How important is your company logo? I mean, you’re not Starbucks, Nike, or McDonald’s, right? So, how important can it be? Here’s how much your logo can mean to your business. It can mean attracting new customers or losing the ones you have; appealing to employment candidates or experiencing high turnover among your existing employees. It can be the difference between making a profit or losing money, your organization succeeding or failing. So, how important is your company logo?
How Important is Your Company Logo?
Do you think I’m exaggerating? How about this logo change? I’m not saying that JC Penny’s Logo change drove them to bankruptcy. Many factors have led to the company’s demise, but the new logo certainly didn’t help.
The original logo was a long-standing icon. You didn’t need to read it to know what it was and who it represented. The after logo loses all the immediate recognition of the original logo. You must read it to decipher who and what it is and then wonder who or what jcp enney is.
An Effective Logo:
Immediately identifies your business
Unlike the JC Penny after logo, an effective logo says who you are and what you do at a glance.
“Your logo is a visual representation of everything your company stands for. Think of McDonald’s golden arches or the Nike swoosh, two impressive logos that embody these companies well. But how many companies still skimp on developing this key identity piece.” — How to Create a Logo
Sends a message
An effective logo shares the message of your brand. It’s attractive and compelling. Visual communication was the first method that human beings used to share information. We used our eyes to communicate with the world long before we used our tongues. It may be subconscious, but all sighted humans communicate visually throughout the day. Knowing this, logo images can say more than words. For example, a pet groomer’s logo might use pet clippers; a carpenter could use a hammer, or an egg farmer a chicken in their logo.
Establishes your voice
What is your organization’s voice? Are you serious about customer satisfaction? If so, a humorous logo wouldn’t be a good fit, would it? Conversely, if your corporate voice is all about fun, then a serious logo wouldn’t send the correct message about your business.
“…most entrepreneurs had a value or a vision in mind for their business when they launched. Whether the goal was to solve a specific problem or to become a hub of innovation, that speaks volumes. Ask yourself tough questions about what values are most important to your company and look at how that’s reflected in your voice.” — Forbes — How to Find Your Company’s Voice
Builds engagement
People exposed to an effective logo engage with the brand. For example, a consumer sees a sign for a retail store while driving and makes a mental note to visit the store – and then does. What would bring a customer into an operation when they were driving past it? It would need to be simple, attractive, and with a clear message.
Picture this; a work van pulls into a neighbor’s driveway. You can’t make out the writing from across the street, but you can see the logo, and it has a big wrench going around a pipe. It’s clear what the work van does, isn’t it? And what if you needed a plumber? Would you walk outside and write down the name and number or wait until the van left and ask your neighbor about the plumber? Probably. However, if the logo had only been the company’s name, you wouldn’t know it was a plumber – it was only a van.
“If you’re in the service business, especially if you specialize in home repairs, it’s crazy not to invest in fleet graphics. Think about this. When you’re home, and a service truck pulls into your neighbor’s driveway, what do you do? Do you peek out the window or walk outside to look? Have you ever jotted down the contact number because you needed work too? I’ve done all the above, and even if you haven’t, many of your neighbors have. The neighbors are watching. So, is anyone seeing your advertising?” — Believe me, the Neighbors Are Watching
Sets your business apart
What is it that sets your business apart from your competition? Are you quicker, less expensive, or more experienced? Regardless, one of the keys to an effective logo is to share what set’s you apart. What is your USP (Unique Sales Proposition)? But it’s more than sharing what sets you apart – it’s creating a logo that itself stands above the competition. So, how do you do that? The answer is you hire a professional graphic designer. But here are a few of the keys.
Understands your industry
Many industries have colors, fonts, and sometimes images that indicate their industry. For example, most financial institutions use subdued colors, standard fonts, and serious images. A bank with a bright red and yellow logo of a laughing clown using comic sans wouldn’t be good for business.
Knows the competition
For example, a veterinarian that is the only clinic that offers 24-hour emergency service in their market would be wise to share that message.
Is the right color
“When it comes to picking the “right” color, research has found that predicting consumer reaction to color appropriateness in relation to the product is far more important than the individual color itself. So, if Harley owners buy the product in order to feel rugged, you could assume that the pink and glitter edition wouldn’t sell all that well.” — Psychology Today.
What Colors Say
“Yellow – Is the color of the sun. It’s bright and cheery. It grabs attention and exudes energy and optimism.
Red – Is youthful, bold, and full of energy.
Purple – Is the color of royalty. It portrays power and wealth, as well as wisdom.
Green – Is the color of mother earth; it says everything is peaceful and healthy.
Blue – The color of the sky. It stands for strength, stability, and trustworthiness.
Black – The color of night is mysterious and, at the same time, elegant and powerful.” — What Colors Say
Creates emotion
An effective logo creates emotion. All your kids have to do is see an image of golden arches, and it fills them with excitement about a Big Mac and fries. There’s even a name for this emotional response to McDonald’s logo – a Big Mac attack. What is it you want your customers to feel? Is it joy, happiness, trust, or strength? Do you want them to go “aww” like when a mother sees the Gerber baby logo? Or smile when they see it?
Consider what emotion you want to elicit and then let a designer help you create your logo’s emotion.
So, How Important is Your Company Logo?
How important is your company’s logo? It is far more critical than the afterthought it too often receives during design. This post only touches the surface of the importance of an effective logo. A logo should unify your brand, share a message, set your business apart, create engagement, and create business. An effective logo improves your organization.
If we can answer any questions or offer our advice on logos, Contact Us.
Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash
