A picture may need to say a thousand words but a logo needs to convey one thing: your brand.
We’ve been running a series of blog posts that offer advice on how to plan, implement and optimise your brand. This week we focus on the importance of a refined logo.
Logos have been around for thousands of years thanks to tradespeople popping their name, initials or stamp on their work so that others could find them to engage their services. The considerations for producing a logo may have moved along considerably but the point remains the same.
Logos like the swoosh, fruit with a bite out of it, mermaids and golden arches have been so well designed that they provide instant recognition. The 2001 book by Eric Schlosser claimed more children in the US recognised the McDonalds logo than the Christian cross. Need we say anymore?
A logo is a symbol
A logo is a symbol, it can be literal or figurative. It might include the company name, it might not. It needs to be relevant to the company and the industry, reflect your personality and stand out from your competitors.
There may also be practical considerations that define elements: you don’t have time to study a car manufacture’s logo while driving so they tend to be simple; or if you deal with the visually impaired, this would have to be taken into account.
Logos are often used along with supporting material so there’s no need to feel your logo has to do and say everything. As long as it suits the company and it’s memorable then it’s doing its job.
Logo designs have expiry dates
Logos, however iconic, need a refresh from time to time to keep them relevant and functional. When doing so it’s often worth engaging in a wider exercise: looking at your industry, seeing how it’s changed and comparing competitors’ logos to see where you fit and where you’d like to be. Check out our recent post on how major brands are moving their logo forward in order to stay ahead of the competition.
Is your logo looking dated? We get to the root of your brand through a series of workshops and consultations and come up with the best solution to keep your brand fresh and refined. Contact us today.
Or if you fancy some light reading, download our Anatomy of a Brand eGuide.
