A good business logo won’t make the difference between your business being successful and your business failing, but it will certainly provide a fantastic foundation. A logo gives the outside world an instant visual impression of your brand; a good one is worth a thousand words, and sometimes even more.
When picking out, choosing or designing your logo, there are a few things to think about while going thru the process:
1. Is it unique?
If you just copy and paste another logo, besides getting into legal trouble, you aren’t making your brand stand out. Even if your logo resembles another logo that is popular, people are going to think that you are cheap, unoriginal or trying to ride on the coattails of someone else’s success. So it doesn’t do you any benefit to steal or copy another companies logo, plus it’s a lot of fun to put your own creativity onto paper and see it come to fruition!!
2. Can it be described?
A good logo is one that makes sense, people know what it is and can be explained.
For instance if you take McDonalds, Nike and Adidas logos, pretty much everyone knows what they look like, because the images are simple, clear and eye-catching.
If you want people to talk about your logo, there needs to be something that people can actually talk about! It’s vital if you want your followers to tell their friends about you.
3. Does it suit your purpose?
When designing your logo, you need to think clearly about what you want it to do. The purpose of your logo will depend on the type of company you are, and the effect you are trying to achieve.
Some logos serve as a figurehead for their brand, such as KFC’s world-famous Colonel Sanders. Others provide a symbol of aspirational exclusivity, like the Audi or Mercedes badges. Some are little more than a visual signature, such as a Kellogg’s ‘K’.
4. Does it speak to your target audience?
Your audience should determine the style and tone of your logo. If, for example, you’re running a bodybuilding gym, your target audience will probably be men with a manly edge to them. Having a delicate logo with feminine colors and extravagant fonts probably won’t entice the audience you are looking for. Try to put yourself in your customers shoes and think about what is attractive to them.
5. Does it reflect everything that you have to offer as a company?
Your logo must represent your whole company, not just a part of it. It must contain all your key products and services, not just a few of them. And it must be able to evolve to fit the products and services you plan to add in the future.
6. Does it define your entire company?
Think about your company’s mission statement – what are your core values? What do you want your business to achieve? Think about your achievements so far, and your key strengths. Each of these core features and attributes make up your company’s DNA, and should play a crucial role in shaping your logo.
I hope this gave you a few things to think about when choosing your logo. Don’t make it a stressful part of your business. Just have fun with it and make sure that it’s something you can stand behind and will represent your business well.
Written by Kim Ganir
