“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, says it all in this brilliant quote. The face of your brand is your logo, and a successful logo can propel your business to new heights by instilling confidence in your brand. It’s then your job to deliver the message your logo creates, though that’s another topic entirely. It’s common knowledge that you must brand your business with a logo, but not often explained why. This article will guide small businesses in making considered choices when branding their company.
Why do I need a logo?
A logo defines your businesses, it explains at a glance who you are and what you stand for. When you’re not in the room, your logo is there to explain your brand to would-be customers.
Forty percent of people have better visual image memories in comparison to what they hear or read. By associating a logo with your business, you are tuning into the most memorable part of your customers’ minds and reinforcing the name of your brand every time they see it.
Not only does a professional business logo design make your company instantly more memorable, it defines you as reputable and trustworthy, as well. Would you have confidence in a brand that seems to have no visual identity?
What color should my logo be?
Colors play a huge impact on the success of your logo and can evoke different emotions. A study shows that up to 90 percent of instant judgements of products were based on color alone. With this in mind, it’s only natural that your logo will be judged on its color also. The color of your logo should represent the personality of your brand and mirror how your key demographics view your business. Colors may differ depending on whether you are marketing your products towards men or women. It’s been proven that men prefer shades of colors (which have black added to them), whereas women are more receptive to tints (which are colors with white added).
Red is passionate, high energy and demands a call to action, with 38 percent of Forbes’ most valuable brands of 2015 using red in their logo, including Coca-Cola coming in at number four.
Blue indicates stability and trust, and is used is the top three social media companies. It is common in mobile phone and bank logos, such as VISA and American Express.
Yellow expresses happiness and intellect; it acts as a memory stimulant and can be seen in Ikea and McDonald’s logos, both featured high up on Forbes’ 2015 most valuable brand list.
Green is associated with nature and compassion and connotes a plentiful emotion. It makes the viewer feel safe, and can be seen featured on Animal Planet and BP.
Purple is the color that evokes luxury and elegance. It’s not as common as other colors in branding, but can be seen in food companies such as Cadbury.
What should my logo look like?
A well designed logo should last your business a lifetime, and consulting with a professional to guide you with your corporate logo design will ensure common mistakes aren’t made. Your logo is a representation of your brand, and if you have an amateurish design, that’s how your business will appear.
Don’t make your logo over complex, as this will be lost when scaling your image down when printing on various platforms. Look to big brands for inspiration, such as Adidas or Chanel.
Design for your customers, not your own personal tastes. This can be tricky when starting up your business, as removing yourself from the process can difficult. Consider your demographics and what they would like to see: Are they serious or fun? Modern or traditional?
Consider your image carefully; can it be misconstrued as something other than what it should be? The London 2012 Summer Olympics logo came under scrutiny for resembling an X-rated image. This just goes to show that even multinational brands with huge budgets must consider their design with great care.
When starting your business, you want to communicate your brand effectively. By following these tips, you should be able to create a distinguishable logo that speaks to your customers accurately, even when you’re not in the room.
