A Logo: Is It Who You Are?

by Michael B. Perini, ABC
perini & associates

A logo.  Every business, special event director or issue advocate should know what the criteria is for making a logo go from “OK” to “Greaaaat!”

You see logos everywhere.  They tell us who you are; what your brand is.

Gap, Inc. learned recently just how powerful logos are when the public panned the redesign of its iconic symbol. Louise Callagy, Gap Inc. Corporate Communications, wrote in a statement, “We’ve learned a lot in this process. And we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way. We recognize that we missed the opportunity to engage with the online community.  This wasn’t the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing.”  Small design elements and knowing your audience makes a difference.

Neils van Quaquebeke and Steffen Giessner of the Rotterdam School of Management showed logos of 100 Global companies to two groups of participants, as reported in the December issue, Harvard Business Review. One group rated them on attractiveness and symmetry; the other judged whether the logo suggested that the company behaved ethically.  The findings:  Rationally or not, people associate symmetrical logos with more ethical, socially responsible behavior.

When you decide to have a logo let a professional graphic designer do the work.  The small fee you might have to pay will return a significant investment over the long term.

Yes, there is software available to the consumer or garage designer to construct a logo, but will he and she use the criteria below that we implement for our customers.  Most will not because they do not have the education or experience or they don’t want anyone challenging their artistic abilities.

Here are guidelines from the website Famous Logos that we agree and stick with for clients as the list  reflects elements many professional logo designers use as their checklist for a successful logo:

Memorable: A logo that is memorable is the cornerstone to branding and creating your corporate identity. Visual recall is everything when you are establishing a brand for your company.  If your audience can remember the logo, or at least know what you do or who you are when they see the logo, you are successful at designing a memorable logo.

If your logo doesn’t have instant impact with the audience, you may not have a memorable logo.

Your target audience will probably only see your logo for a few seconds, and if they can’t recall anything about it, branding may be difficult with your current logo choice.

Timeless: Choose a logo that is timeless and classy.  Yes, a good logo is timeless. Trends come and go, and your logo will be dated and cliché’ after a while. Choose something that will always represent your company mission, special event or the issue you are advocating.  

If you do it right the first time, it will never have to change.

It is not recommended to redesign your logo often. This complicates visual recall and makes it difficult for your audience to recognize your company, when the logo has been changed.

Appropriate: Be true to the industry and complexion of the business. The logo that is appropriate for a family fun center would not be appropriate for a legal firm. Fonts and colors will determine the essence of the logo.

Again, the theme should be industry and company appropriate. We ask our clients to answer these questions:

1.  Who is the target market?

2. Define the psychographic profile (customers, supporters, etc.).

3. Specific focus of expertise.

4. Industry logos (or other logos) you aspire to.

Be appropriate in your design and deliberate in choosing styles that match the industry.

Simple: This could be the most important feature of a good logo.  Why? Simple sells. A logo that is simplistic is memorable.  It is timeless.

Simple encompasses many other traits of a good logo.

Complex designs are hard to see, hard to understand, and hard to remember. More complex logos are difficult to reproduce and can be more costly to print. Logos with an intricate design are not as scalable as simple logos.

A small, complicated logo, can end up looking more like a smudge on a company pen or keychain.

Scalable: Logos need to be reproduced at all different sizes. It doesn’t matter what makes a good logo, if it can’t be reproduced in different sizes.

Distinctive: When your audience only sees your logo for a few seconds, there needs to be something that stands out. A unique design will lend itself to higher visual recall, providing it is also simple, as mentioned above. A distinct design will be remembered.

Strong without color: There are times when businesses must reproduce logos in black and white, and if your logo requires color to make sense, there is much lost in translation.

Be sure your logo makes sense in black and white.  We show our clients the designs first in black and white before we add color.

If this sounds like a lot of elements to consider, well, it is!  A logo can be who you are or not.  It’s  your choice.  I would like to hear your comments about logos you like or not!