Congratulations, you have created a logo for your business. But, have you ever thought about what type of logo it is? This is not in regards to the file type – PNG, JPG, etc. – but, instead about what it’s communicating to your audience, how it is representing your business and if it is able to properly represent who you actually are and what your business has to offer.
In the past several years, more and more businesses have opted for the cookie cutter, quick solutions for logo creation. In fact, there are even free tools that tout the ability to create a high-quality logo for your business in seconds. For many, the creation of their business logo is nothing more than clicking and dragging.
Companies no longer understand the importance of an effective and well-designed logo and the research, concepts and drafts that go into creating one that provides the desired results.
This is when you return to the original question of “what does your logo say?” You need to be careful when answering this question and ensure the final design is for your audience. To do this, consider who your general audience is, who your target market is and the design aesthetic for your brand.
Some tips to help you create the ideal logo design can be found here:
Get to Know Your Audience
One of the most essential steps of the logo design process is to understand who your audience is. This can often be confused with the general idea of an audience. While it may be important to present your brand to new audiences from time to time, it is not smart to focus on these people prior to considering how it is going to affect your existing customer base. If your new or updated brand abandons what your existing audience loves, your paying audience, then you have essentially committed marketing suicide. First and foremost is to appeal to your loyal customers.
Communicate the Right Idea
At this point you should have a general idea of who your customer base is, as well as some new markets you would consider entering. You will also understand who you are not trying to connect with and who you are not targeting.
Now you have to consider communication. What stylistic niches, ideals and concepts are you attempting to use to draw in your client or customer? With people being constantly bombarded with advertisements – it is essential to ensure the logo you create provides an instant connection – otherwise you have lost your opportunity.
Create a Logo that Represents YOU
Once you have determined who your market is and some various stylistic approaches that will aid in connecting your audience, you have to ask if this is really a representation of your business and brand. This is an all-too-common error, even for people who hire a professional graphic designer for assistance with logo creation.
When someone sees your logo, you want them to immediately get an idea of the company’s history, the feel of the business and the type of customer service they may receive. If this does not occur, then it is time to change and tweak the logo until it meets this need. The logo that you create is a representation of your brand and if this is not done accurately, then you are likely going to lose the trust of some of your customers.
In most cases, bringing in a pro for help will be essential. Professional graphic designers understand what to do and how to create a logo that represents you and your brand.
To learn more, please visit blue hat marketing.
Featured Video: Sol Sender – Obama Logo Design
Part 1 of 2
Creative director Sol Sender tells the story of conception and birth of the Obama 08 logo, including the strategy behind it, developmental concepts and finalist designs for the identity not chosen by the campaign. Sender, now a strategist with design agency VSA Partners (http://www.vsapartners.com) in Chicago, was creative director and principal of his own design firm, Sender LLC, when he was hired to create the campaign logo. In the fall of 2006, Sender and his team were engaged to do the work by MODE, a Chicago-based motion design studio with an existing relationship with David Axelrod, the Obama campaigns chief strategist. Obama 08 campaign took on design responsibility for the logo in mid-2007, and extended the identity across multiple applications.