The Role of Your Logo and How to Create a Good One

Graphic designer at work

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It's not uncommon for people to mistake their logo as their "branding," but your logo is only one piece of your branding strategy. It's a symbol that can provide consumers with instant and powerful brand recognition of your business and the services or products that you offer.

Make sure that you've developed your brand strategy before you begin the process of creating a logo because your logo is like a small ad for your company. Without a strategy behind it, a logo can put across the wrong message. That can weaken your strategy rather than enforce it. You'll want to keep your brand message consistent to help increase consumer recognition.

When You're Ready to Create Your Logo

The mission of your logo is to portray the values and goals of your company. Make sure these are clearly established before you venture out to find a logo designer. Be clear about the message you want your brand to convey so your logo can clearly reflect that message. You must have a strong association between your brand and your logo. Remember, it's only one piece of your branding strategy.

Your logo should reflect professionalism and growth no matter how small your company is. If you're designing your logo in-house to save money, be sure to market-test your efforts before you commit to a full launch.

Make sure that the logo you select isn't dated or won't become dated. You'll want to be able to use it effectively year after year. You don't want to have to update it regularly, particularly if it's bringing results, but it may stop producing results if it becomes passé. Keep in mind that this is how consumers will recognize your company for the long haul.

Tips for Creating a Memorable Logo

Start with visualizing someone else's logo, one that's stuck with you for years. Maybe it was Ford Mustang's galloping steed. You know that whenever you see it, you automatically think of that car, but what about it first grabbed you? Why is it appropriate to the product? Because the horse is fast and attractive, implying that the car leaves others in the dust.

You can achieve the same thing even if you're selling shoehorns. It's all about how you present it.

Let your mind wander. Be unique. Be clever. Demonstrate something about that shoehorn that no one has ever considered before so when your target market sees it, they say, "Aha!" Use color to grab attention. Don't overly complicate it. Avoid getting too fussy. That mustang is just a horse – Ford didn't have to include the entire herd running behind him to get its message across.

The Bottom Line

Confident branding and a strong branding strategy use design to communicate a message that attracts the target audience you want to entice – a message that creates confidence in your brand while differentiating between you and your competitors. Does your logo fulfill this mission? If your answer is no, it may be time to consider strengthening your brand strategy and looking at a new logo to reposition your company.