A big part of the success of branding is having a logo. How you portray your company visually when in the public eye is important. Just as we are personally judged by the clothes we wear (in other words, how we "appear"), our business is similarly judged by how it appears to its target audience of potential buyers.
According to the American Marketing Association, "...there is proof that a recognized brand can help a consumer differentiate a product from its competitors." The article goes on to say that if two companies are perceived as very similar, then the only differentiator is price - never good for any small business owner in the long run.
There are social psychologists that will tell you that color evokes strong emotion & that certain shapes are interpreted in certain ways. You will likely need the assistance of a professional graphic designer to get your look just right, but here are some tips:
1. Start with a feeling. What emotion are you trying to evoke? A bank wants consumers to think it is stable, strong, so their standard color palette uses blue. A kids' cereal wants to create a sense of fun & its colors are happy; they use primary colors. A perfume seeks to create passion; these are usually red or black with touches of metallic colors. For example, when creating my own colors and logo I knew green is my favorite color & I wanted a quirky touch. I wanted it to reflect, well - me! I have come to identify with "upside down man" & my clients expect to see him on all my materials.
2. But, there are 64 colors in my crayon box! Yes, but you don't have to use all of them. In each case discussed above they use only 1 color. Golden Arches are, well - gold. The bulls-eye is red. The swoosh is either white or black. And, of course, Big Blue is just blue. Don't overdo it.
3. Is it reflective of your product or service's benefits? I recently worked with a company that created vitamins & supplements that were scientifically superior to their competitors. The specific product I worked with them on was a formula to preserve the youthfulness & elasticity of skin. Their label, however, looked more like grandma's cross-stitch pillow. If you saw their packaging on a shelf while shopping for such a product you would not identify it with youth at all & would likely walk right by it.
4. Lost in translation. A powerful logo requires no thought on the part of the consumer. If we don't "get it" immediately, it's a wasted effort. This should hold true on a local, or perhaps one day in your company's future, global basis. Some well-known corporate logos transcend culture & language. Coca-Cola & MTV are as easily recognizable in New York as they are in New Delhi. So while today you may be a small, local business tomorrow you may be selling everywhere from your website.
5. Psychological impact. I recently met with a client who wanted a brochure redesign. She created a sketch of it herself on her computer & brought it to our meeting to discuss. She wanted to incorporate a "10 Step Plan for Financial Success" & laid out the steps vertically. I immediately noticed that the arrow was pointing down. Now, this made sense in the scheme of things as Step 1 was on top, proceeding further down to Step 10. But I suggested to her that she let the designer redo it so that the arrow pointed up. Psychologically I thought that a downward pointing arrow would not benefit her Financial Advisor business model of growing nest eggs & increasing clients' net worth.
6. Many, many media. Once your logo is finalized it will be used everywhere to identify your business, including: stationery, business cards, website & brochures. If you plan on doing advertising you may want to consider how your logo will look in black & white as this will help keep your costs down when purchasing ad space. Do you plan on taking part in trade shows? If so, give some thought to what your logo will look like when it is enlarged for use on a big banner. What about a billboard?
7. Educate and inform. It is very important to let your target audience know where you are in the market (low price? luxury brand?), what it is that you do (plumbing? estates and trust lawyer?) & what is the nature of the product you are selling (this is also true for services). Some of these can be accomplished just be using a smart choice of font (for example, script fonts evoke a sense of higher pricing.)
8. Think of all the places it will go. Once your logo is finalized, ask your graphic designer to save it for you in various formats so that you can easily use it everywhere. I suggest a JPEG format in both high & low resolutions, a black & white version & in a few different sizes; & you'll also want a TIFF file in both these color palettes as well. By doing this you are covered for every use imaginable including some you may have never thought of such as: custom mailing labels straight from your office printer, social media, create your own sell sheets, for use on your proposals & so much more.
9. Haven't I seen this before? Be aware that companies take their logos very seriously & most are copyrighted. If you use or create a logo that looks very similar to someone else's be prepared to receive an invitation for a court date. I feel fairly confident (not having a legal degree) saying that another restaurant couldn't get away with, say, "Orange Arches."
10. Consider production. It's never too early to start thinking about the final printed product. When designing a logo on a tight budget consider the # of colors used - the fewer the # of colors, the less expensive it is to print. And, consider the closeness of the colors - if 2 colors touch or overlap it is more expensive to print because of something called 'trapping' which means critical alignment so that the colors don't butt up against each other. Making sure this doesn't happen can take several steps at the print shop which adds cost to the final piece. Finally, it is recommended that you talk to your printer before embarking on a complex logo creation. In the end this will save you lots of time & trouble.
So, how does a start-up company know what its logo should look like? Find a graphic designer that will spend time with you verbally brainstorming ideas. It is a collaborative effort & the business owner must play a role in the logo's creation. The process usually works like this:
• Start with brainstorming sessions.
• Sketches are drawn & colors considered.
• Some get knocked out immediately due to various factors.
• Does it appeal/speak to your target audience?
• After some back & forth a final design is created.
What about redesigning a logo that might be out of date? Some companies choose to redesign logos after a period of time. Campbell's Soup has morphed their logo over time & even Betty Crocker has gotten a facelift. So, when should a logo be redesigned? Here are some guidelines:
• How old is it? Some logos can live on forever without ever needing a change, and some benefit from a more modern look to stay relevant in today's digital world. Recent logo changes have included Payless Shoe Source, and Stop and Shop Supermarkets.
• Has it lost its effectiveness? If it no longer evokes the right emotion or has lost meaning over time, it might need an update. Perhaps the generation gap is playing a part here, or perhaps pop culture symbolism has changed over time.
• Does it reflect your current business? In some cases, a logo was created before a business grew into itself or took on additional lines of business. If it no longer speaks to what you do, this may signal time for a change.
• What does the logo design mean to your consumers? If they're confused, or worse - can't remember what your logo looks like - think about making a change. Don't know what your customers think? Try asking them via a short email or phone survey.
So, do you need a logo? Yes. Does it have to cost a fortune? No. Consider these easy ways to get what you need:
-Adapt an existing graphic to fit your needs. Stock photography websites have millions of drawings, photos & art that you can purchase & then edit for your own needs.
-Consider a graphical treatment. That's what I did. I use a dollar sign for the "S" in Solutions to get my "affordable" point across.
-In another case, I know an accountant whose first name begins with an "S" so he made that into a dollar sign &, conveniently, his last name begins with "C" so he made that into a cents sign. Easy & inexpensive too.
-Use some piece of online clip art or other existing graphic in a unique or unusual way. For example, you can color it differently, or change it to black & white.
-Talk to several graphic designers to get the best fit for your needs. Some designers specialize in working with small businesses & can create an identity for you that won't break the bank.
So, next time you pass by a store whose logo is memorable, keep in mind that you can do it too!
Happy Marketing!
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