Does Your Logo (your Brandmark) Stand Out in a Crowd?
You know who they are – the logos above. They are distinct and iconic. (in case you have been stranded on a desert island, these are Starbucks, Nike, and Apple) We, at Auxano Design, spend many hours behind the scenes and in conversation with our clients in order to create logos for them that really stand out. Our goal is to provide each with a memorable mark that will be an entry to their distinct identity – an identity that will differentiate them from the rest of the crowd. When creating and selecting a logo there are some significant points to keep in mind whether you are the brand architect, designer, or the organization building your brand. Before looking at the important points, let’s start by asking a few questions.
What makes an effective logo or brand mark?
Why is it that some logos or brand marks really stand out in a crowd and get noticed while others don’t? Why do some seem to be long lasting and continually build equity and awareness while others don’t? These are questions that many have asked and there are some key ideas and principles that enable some brands to distinguish themselves from others and be more effective. Among those ideas and principles are the following: an effective brand mark is unique, meaningful, differentiated, flexible, consistent and sustainable.
Unique – Every organization is unique with its own set of ideas, attitudes, characteristics and values. It is this DNA that defines the organization and distinguishes it from its competitors. The logo or brand mark should reflect this unique essence and align with the organization’s distinct personality to help it stand out in a crowd.
Meaningful – Does the logo tell a story? Is it somehow connected to the mission, strategy, values or brand promise or is it just a cool design? It’s the story behind the logo that gives it meaning and significance. For example, the familiar Mercedes three-pointed star originally represented vehicles on land, at sea and in the air. However, as the brand has evolved, the symbol has now become associated with luxury, high performance and excellence.
Memorable – A great logo creates a strong awareness and recognition in the minds of consumers. It’s this identity or mark that people connect to the brand. The logo is not the brand but it is the entry point to the brand. The brand is the overall experience and is created through every form of communication.
In fact some logos like Shell, Apple and Nike are so memorable and recognizable that the companies have even dropped the names and we know and recognize them by the symbol only.
Differentiated – To be effective and avoid confusion in the minds of consumers, the logo must stand well on its own and be distinct in shape and color especially among competitors.
Flexible – The logo should be easy to reproduce consistently and work well at a variety of sizes and across all media. It should work well in black and white as well as color.
Consistent – The logo should always be used consistently. That means the positioning, proportions, arrangement and colors should never change. Think of Coca Cola for example. You never see the Coca Cola script in a color other than red and the script is always exactly the same. Many times we see a variety of logos being used within the same organization. Any time a variation of the logo is created unintentionally, it diminishes its overall effectiveness and creates confusion both internally and externally.
Sustainable – Styles and trends will always come and go, but an effective logo will be enduring. Some logos have remained virtually unchanged for decades. Others have gone through periodic updating and modification to give them a fresh look but still remain firmly connected to their original identity and meaning.
Why does it matter? Because we are surrounded by visual stimuli and competing messaging and images all day long. To capture the attention and imagination of the people you are trying to reach, wouldn’t it be a valuable investment in your organization to create an identity that helps you stand out in a crowd? The logo is just the starting point or entry to the brand – but as such, it is doorway for engaging and inviting people to experience what you have to offer. Spend a little time doing a self assessment. Ask a few people on the outside of your organization their impression. If you think you could do better, contact us to start a conversation. You can see some of our favorites that we have designed as spotlighted by Will Mancini.
Many thanks to James Bethany, Auxano’s Creative Director for sharing this based on his years of experience designing and developing brands.