Your business logo is something that many people see on a day-to-day basis, but that has more of an impact on them than they make think. Logos help your business to stand out from competitors, offer a quick demonstration of the look and feel of your brand, and provide a quick glimpse into the experience of your business. There are billions of logos out there today of various shapes and colors, but the most effective ones, the ones you can probably recognize in a fraction of a second, share five traits in common. In this post we’ll go over five essential elements of a business logo to help you with creating (or changing) the logo for your business.
Simplicity
A simple logo is easier for your audience to recognize and recall. A good rule of thumb is to picture your target audience driving down the highway. If they see your logo while on the move, can they get the entire message, or do they only have enough time to get part of it? You don’t want your logo to be boring, yet you don’t want to overwhelm your audience. Your logo should give the viewer something simple and understandable, rather than something they have to figure out.
Memorability
Think of the classic logos, the ones that you immediately recognize. Their design features aspects that help give them that important staying power. Take the World Wildlife Foundation’s black and white panda for example. It’s simple, but offers a unique design that sets them apart from their competition while being easily remembered (Logo courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/ worldwildlifefund/.
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Timelessness
The most successful logos are the ones you don’t have to touch again. Coca-Cola, one of the most successful brands in history, has used the same logo design since 1887. Your logo should be unique, and should not need to be changed to follow changing trends. (Logo courtesy of cocacola.com/global)
Functionality
Your logo needs to be recognizable and clear no matter what size it is or where it’s appearing. It should look just as clear on a business card or return address as it looks on a website or billboard. It should render proportionally whether it’s on a desktop, tablet, mobile phone, website, review site, or social media platform. You should be able to stick your logo on anything (t-shirt, temporary tattoo, pen, welcome sign, banner, blog post photo, and other company swag). No matter how attractive your business logo
No matter how attractive your business logo is, if it’s not resizable and de-colorable (i.e. recognizable in black and white), it’s going to do more harm than good. Even with free visual marketing tools and “upload your own design” templates, you’re likely to find yourself spending hours saving and uploading different variations to get it to fit on whatever medium you’re working with. Even worse, you’re likely to end up with batches of collateral with misprinted, stretched, cut off, or misaligned logos.
Related: 25 Free Tools to for Visual Marketing
Representation
Before you can sell a product, you have to sell your message. So what’s the message you are trying to tell to the public that will set you apart from your competition? Your logo should help reflect that message. It should make sense and symbolize the services, products, ideas, and practices that make your business the one a customer will want to use.
A good logo helps set your business apart from your competition. It allows returning and potential customers alike to immediately recognize your business in a variety of settings, and will no doubt aid you in your creative marketing efforts.
