Logo Design and Branding

Many companies have established their brands and seeped their way into the public’s consciousness through a successful corporate branding campaigns. Today, for example, “Prada” is synonymous with bags while anyone who wants to buy a digital camera needs only to go to an electronics store and say “Kodak” to be shown the store’s different digital cameras.

One of the strategies companies use to try to create buzz for their products and services and establish their brand is to give away promotional products. Try attending any corporate-sponsored event and you’re bound to get gift items emblazoned with a company’s name, logo and contact details. In fact, a survey conducted by Sweeney Research in 2003 indicated that companies in the United States spend around $13 billion every year on promotional products alone.

Companies’ willingness to spend a substantial amount on promotional products like pens, mugs and in some cases, cheap digital camcorders can be explained by this simple fact: they serve their purpose.
Corporate giveaways for one, have greater recall value. A study made by the Promotional Products Association International indicated that 76% of people are able to recall the name of a company they saw on a promotional product while only 56% can remember the business that advertised on a print publication they read in the past week.

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Tags: corporate business gifts, business holiday gifts, corporate thank you gifts, promotional products, corporate gift idea, promotional gifts, business gift idea, corporate giveaways, personalized corporate gifts, promotion products

A Good Logo is a Physiological Etching

A good logo comes from a type of mindful inscribing that you want to last in the mind of your viewers for a long, long time. So how do you create a truly great logo? Think about company letterheads, company brochures, advertising or any other exposure plan you may have. They are all vehicles that will transport your logo to the recipient.A good logo will always hold its own integrity and reinforces or builds itself over time. It is scaleable from letter head size to billboard size while maintaining its visual appeal.

Your logo success is will be determined by its ability to embed itself in your reader’s memory banks so each and every subsequent time they see it they recognize it and what it stands for. You logo will always be at work 24/7…gaining awareness, re-enforcing brands or just communicating your cheerful message. I often am inspired by words of wisdom that relate to our jobs as good logo designers…

“[A logo] should look just as good in 15-foot letters on top of company headquarters as it does one sixteenth of an inch tall on company stationery.” Steven Gilliatt quotes”

Various Logo and Iconic Illustrative Possibilities and Considerations

Wholesale Logo Designers

Wholesale logos can be seen a little differently in the eye of top logo designers. They may be ultimately circulated on Wholesale Handbags - Wholesale Purses, Wholesale Designer Clothing or Designer Clothes. A wholesale clothing or fashion logo designer realizes that there may be a higher permanence on this type of logo. Because of that the best wholesale logo designs are usually embroidered, embossed or special engraving effects have been used so that they will last longer.

Website Logo Design

On the web Your logo does not have the same ability to appear clear and crisp. This is because your logo is presented in bitmap format (see video) and is generally a much lower resolution than print. This is one of the biggest challenges when incorporating a logo into your website design. To make the website version of your logo appear exactly as your originally printed logo is a near impossibility. The best digital facsimile is what you must be happy with. With the right, experienced website logo designer there’s no reason why your logo can’t appear as a web page graphic similarly or exactly as it does it printed form. The object of the game is to create corporate identity and consistency.

Vintage Graphics and Logos

Making images appear old and worn looking can be allot of fun when composing vintage graphic designs. You can add torn edges, dust fragmented effects and have a blast intentionally illustrating with a ragged, non convention illustration train of thinking. Vintage graphics have the same rules with more emphasis on the scalability. Often vintage designs and logos do not scale as well because extra effects such as drop shadows and feathered edges. So if you are a vintage logo design specialist make sure you run scalability tests before submitting concepts to your client.

Tattoo Designs and Body Icons

Tattoo designers are artists that provide illustration using your skin as a palette. They are creative and have many similarities to good logo designers. The one distinct advantage they have with their ink pens is the ability to do what logo designers are all trying to accomplish in every great logo project…make it forever.

Stock Photography Icons

Stock photographers also can develop an icon to be watermarked into each image that is publicly available. The watermarked logo is used to help protect the images and promote the photographers brand of photography. When a Photographer wants to brand every digital photo embossing and transparency effects are often used on an icon of some sort. One of the tricks with this type of photo branding is not to over-power the integrity of the image. You want to find the perfect point where logo imaging effects don’t kill the photograph.

Signs and Sign Makers

Today signage has quite a few different approaches that you can take. A few of your options include silk screening, spot vinyl colors, large format digital printing or hand painted. Each one of these techniques requires experience in ensuring that the logo appears consistent with corporate identity standards of the firm. What I mean by that is this:

• Silk screening- Is vector based and words with standard colors or Pantone colors
• Spot vinyl- Is vector based and works with standard vinyl colors and Pantone Colors.
• Large format digital printing- Utilizes CMYK printing in most cases and outputs in CMYK
• Hand Painted- Requires proper paint colors and is applied by human hands

Using these basic signage examples you can now see there are a number of additional variables that can cause a sway in the visual aesthetics of what we see. So to keep the brilliance and natural depiction of your company logo right on the money we have corporate identity watchdogs and/or a competent supply line that understands your quest to look the best you can.

