365 Creative is a creative house, and they speak to the topic of design, but today a brand is NOT its logo. A logo is part of the overall brand statement and it must be aligned with the brand DNA, the brand image, brand connecting points, brand message statement, and all things that are communicated with the end consumer via your brand statements throughout your organization. You must begin first with understanding who your customer(s) is (are) and then define how your brand influences them, connects with them, and brings them closer to the goods, products, or services that you intend to supply them. Only then can you move forward into the design of a logo that reflects on all those same attributes as defined within your own personal corporate “Brand Silo”. TPG relies on highly creative design companies to help us define the Logo, but it all starts with the due diligence, and brand identity that is created before ever moving forward to the design. Great story by 365 Creative however, and we agree with their perspective once all the objectives of the brand story are identified.
5 Things your Logo Should Immediately Say about your Business
Good logo design begins with a passion for your business. When a business owner loves his logo, chances are that his community will as well. Even so, there are 5 essential things that every business’s logo needs to say about that company. Use this checklist when designing business logos to ensure that the first image customers see is a successful hit.
CLASS
Customers need to know that a business has class. No matter how amusing or edgy a logo may seem, it has to be respectful of all audiences. A company logo design plan needs to include a review by various demographics to ensure that it doesn’t offend any audiences or present any problems otherwise. Businesses should use their judgment when they create a new logo and avoid any crass symbols, taboo subjects or potentially objectionable themes, such as religion and politics, unless they relate directly to the company.
CREDIBILITY
Every business’s logo needs to establish credibility with its demographic. To do this, a good logo design should easily portray the company as an authority on its goods or services. One way to do this is to include the number of years that a business has been in service. Implementing any awards the company has won is another helpful strategy. Credible logos need to have similar follow-up, such as award listings and customer reviews, on other company branding such as websites, business cards and flyers.
CONNECTION
As credible and classy as a logo design needs to be, it should not be so stately as to exclude the audience altogether. A company logo must be inviting enough to establish a connection with users. Creating an eye-catching symbol that customers can easily identify with a company is a good way to accomplish this goal. This symbol can then be used on all company branding, merchandise and even clothing to help advertise as well as connect with the community.
PERSONALITY
Just as a logo cannot be too stiff as to ostracize users, it also shouldn’t be stuffy or aloof. Logo designs need personality. They should easily display the company’s look and feel, whether it’s hip and modern or flowing and organic. Strategic use of colors, shapes and overall design can easily accomplish this. Inviting everyone on the team, from owners to interns, to look at the logo can help designers find out which elements really work for the brand and which ones need to be scrapped.
TIMELINESS
Nobody likes an ancient logo. Every company needs to ensure that its logo is created to withstand the test of time. Although complete new logo renovations are sometimes unavoidable for businesses that last for decades, creating a smooth, timely logo can help a company prevent this process from occurring for as long as possible. Companies can do this by using simple designs and avoiding catch of the day tactics, like obnoxious animated images or pop culture references.
These 5 goals associated with a logo design may seem like a tall order to fill. When you consider how much this logo has to convey to customers however, taking the time to ensure that a logo does all of these things seems much more reasonable. Time spend on logo development is time invested in the longevity of the business itself.
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