A mark is a signature at the bottom of a promise. If the promise underneath is thin, no amount of kerning will save it.
Every few years someone declares logos dead. They aren't. They're just misunderstood.
A logo isn't a brand any more than a signature is a person. But a signature still has to be steady. It still has to look like it was written by someone who meant it.
The best marks are the ones that get out of the way - legible at a glance, distinctive at a distance, and comfortable next to the work they represent. They don't need to explain themselves.
If you're spending six months on a logo, you're solving the wrong problem. If you're spending six months on the story underneath it, you're doing the work.
You don't paint a brand on. You build it - by making a promise, keeping it, and letting the work do the talking.
Most rebrands don't come from a desire to look different. They come from a business that finally outgrew the shirt it started in.