eTip #7: Is Your Logo on The Mark?

A logo is often a birth of a company – at least the visual branding aspect of it. In truth, a logo, just like any other marketing materials, needs to come after a series of strategic decisions made by the company. Without the right strategy, asking the right questions, and research, a well -designed logo will not reflect the values, vision, and perception your company has.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when developing a logo:

Keep it simple
A logo should be simple and not contain too much details. It needs to communicate quickly and memorably about the company or product. Your logo doesn't and shouldn’t say everything about your company but just a few core aspects of it, which will be determined by the brand strategy.

Make sure it will reproduce easily
A logo will be usedin many different places – stationery, website, presentations, vehicles, apparel, advertising, etc. A logo must be able to work in black and white as well as in different sizes without losing its quality when scaling it. A finished logo needs to adapat to different printed and Web environments – black and white, PMS (spot colors), CMYK, and RGB.

It should be time-sustaining
A corporate identity should last up to 10 or 15 years. Brand recognition will take time, and you will want to be sure the logo is helping your company achieve that. Don’t pick a logo because it appears “trendy” or because that’s what everyone else is doing. Remember the dotcom bust!

Make sure it is adaptable
A logo should be flexible enough to expand if the company or product introduces additional groups or product lines that are under the parent brand. Be careful not to alter the original logo but rather enhance it by adding necessary text and perhaps use different colors to identify the different groups or product lines.

Your logo can give the perfect impression or it can give the wrong impression if it is not done right. Remember, people form impressions based on how they visualize your brand and company. Hiring professional services for your logo development should be a top priority for your company and should not be left in the untrained hands.

 

Previous  |  Next  |  Back to eTips  |  See Work in Identity