The Value of a Logo: 5 Reasons to Invest in a Design
Published: May 11, 2017
Starting a business is a lot of hard work and pre-planning. You need to decide if your company is viable, make a business plan, set up a budget, and jump into the risk of a start-up. Once you have determined a strong foundation and are ready to pursue the venture, you will have to think about marketing.
A logo is paramount in the representation of your company. Before you even begin marketing; you need to establish your target audience, the look and feel you want to embody, and the style that works best for the medium it will be presented on. With this in mind, here are:
5 Reasons to Invest in a Logo Design
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We don’t like to often admit it but as a member of society, we spend a lot of our time judging. Whether that be people, movies, foods, or even logos. Similar to a way you are not supposed to “judge a book by its cover”, you shouldn’t judge a business by its logo. OR… maybe you should. Without a great logo design, someone can turn down your product or service simply because your logo doesn’t meet their standards. This means all the more reason to have a fantastic logo. Also, please learn from the mistake of these unfortunate designs:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/YBlqC5T5sLY
ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS
& STANDING OUT FROM YOUR COMPETITION
If you are a new business, chances are you have competitors that have already been established in the market for some time. Now stop and think about a product that you find yourself routinely buying or service you consistently use. What would it take to have you choose a different brand? For me personally, I love trying new drinks. I often find myself at 7/11 (or the liquor store) scanning the drink aisle for anything new to catch my eye. Bottle packaging has always been something I loved because they can be custom shapes or detailed/conceptual labels often highlighted by an aesthetically pleasing logo. Nowadays with the height of Instagram people are always looking for unique photo opportunities and that includes funny product names or modern and satisfying logos. There is a lot of pull that can come from a professional logo.
KEEPING LOYAL CUSTOMERS
A lot of people stick to brands that they have used before and are familiar with. This is especially true when it comes to products such as food, make-up, vehicles, and much more. For the logo to keep loyal customers, it has to be something memorable. I’ve had those moments when I tried something new and I couldn’t for the life of me remember the name of the brand or what the logo was. In this instance, it can make it harder to find again and continue to buy. If you have a logo that really defines your company, expresses the right feeling, and genuinely looks attractive — people will remember it. And not only that, but they can even find ways to promote it. (For example: clothing brands or other merchandise)
EARNING CREDIBILITY
When you are looking at a logo, you are looking at more than just the icon and what it symbolizes. You are looking at the detail and effort that has been put into it. You may be mentally comparing it to clip art or other logos you have seen. Furthermore, you are making sure the graphics aren’t stretched or skewed and that the words are legible and spelled correctly (or as intended). All of these assets determine if you are willing to put trust in a company. If you spell your logo incorrectly on a billboard people will think; if you’re not going to put in the effort or care into your own company, why should I?
BUILDING A BRAND
A logo is one aspect of building an entire brand. Logos have the pressure of encompassing a whole enterprise in one graphic. You want to make sure that when your logo is designed, that it is compatible in all forms it will be represented on. For example: if you own a restaurant, you’re going to need a logo that will look good enlarged for the exterior signage and small for the menu. It needs to remain consistent across all platforms as an overall identity. Not only do they need to look approachable but the whole brand has to stay suited. Hiring a graphic designer to do your logo means you will get a conceptual logo that encapsulates your style, how you want to be perceived, and maintaining a look of professionalism. A step forward with the designer and they are willing to provide you with an entire “Brand Identity Package”, “Style Guide”, or anything of the like. What this is, is usually a PDF presentation that you can keep on your computer that will give you:
- Your logo in all it’s variations (colour, black & white, dimensions, etc.)
- Your Pantone colours (colour remains accurate for print & web)
- Your typeface (& it’s family) so you can use it in future projects — ex. website
- Any patterns, icons, or other elements that you will be using
- A page that defines your audience, your message, and reminds you to promote yourself in the way you first intended.
Examples of Brand Style Guides
If you want to see inspiration for these cross-platform branding packages — use Pinterest. Once you nail down your style, you will have a recognizable brand that people will begin to remember. When I see a swoosh, I automatically know it’s Nike — if there’s a man playing basketball — it’s Nike Jordans. These have gotten to the popularity that they don’t need to have the name written across anymore for people to recognize. Your goal is to have a logo designed that will catch your audience’s attention and keep it. In my previous blog, I mention Tinker Hatfield (Nike shoe designer) and how you can learn about his process.
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There have been countless times personally or via online stories that I’ve heard of a customer coming to a Graphic Designer with the idea that a logo takes 5 minutes. Or others that will mention how someone in their family has the computer software to do it. If that’s where your mind was at before this, I hope it gave some insight into how a logo is much more valuable than a shape with a word attached. It’s an entity in itself and one that can cost a business a downfall in customers or an increase. It’s not about making your business look “pretty”, it’s actually about making it successful. (Though I have to say, the pretty doesn’t hurt.)
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