Gap has officially given the pink slip to the executive who oversaw their now infamously disastrous logo redesign. Marka Hansen, president of the clothing chain's North American division, will leave the company this week after being there for 24 years and in the position for the last 4. Her leaving also coincides with a fiscally disappointing holiday season for the Gap.
"After several conversations, Marka and I agreed this was the right time for a change in the organization in order to take the Gap brand to a new level. I am grateful for all that Marka has contributed to the company," Gap chairman and chief executive Glenn Murphy said in a statement.
Under Hansen's direction, the clothing company momentarily updated its white-on-navy logo with completely different, sparse design. The internet and the customer based went haywire against the Gap logo change, sparking Hansen to initially defend the change, only to revert to the old logo a week later after the tremendous public pressure.
What's the moral of this Gap drama? Try a little test group market research before attempting to rebrand your multi-billion dollar company.