If you think that creative logo designs are only for startups or mega-companies, you might want to think again. An A+ logo could make the difference between a failed business and a thriving brand with a wide customer base.
How so? Well, for starters, a great logo can help you stand out from competitors. It can help people identify who you are and what you do.
You could have a highly detailed business proposal or offer a great deal on a high-quality product or service, but what good is any of it if people aren’t paying attention?
You know what people are like these days. With TikTok—a platform where most videos are between nine and 15 seconds long—being the most downloaded social media app of 2021, people’s attention spans are quite short.
A good logo design will help you effectively communicate with people with a simple illustration and just a few words. A bad logo will prevent customers from even stepping foot in the door. But a great logo will bring in and retain new customers like bees to honey.
Like Milton Glaser, the designer of the world-famous ‘I <3 NY’ shirts, said, “There are three responses to a piece of design—yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” Do you want a yes logo or a WOW! logo?
Let us walk you through what a custom logo is and how to find the magic.
What Exactly Is a Logo?
Today, consumers are constantly bombarded with information and advertisements. The global advertising expenditure is expected to rise to an all time high of $657 billion in 2021. That is why advertising to users effectively is harder now than ever.
You know the saying, “A picture tells a thousand words”? Well, the same is true for a logo. Except that a logo can tell much more than just a thousand words.
A well-designed logo can tell an entire story. It can evoke feelings, emotions, and even cravings in customers. There is a whole psychology behind how colors, shapes, and even fonts can evoke specific feelings in people.
Let’s take a look at two examples in energy drinks.
The images above represent two very popular energy drinks. On the left, we have Monster Energy, whose core customer base is overwhelmingly male and into extreme sports like motocross, skateboarding, and surfing. On the right, we have Guayakí, whose core customer base is health-conscious individuals who consume organic products.
Although they both sell the same type of product (energy drinks), you can easily tell just by looking at their logos that their products and values are completely different. Monster Energy customers visit Hot Topic, while Guayakí customers go to yoga and Whole Foods.
So, a logo is not simply a visual aid to your business. It is an opportunity to invite the viewer to share in the ethos of your company. It is an invitation to feel what it’s like to embody your brand.
When done successfully, a logo can catapult your business from a local store into a widespread phenomenon.
What Does a Logo Do?
A logo can serve many purposes for a business. From client attraction to client retention, logos are an integral part of every advertising campaign.
First Impression of Your Company
Think of your logo as the first representative of your company. Not your front-desk receptionist, not your lead sales associate, and not your host. Your logo is the first line of attack when it comes to enchanting your clients.
Beyond being the first impression, your logo can be the only impression someone has of your company. Today, over 75% of customers search for businesses online before deciding to contact or visit them.
This means that three of every four customers will be reviewing your online presence before deciding if they want to contact you. And you know what will be a deciding factor on whether they call you or not? Your logo.
Don’t let people pass on your business because of outdated or ineffective logos. You should look at this as an opportunity to retain those who search your business online before actually visiting you. A great logo can help you with that.
Helps Customers Retain Your Brand
You know the saying, “your first impression is the last impression.” It’s not an untrue statement! Studies suggest that making a great first impression on a job interview might be more important than your skills and qualifications.
This goes back to what we said in the introduction: what difference does it make if you have the best value proposition if nobody bothers to pay attention?
This is why creating a fantastic logo is so important. Your customers are human beings with complex emotions, which is why they might place a greater emphasis on seemingly-trivial parts of your business like branding and logo than the actual meat and potatoes of it.
Think about it. What comes to your mind when you think of Nike? The Swoosh. What comes to your mind when you think of McDonald’s? The Golden Arches.
That’s why all they need in front of their stores is their logo. Not even the company name. Just the logo!
Look at the picture above of a Nike store. You know it’s Nike, even though the words are nowhere to be found. Just a swoosh. That’s enough to tell their clients who they are!
You want to make sure that you choose your logo very carefully because it will be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of your brand.
Increases Trust
Another critical aspect of a logo is that it increases brand trust. Most people don’t just buy ketchup at the grocery store—they buy Heinz ketchup. Is it because Heinz has mastered the best ketchup recipe, or is there something else making people go with their products?
Most likely, people are buying Heinz products because of brand recognition as opposed to higher quality. Store brands can be just as good as name brands while being cheaper, so why do people go with name brands?
In an era where options are abundant, people want to trust brands. People want to trust that the brand that they choose to buy is the best of the bunch. And that is why they will choose that brand over and over again.
Your logo can help you stand out from the competition and let your customers know that they are making the right decision by choosing your company. It can be a differentiating factor for people making a decision between you and your competitors.
Components of a Logo
Now that you know how a logo can help you, let’s get into its technicalities. What exactly makes a good logo? Here are the three main components that will get you a killer logo:
Logo Image
The logo image is an illustration or graphic, usually to the left or on top of the business name. Logo images these days are abstract shapes that are related contextually or historically to the business name or category.
For example, a jeweler will probably use some type of abstract diamond or piece of jewelry in their logo. Alternatively, they could use a stylized design of the business name or business initials, like Louis Vuitton does, for example.
Logo Typography
The typography of your logo is just as important as your image. It is the type of font that is used to spell out the business name and tagline.
Typography is so important, in fact, that it can even be the whole logo! Think of the FedEx logo. The entire thing is just the business name!
The typography is so great, in fact, that you can see an arrow pointing to the right in between the ‘E’ and the ‘x.’ This is perfectly on-point for an express package company as it denotes movement and quickness.
The best part of logo typography is that it allows you to get creative and use fonts to describe feelings beyond words within your logo.
Logo Tagline
The tagline is another essential part of a logo. When done right, the tagline can be something that customers instantly remember every time they see your logo.
Think about it: how many brand taglines can you think of right now? Some of the most popular ones are:
- Disneyland: The happiest place on Earth.
- Nike: Just Do It.
- Staples: That was easy.
- Taco Bell: Think outside the bun.
- Dunkin’ Donuts: America runs on Dunkin’.
- Walmart: Save Money. Live Better.
And the list goes on and on. There are probably too many great examples to count.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your tagline. Most of them are tongue-in-cheek and borderline flippant, so don’t be scared to think outside the bun box.
Get a Custom Logo for Your Business Today
By now, we hope you agree that you need a custom logo for your business. Not a yes logo, but a WOW! logo.
Raw Access Media is here to guide you through all the steps necessary to create a fantastic logo design from scratch. The best part? All of our plans include unlimited project requests and revisions. Growing a business requires support. We are that valuable network of people who’ll be there when you need it most.
Contact us today and start a new project with Raw Access Media on your side.