers vying for attention, changing for the sake of it is going to bury it amongst them, it will take ages to re-establish. It would make no difference to me what it is called or what badge. I buy a car on merit not what it is called. I have no manufacturer bias or loyalty to Skoda or any other. I have no sentimentality towards a name either.

Hi Anthony. Your opinion is very valid and I wish more people were like you - less concerned with image. Unfortunately the majority of people (esp under 40) are extremely fashion/image conscious and often buy cars for aesthetics over performance (although if you can get both, great). Most would chose a slightly lesser spec/quality VW if given the choice in the same price bracket. For the money, the yeti is by far the better car, but it's just the society that we live in today...If a Skoda can be made more aesthetically pleasing by changing the badge - then why the heck not?

To be fair to Skoda the current badge is not the one they used in the eighties.

In fact on the old Estelles they used to use a simple chrome ring with the arrow in it and no wording.

I'm happy with Skoda as they are really, good value no nonsense caras and if some idiots can't see past the badge more fool them. Skoda sales are doing well so there are certainly plenty of people who see the cars for what they actually are.

To be fair to Skoda the current badge is not the one they used in the eighties.

In fact on the old Estelles they used to use a simple chrome ring with the arrow in it and no wording.

I'm happy with Skoda as they are really, good value no nonsense caras and if some idiots can't see past the badge more fool them. Skoda sales are doing well so there are certainly plenty of people who see the cars for what they actually are.

I'm sure the Skoda sales are doing well...But are they doing as well as other more 'hip' brands?

Anyhow, as I said in an earlier post, I'm not trying to stir things up. Just trying to offer my opinion from a brand marketing point of view so it's over and out from me!

The whole point of branding is that it is about image. You see a brand name or logo and you associate it with something, hopefully something good. Not everyone is hooked in by a brand but many are, especially younger people where brand image is key. How many young professionals aspire to a BMW because they link it to success and money.

It is important, see how much Nike etc spend each year, they wouldn't do it if they didn't get a return.

The whole point of branding is that it is about image. You see a brand name or logo and you associate it with something, hopefully something good. Not everyone is hooked in by a brand but many are, especially younger people where brand image is key. How many young professionals aspire to a BMW because they link it to success and money.

It is important, see how much Nike etc spend each year, they wouldn't do it if they didn't get a return.

Yep. That's the long and short of it...Well said.

Hi Anthony. Your opinion is very valid and I wish more people were like you - less concerned with image. Unfortunately the majority of people (esp under 40) are extremely fashion/image conscious and often buy cars for aesthetics over performance (although if you can get both, great). Most would chose a slightly lesser spec/quality VW if given the choice in the same price bracket. For the money, the yeti is by far the better car, but it's just the society that we live in today...If a Skoda can be made more aesthetically pleasing by changing the badge - then why the heck not?

You have my agreement on the shallowness of society! I agree that people are fashion conscious and that brand image is all so important to the shallow ones. I am not against changing the name or the badge, good luck to you if you can market that. It would not make the slightest difference to me. I would prefer my cars to have no badge of identity. I a not influenced by the marketing blurb, I certainly hope not. I have no interest what the headed not paper has embossed on it. That is not to say that I do not like design, but it is that function is the most important and primary consideration. For me function creates design they are inseparable. Form Follows Function!

Perhaps you may be right, that it is the younger buyer that matters but be aware, that alienating the established cliental is not a very good start to pushing up sales. Who are likely to be the biggest market and stay loyal? Their are as many inverse snobs who buy Skoda as those who buy BMW I guess. Mind you BMW make some superb cars, they function very well are sober of design which is appealing but are unfortunatly comparatively expensive.

If you asked me specifically what I would like to see in a badge, it would not be something too extracted or abstracted and colourful. The sort of thing that creates a feeling of quality, reliability, status might be something more from the twenties or thirties and not modern in essence. In my mind the sort of emblem that say The Aston Martin wings purvey. It does not have to be wings but the current emblem its self evolving from earlier times is an arrow with a bird possibly from hunting. I would try and research more into the history of Skoda and try and find something meaningful from there but something along the lines of what I said.

Edited 22 February, 201016 yr by Anthony 1

I'm with Pasty Boy here. The car is a Yeti, the badge should be a Yeti.

Retro Gal - You should Copyright your new, and very classy logo. Big companies will spend £1/2m to come up with a logo as good as the one you have posted on here.

Agree. The badge on the back in particular is huge. personally I quite like this upmarket design:

My link

Agree. The badge on the back in particular is huge. personally I quite like this upmarket design:

My link

.. on second thoughts it's still green though

I shall be happy to tell people that my Yeti is a Skoda and their reaction will be all the proof required that yet another hitherto misinformed person has altered their perception of the brand. This has already been the case with millions of people across Europe over the last ten years or so and I'm thinking that Skoda has come so much further than it has left to go before it is universally accepted as a premium manufacturer in value clothes.

Interesting that the majority of responses to this thread have been from the UK. Why? Because in Europe Skoda has never been perceived as a joke, but always taken seriously, probably because they know the the Skoda name is synnonimous with high quality engineering, building everything from trains to lorries. Plus most of Europe is not so stupidy "style" conscious or snobby as we are/were.

I can remember when I had my Skoda Rapid 130 and half the Motor Club laughed at me, then I went out and won a couple of trials and a few simple rallies in a bog standard car, and people changed their tune. And in the Motor Sport world many people still remember that Skoda still hold the record for the greatest number of consecutive class wins in any World Rally, on the RAC.

