Even the most successful brands have to continually reevaluate their company logos. Pepsi, for example, has had four different looks on its soda packaging since 1990 alone. (Meanwhile, Coca-Cola's has remained virtually unchanged for 100 years.) Whether you are entering a growth stage for your business or getting ready to launch a new website, do not underestimate the power of your company logo. Here is advice on determining the ideal image for your brand.
Assessing what you have
Few companies can maintain the successful longevity with an image the way Coke, Apple, and Facebook have with their respective company logos. However, there are characteristics they all share when it comes to the design aspects of their marketing. Each company has a simple, memorable image that is appropriate for the brand while delivering staying power. Start by asking yourself if your design strategy fits the bill on these counts.The tricky part is when consumers have little idea what your company represents and what your mission may be—after all, cleverness in design can only get you so far. A helpful exercise is to see if you can describe your brand in a single word. Once you boil down the essence of a company to a word or two, you should know if your company logo conjures up that word.
Deciding what works
As is often the case with general business strategy, you can learn what works by looking at successes in your industry. Since you have to both create associations with your brand and get your name into the minds of consumers, having a logo with an image (as opposed to strictly letters, as IBM does) is the best route for small business owners. Images could be simple, playing off letters in your business's name, or exist on their own outside it.When considering the greatest business logos of all time, it is important to understand that abstract designs such as Nike's and Apple's are out of most entrepreneurs' leagues (at least for the time being). You would need millions of dollars to build a marketing machine that allows people to recognize the swoosh symbol as the ultimate in athletic performance channeled through a sneaker. Therefore, small business owners are better off thinking in figurative images.
Best practices for logo design
While there is no one right way to approach graphic design for your brand, there are certainly best practices to consider when evaluating the reach of logos in the marketplace. Here are five:Stand out. The most obvious (and hardest) goal is to stand out from the pack. Companies that try to follow trends can lose on timelessness, so think carefully to ensure your logo stands the test of time. Being unique and being trendy are different things.
Make the image matter. Whether your industry involves the arts, sports, recycling, or fashion, your company's branding should reflect that through an image. Amazon.com has one of the best examples to illustrate the point: The "A" points to the "z" with an arrow, signifying that people can find everything on the e-commerce site.
Allow for use across platforms. Brands such as McDonald's and Twitter have logos that may be used on business cards, letterheads, or clickable buttons on Web pages. Versatility is key to your graphic design. Once you have an image that works, it can be used everywhere.
Think 10 years ahead. There is no way to predict future tastes, but you can strive for timelessness when deciding on potential logos. Look beyond trends and ask yourself if the image would have worked 10 years earlier. If so, it may work 10 years from now.
Use color with care. Google's logo is an excellent example of how to use color in a business's graphic design. However, small companies might have problems paying for so many different inks when developing marketing materials. Try to stick with two or three colors at the maximum—and make sure it looks good in black and white, too.
Images and business branding go hand in hand. Wise Business Designs can help when you need assistance with company graphics. Take advantage of discounts available in The UPS Store to build a company logo or revise existing marketing materials.
