Looking for Mr. GoodLogo From ADV Magazine and ADVMag.com By Timothy J. Hantula The problem with logo design is that the design isn’t necessarily what makes the logo effective. Think about the Lucent® coffee stain. Is it great design? No, but it’s a great concept combined with daring marketing – it flies in the face of what we expect from a communications company. Compare the Lucent coffee stain logo with the old Bell Telephone® death star logo, which is more typical of a traditional communications logo. A beautiful logo impresses designers like me. An effective logo impresses your market. Which group buys more of your product? A logo should stand alone as a mnemonic device that triggers your brand image in your customers’ minds. Over time, it should stimulate the market to think of your company’s personality and corporate culture. Think of it as the hook on which the market hangs everything it knows about you. The “Rules” Given the glut of visual stimuli bombarding your customers, it’s vital to establish a memorable logo…a logo with real meaning. Here is a step-by-step guide to approaching logo projects: 1. Evaluate existing logos in your industry. Identify common features that create your industry’s current “look.” Then, organize the logos into the categories below that best define each one: 2. Compare your logo with other logos in your industry: your market’s eye is already pre-trained to notice logos that have similar characteristics. Position your company (via your logo) within that visual family by answering the questions, “How well do we fit in?” and “How much do we stand out?”. Your logo ought to do both. If it doesn’t truly reflect your company image as well as differentiate your company…it’s time for a change. 3. Survey the market to find out what characterizations your current logo triggers in its mind. Since logos retain their recall power when they serve as a visual icon of your brand, you need to understand the market’s perception of you. 4. Evaluate how well those characterizations match your true brand image and corporate personality. Remember: your logo is a “hook” – not a “look” – that defines who you are. If your current logo does the trick, keep it. Strengthening and enforcing it with a brand identity program is more effective than creating an all-new logo. So, when is it time to change your logo? When your logo: 1) no longer accurately reflects your company’s image or personality; 2) didn’t evolve with the corporate animal and is now irrelevant; or 3) satisfies your company, but not your market. The Seven-Year Itch Once you’ve found the right logo, don’t stray. Too often, companies change their logos for merely subjective reasons – like boredom with their current look. They lose faith in their logo’s equity. Before following in their footsteps, remember that your customers have developed a sense of loyalty and brand affinity for your logo. Changing it may confuse them. The bottom line? An effective logo serves as a branding tool. It should stand out, reflect your company image, and appeal to your market. Create a visual identity that works for your business over the long run…not just a casual affair with every pretty typeface in town. © 1998, Timothy J. Hantula, All Rights Reserved. (back to top)