What is a logo?
A logo is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol that is used to promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a word mark. A logo is a design that is used by a company for its stationery and advertising material. You may also think of a logo as a simple visual mark to identify your company product or service.
What is the purpose of a logo?
It helps you stand out from your competition – The key function of a logo is to differentiate your business from the competition. Before you get a logo designed, it’s worth noting what your competitors’ looks like so you can position yourself. You may want to avoid the crowd and not get a ‘me too’ style of logo to increase your stand out.
A logo identifies key business information – As well as providing stand out, a good logo also provides information about your company: it can communicate the industry you operate within, the service or products you provide, your target audience and what you stand for.
A logo builds awareness and recognition – Logos are a visual reminder of your existence. They generate strong visual associations with a business and helps customers keep your brand at the forefront of their mind. Many brands are instantly recognised even if their names are not included along with their logo – think of the Nike swoosh or the Audi rings.
Logo features
A great logo should create a memorable association with your business. It is the initial impression most people see of a company, but its impact depends upon how it is used. Its creation needs to consider many factors and should reflect the company.
You should consider the use of shapes, colours, typefaces and other symbols that best describe the business and how you can future proof your logo so that it doesn’t quickly date. Your logo should not have any cultural, racial, or other kind of bias, to ensure that it appeals to the biggest audience.
A logo can be either typeface or icon based, or a combination of both, like that of Red Cross, Nike, Coca-Cola, and Sony etc.
Colours express meaning, have emotions associated with them, and designers implement them appropriately to suit the nature of the organisation and the feeling they wish to convey, for example, green is seen as a sign of wellness and health and navy blue as serious and corporate.
How is a logo different from branding?
There appears to be a common belief that your logo and branding are the same thing, however, the difference is quite straightforward: Your brand is the set of beliefs and understandings that people have about your company. In other words, it is the impression that your company leaves on the customer. This can be through a multitude of different elements such as advertisements, commercials, customer service, and your logo as well. Your logo is only one element of your branding.
To summarise:
A logo is part of your brand identity, it’s a visual representation of who you are, what you do and what you stand for. What does your logo say about you?
