A recent article in the New York Times talks about the Xerox company's re-design of their long-standing logo and what their goals were for undertaking the redesign.

In spite of the fact that Xerox has long been associated with copiers - to the extent that it's even a verb..."I need to Xerox this document immediately!" - they want to shed their copier image. Makes sense given that their current product line no longer includes standalone copiers. When your company is so ingrained with a specific action, that's a big shadow to step out of after so many years.

As a result, there's a lot at stake when using a logo re-design as a catalyst for shifting consumers' deeply-held idea of what your brand stands for. And, it's a good first step. Changing your external visual presentation to be in line with your internal vision is important in initiating a change in perception. It gets people talking and looking more closely at the company. But, it's only part of the puzzle - the part you can see.

To Xerox's credit is their acknowledgement that the redesign is only one of the necessary steps in their brand's evolution. Simply redesigning their logo is not the only action they'll need to take in order to fully integrate the new mindset behind the redesign. There will be many other shifts - both internal and external - required to make a successful transition. Copy that.