These days, companies must struggle against shortened attention spans. In turn, they are investing more time and money into developing memorable logos. The beginning of an organization's branding, a logo should convey a company's vision, while projecting a distinctive, professional image. Here are some of the basics of business logo design to help you create a more impactful symbol for your brand.
Why it Matters
The basis of all promotional efforts, a company's logo is its most powerful marketing tool. An effective logo creates a company's image, while also acting as its very first introduction to consumers. A good logo invites consumers to learn more about a service or company, while instilling key principles about the brand. For instance, while a marketing company may want a logo with a dynamic or aggressive design, an insurance company is more likely to want a logo that projects security and prestige. Whatever the case, a logo will always be the chief visual component of a business's brand identity.
Logos also help solidify consumer loyalty, thanks in part to repetition. If a company is able to meet certain standards time and time again, people will begin to associate its logo with these standards. Over time, this can make a logo recognizable or even iconic, as with Nike's swoosh or Apple's fruit. To accomplish this, however, a business must be consistent in the way it utilizes its logo. Whether it's a website, marketing materials, annual reports, invoices, corporate apparel or promotional products, the logo should always be present and always look the same.
Making a Good Logo
There are all sorts of different ways to make an effective logo. At the same time, there are countless ways to make a forgettable logo that doesn't connect with consumers.
One key component of an impactful logo centers on originality. Obviously, your logo can't make a unique impact if it reminds people of something else. It's important to do plenty of research to make sure you don't inadvertently design a logo that resembles that of another brand.
At the same time, even a unique, attractive logo can fail if it doesn't project the right image. It's not enough to have a unique logo that looks sharp. You also need to make sure that the logo says what you want it to say. This means defining your company's core values, along with its personality. You will also need to determine exactly what makes your company different from the competition.
Getting Help
There are a lot of things to consider when designing a logo. For instance, did you know that specific colors tend to evoke certain emotions in people, or that certain shapes are more pleasing to the eye as opposed to others, which evoke negative feelings?
If you aren't a graphic designer, you may have trouble coming up with an effective logo without some help from a professional. Since your logo is such an important part of your company, it's a good idea to get some outside expertise to help you create and settle on an effective design. Once you decide on a logo, you will need to stick with it for consistency's sake. With this in mind, it's important to get things right the very first time.