Will they re-invent the logo? Doubtful just for the UK. Don't forget that General Motors were thinking of dropping the Vauxhall brand in the UK before their little "problem", and it was only dropped because of the huge cost of altering everything to Opel.

Interesting that the majority of responses to this thread have been from the UK. Why? Because in Europe Skoda has never been perceived as a joke, but always taken seriously, probably because they know the the Skoda name is synnonimous with high quality engineering, building everything from trains to lorries. Plus most of Europe is not so stupidy "style" conscious or snobby as we are/were.

I can remember when I had my Skoda Rapid 130 and half the Motor Club laughed at me, then I went out and won a couple of trials and a few simple rallies in a bog standard car, and people changed their tune. And in the Motor Sport world many people still remember that Skoda still hold the record for the greatest number of consecutive class wins in any World Rally, on the RAC.

Will they re-invent the logo? Doubtful just for the UK. Don't forget that General Motors were thinking of dropping the Vauxhall brand in the UK before their little "problem", and it was only dropped because of the huge cost of altering everything to Opel.

Perhaps the Europeans can't write in English! LOL

That is a very interesting perspective Graham. I did not know that it was only us Brits that regarded Skoda as a joke. I guess it was a bit like the days of the British Motorcycle, everyone laughed then at the Japanese and carried on without investing in the industry. The Japanese took over the World of motorcycles and then who laughed. It is a pity that the UK car industry had not been taken over by the VAG empire and it would be us supplying the World with quality cars. Why change a badge or a name just to try and fol the immature fashion following GB market? Well pointed out Graham and well done Champ! :beer:

Edited 22 February, 201016 yr by Anthony 1

I think we should have a poll...Who is happy with the Skoda brand/logo as it is, and who would like to see it modernised, perhaps with the Skoda Yeti concept car logo...I also think an 'age' entry should be mandatory so we can establish if it's just the older folk wanting to keep it as is or if it's the youngens too...

em no ageism please. I am as old as the........... I had better not finish that.

Would also like to add that you will all be pleased to know, I have spent the last 2 weeks using every inch of charm left in me to convince others to buy a yeti and forget the old Skoda image...I WILL make it a socially acceptable brand amongst the young...(although the badge change would help )

Incidentally before anyone gets feisty to what is a really good thread, everyone on this site is a Skoda admirer as we all drive or will soon drive Skoda cars. This discussion is looking at the wider population. I have noticed that some people on this forum are VERY sensitive and defensive regarding the Skoda name and it would be a shame if that took over this thread.

Whoops...I think your prediction has become fact!!

em no ageism please. I am as old as the........... I had better not finish that.

as old as the....dated logo that you worship? LOL Sorry. No seriously, would be an interesting poll

Interesting that the majority of responses to this thread have been from the UK. Why? Because in Europe Skoda has never been perceived as a joke, but always taken seriously, probably because they know the the Skoda name is synnonimous with high quality engineering, building everything from trains to lorries. Plus most of Europe is not so stupidy "style" conscious or snobby as we are/were.

That is my understanding. Perhaps this is also why some of our European friends get such a wide range of trim and equipment options?

Would also like to add that you will all be pleased to know, I have spent the last 2 weeks using every inch of charm left in me to convince others to buy a yeti and forget the old Skoda image...I WILL make it a socially acceptable brand amongst the young...(although the badge change would help )

I am wondering Retro Gal whether changing the badge is the key to shifting attitudes. After all, Fiat used to make cars that rusted but they don't anymore. OK, so FIAT change their badge design with some regularity, but the shift in peoples attitude to Fiat (and other Italian and Japanese cars) followed simply from them building cars that don't rust. Skoda make excellent cars and in time those who don't already realise this will catch up whether the badge changes or not. It took Fiat twenty years or so to change perception of the brand and so I would think that in about five years to buy a Skoda over, say a Volvo, should not raise eyebrows.

I am not against a badge change though; I just don't see it as the key to changing the minds of the uninitiated. I must confess that I am somewhat of a cynic when it comes to the whole branding and image business. I know that it works for many, it is just that we are so often told how we should consider something rather than being acknowledged as possessing the intelligence to judge it on its merits. Maybe that is a consequence of a style over substance age sadly now inhabited more than ever before by our politicians.

I do like the badge on the Yeti concept car though

Seems like many like the "concept" badge. Can we have a bulk order

56 and couldn't care less....

Oh, about the Skoda name and what others think......couldn't care less!!

Always said that when I got to 55 I was going to grow old DISGRACEFULLY!!

I think we should have a poll...Who is happy with the Skoda brand/logo as it is, and who would like to see it modernised, perhaps with the Skoda Yeti concept car logo...I also think an 'age' entry should be mandatory so we can establish if it's just the older folk wanting to keep it as is or if it's the youngens too...

Does anyone know how to set this up? It would be quite interesting.

I'm sure the Skoda sales are doing well...But are they doing as well as other more 'hip' brands?

Erm, no . . . they're actually doing rather better and gaining market share!

Sales figures from SMMT:

Jan 09 to Jan 10.

Audi +28.74%

BMW +25.22%

Alfa +4.76%

Ford +5.62%

Jaguar -11.25%

MB +29.9%

Seat +37.41%

VW +70.04%

Skoda . . . . .

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wait for it

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+ 83.66%

So why would Skoda "fix" something that's not broken???

Does anyone know how to set this up? It would be quite interesting.

....and as if by magic