Company logos take time to create … are they worth it? 

Yes they are. You already know the logo is not the brand, right? Then how important is a good logo design to building a strong company brand? Very.

We view company logos as the thumbprints of each company brand. The style, tone, colors and persona set the stage for the full design system … whether it’s shown on packaging, a sign, a website, truck graphics, advertising, printed materials or social media … you name it.

Designing that new logo can be simple, or it can be a deep (and valuable) process of analysis and evaluation that opens the door to many important business decisions. Get clear about:

• Who are you?
• What makes your company different from others in your category?
• What do you excel at?
• Why do your customers/clients return again and again?
• What style or personality to people like or respond to?
• How do you want to be perceived by your target audiences?

When you have the answers to these questions, you will have information to guide the design solution and frame your positioning … even your key marketing messages.

What about the $200 crowd-sourced logos?

It’s today’s reality. It’s possible to get a logo design by going online to a website where designers send their ideas, you pick one, and you pay a flat fee. Some of the designs are pretty good, too.

But remember the old “you get what you pay for” statement? So true. When company logos are crowd-sourced, you get a slap dash, one version, don’t know you and what you want to stand for, no thinking, default design. And for some people, that’s okay. If you’re on a budget, it gets you started.

Instead, how about a long-term, unique logo with impact?

When you work with a professional designer with a deep portfolio of brand identity design systems, designs that have stood the test of time and had HUGE impact on the business, you’ll see company logos that make a difference now and for the long-term.

In our last 38+ years in business, I have seen the difference the right company logo can make.

It can:

• Help the company stand out in its category
• Build recognition for unique aspects/benefits of the business
• Help a small company be competitive with much larger corporations
• Generate quick recognition–and delight–from target audiences and the community
• Create a new revenue stream with branded products

Take a look at a range of successful company logos we have created.  Each is designed to stand out, be recognized, set the stage for the brand, be memorable and communicate.

One more thing … are applications thought through?

A great company logo system needs to be flexible, provide digital files already prepared for multiple applications–black and white and color; reversed or gray-scale; vertical or horizontal; in digital formats for web, fleet graphics, signing and print applications.

More often than not, when we work with a company that has a low-cost logo, they don’t have all the options needed.

A great logo design system is built to work in many sizes and formats. Thinking through those options is part of the design process, even after the final design is chosen. When planning a rebrand or creating a new company logo, be sure you have all the versions you need.

Read more about designing company logos and building a strong brand:

• Create a strong logo to reflect your brand positioning
• The Pumilite logo system that emphasized their distinct character
• Marketing Mistake #1 – my logo is my brand
• You have a new logo, now what?
• Is it time to rebrand, with a new logo?

For more of our work, please see our website at www.creativeco.com. Subscribe to our blog for insight, tactics and tools to help you build a stronger brand.