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Is Your Logo Helping or Hurting Your Business?
by Nathan Cain
The quality of your logo can mean the difference between success or failure. It can be that simple!
Trademarks and Logos make up the most international language in the world. An excellent logo can cross many barriers and provide your organization with a means of delivering to your customers an unequivocal and uniform message.
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS FROM OUR GRAPHIC DESIGN COMMUNITY |
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Every successful company has its own "personality," and just as human personalities are complex, so too is your company's personality. A successful logo is a means of condensing a complex reality into a single, simple statement, one that can be controlled, modified, developed and matured over time.
Your logo needs to be much more than just a distinguishing mark for your company. It must be an indication of quality, value, and reliability.
Does your logo do these things successfully?:
• IDENTIFY your company, product, or service.
• DIFFERENTIATE it from the mass of other
similar companies.
• COMMUNICATE information as to your products
value and quality.
• ADD VALUE by causing you to provide a quality service in order to maintain your company's reputation.
• REPRESENT potentially valuable assets. When people see your logo, can they tell by the design that your product or service is of high quality.
If your logo doesn't do these things, then you might need to update it, possibly seeking professional advice.
Is your logo design really that important?
It is extremely important! Your logo is a part of the foundation on which you build your brand. Especially since the recent explosion of Internet businesses, but even before that, consumers have an overwhelming variety of choices. Chances are that whatever you are selling, there is something similar to it available. Chances are there is someone in direct competition with you right now. Yes, there are very few products that are shielded from direct competition because of a patent or for some other reason.
It is because of this that much of your efforts in marketing and branding should be concentrated on building a distinctive and differentiated "brand personality" for your company.
Take the success of Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola. There is some difference between these two products, but this difference is very subtle. Plus, there are hundreds of other brands of cola on the market. Even so, these two brands, Coke and Pepsi, are able to dominate the world wide cola market. What is the main factor for their success? It is the strength and appeal of their brands.
And what is the foundation for their brands?
It is their powerful Logos!
Your logo is the means by which you can distinguish your products and services and therefore serve both your needs and the needs of your customers.
Ok, so what are the TOP 5 components that make up an excellent logo?
1) Long lasting style.
It is often tempting to adopt a design that looks really cool at the time but that can become outdated very quickly. This leads to the logo being constantly changed. Your logo designer should resist the urge to change your logo unless it is really necessary. It is only after consumers frequently see your logo that people may start to notice it. (Sometimes this is after you are already bored with it)
2) Distinctiveness.
It is interesting to note that many new companies adopt logo styles that are very similar to everyone else's. Don't go overboard though, your designer should be sensitive to cultural norms. A really wacko design wouldn't do well in funeral home. However, you should still seek distinctiveness.
3) Appealing to consumers.
Your logo must be appealing to those who aren't affiliated with your company. This means you must test your logo. Show it to your customers and see what they think. Ask them what emotions it evokes in them.
4) Conveys the right image.
What image are you trying to get across to your customers? Corporate? Upscale? Franchise looking?
5) Legibility
No matter what you do, if people don't understand your logo, then it will be ineffective. Who are you trying to target? Where are you going to be displaying your logo other than your web site? Will it be on your letterhead, business cards, auto signs? Does your logo put out the same message no matter where it is displayed.
In conclusion, your logo is central to your company's "personality". Even if your company has a great personality, if your logo doesn't convey that, then people may get the wrong idea and never do business with you. Within your logo and company name is held all of your investments, because it is this clear, identifiable aspect of your brand that the consumer uses in selecting your company or purchasing your products.
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The author, Nathan Cain has more ideas that will help your business marketing efforts. Visit his promotional products web site at http://www.Web-Magnets.com
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You Might Also Be Interested in these Logo Design Articles
Logo Design Inspiration - Cool Logos Part I - I saw some really beautiful logos today so I thought that I would share some with you and then make a series out the idea. This is part I of a multiple part series of the coolest logo designs.
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This is part II of a multiple part series of the coolest logo designs. You can use this list as a source of logo inspiration or just look at it because it is fun to do.
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I saw some really beautiful logos today so I thought that I would share some with you and then make a series out the idea. This is part I of a multiple part series of the coolest logo designs. You can use this list as a source of logo inspiration or just look at it because it is fun to do. Either way, enjoy the following list of beautiful / cool logo designs.
This is the 4th part of our Coolest Business Card series. This time, we are including the printer (when we can find out the information) who printed these business cards.
This article was written by the very talented, Mark Misenheimer of Misenheimer Creative, Inc. Mark is an expert freelance graphic designer who has been in the design business for years. He has documented the design of a logo from start to finish in order to help other graphic designers. I know that you will learn something from this tremendous logo design article.
The Graphic Design industry is very competitive, and trust me, it can certainly get stressful and frustrating at times. However, it doesn?t always have to be that way. Here, I have broken down my design process. This is how I create my design layouts from start to finish. Basically, with some focus, structure, and a little bit of talent, creating rewarding and professional design work can be produced more efficiently and with less stress.
As a designer everyone has experienced a point where they just can no longer think of anything worth while. It?s in these situations when you have to reevaluate your perception of what works and what doesn?t. Use the following 20 tips to avoid and get through a tough designer's block.
Graphic Design and Typography are deeply connected. For that reason, I figure that most of you are going to love these free online font and type tools. Most, if not all, of these are very useful and I recommend that you use them when you have a chance. Below you will find the huge list of free browser-based font and type tools.
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Some of My work
Transparency Issue Indesign CS3
Restaurant with a bathroom theme.
Unusual question...
True type versus, Open face type..
Need an online store to buy printer cartridges!!!
Looking for a good suggestion...
look at my new $5249.95 baby!
newbie needs advice
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Mac or PC?
trade gothic
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Constructive Criticism Wanted
6 Million Downloadable Clipart Images for Graphic Designers
The Clipart.com collection of more than 10 million royalty-free clipart images, photos, illustrations, fonts, sounds and Web graphics provides creative professionals with the most choice at the best price. With a Clipart.com subscription, you pay one fee and download what you need.
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