Your Own Design

Suppose you are a freelance designer or have your own idea scribbled up in your own format. It is easy to communicate your own design to a logo designer that can transpose it into your own professional logo design. Of course you want to watch the video on this page to ensure you get what you will require from you logo designer to proceed with reproduction in other formats. IN simple terms you want to ask your logo developer for a vector based file (EPS is probably best, check with your supplier) and an image file for visual reference only. The reason I am suggest EPS is because it is an acronym for Encapsulated Post Script. When digital files are processed they output as code…postscript code. Sometimes you can create a project that won’t print properly in the native program you are using and when you save as EPS you’ll get an error. Then you fix the file and re save it. This will save time and money if you catch these errors first. By saving in this format it is a great way to look for problems in the output of any file for print.

Understanding the Difference Between Vector and BMP Files

At the end of a good logo design there is always final output. The final output will almost always originate from a vector based file format.

These good logo design ideas are simply compiled from my routines with my clients. They all actually flow together in their own special ways. Once the fine artistry of a logo has been hatched it must fly from the nest and soar for a lifetime. When we make any logos or iconic repetitions we use the philosophy of “Slow down you’ll go faster” As a long term imagery planner I swear by this everyday.

Tags: logo designs, creative design, professional logo design, company logo design, design a good logo, good logo design, design logo, design ideas, best logo design

Why Small Businesses Need Both A Logo And An Identity System

by: Erin Ferree

Why Small Businesses Need both a Logo and an Identity System

Experts urge small business owners to “brand” their business

to use a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. But, they rarely go into the reasons behind this advice. Here’s a list of some of the benefits to having a professionally designed logo and marketing package:

Not to look so small

Home-printed business cards with perforated edges, or cards printed with standard designs available through Microsoft software or online business card vendors (like Vistaprint) scream, “Small-time vendor!” to your potential clients – and you’ll be similarly compensated.

To increase your chance of getting venture capital or selling a business

If you present a thorough business package, including marketing materials and graphics, your business will look more complete.

To attract more clients

Some clients look for a well-defined company look-and-feel as part of their qualifiers for making a purchasing decision.

To brand yourself

If you’re a consultant, you need a logo in order to build an image and a brand that’s bigger than just yourself.

To convey that you are established

A logo and professionally printed materials show that you are committed to both your business and to your clients.

To give clients a sense of stability

You may not have been in business “Since 1908”, but if you’ve invested in an identity, you’re much less likely to fold in the eyes of your customers. It goes a long way toward building the all-important “trust” factor.

To be more memorable

Forty percent of people better remember what they see better than what they hear or read. So having graphics associated with your business and having consistent graphics on your business materials make you more likely to come to the forefront of potential clients’ minds when they have a need for your goods or services.

To explain your company name

If your company name contains a little-known word or an acronym, the logo gives visual clues to its meaning.

To endear your company name to your clients

A difficult-to-pronounce or -remember company name may make it difficult for your clients to hire you. When potential clients have the need for your services, they can’t recall who you are! But if you reinforce the name with interesting, compelling graphics, they’re more likely to remember that hard-to-recall name, and to pick up the phone and hire you.

To explain an unusual line of business

If your business is nontraditional, or in a hard-to-explain industry, a logo can help to explain exactly what it is that you do.

To show what practices differentiate you from your competition

A well-designed logo can have many subtle meanings, and it can begin to tell the story of how you do business – what special practices make you stand apart from the competition.

To stand out in your field

A well-designed logo and an identity system can put you far above the competition, especially if they are paired with a strong marketing program.

In some industries, a logo is just expected

In the creative services industry, especially, having a logo is an industry standard.

Lastly, do it for yourself!

To show your commitment and for the sense of personal pride it will add to your practice.

These are just some of the benefits of having a professionally designed logo. If your business could use the kind of boost that having a logo provides, then contact us today for a free estimate!

Copyright 2005, elf design. All Rights Reserved

About The Author
Erin Ferree is a logo, print and web designer who has been making it easy for small businesses to stand out and to be visible, credible and memorable for the past nine years.

http://www.elf-design.com

Tags: Logo, creating logo, company logos, type of logo, logo types, logo online, real estate branding, manufacturer emblems

An earlier BrandLoop looked at how brands would have to change as we enter the next millennium. One of the areas mentioned was the Brand Experience. This extends beyond brand values to introduce new associations and to allow the consumer to become more immersed in the experience. When we move beyond the brand, we enter the Brand Experience. This takes the product or service further than logo design values and opens up new areas of association and engagement for the consumer. This can occur on a number of levels, such as:

The experience adds a new communications channel that surrounds the consumer.

The experience adds a service element to the product providing a stronger offer.

The experience allows the logo design to be extended across seemingly unrelated products and services as the brand is more important than the individual product or service capabilities.

The Brand Experience is all the more important when one considers that in many developed markets, consumers are becoming increasingly disenfranchised from traditional marketing. This was the subject of an earlier ConsumerLoop. The Brand Experience represents a means to bring consumers back to the logo design and provide a greater degree of relevance for them. Brand experience can allow the consumer to develop a closer relationship with the logo design.

The Communications Experience

The development of Brand Experience as a communications channel spans the area from factory visits to event marketing. The most obvious example of this experience is Disney’s development of theme parks. However, it is important to note that not everybody can visit a theme park regularly. Therefore, the establishment of the worldwide chain of Disney stores enables the Disney experience to be enjoyed locally. The Disney stores are about far more than selling merchandise. In the same way, the growing number of NikeTown stores represent more than an additional retail channel.

Unilever is opening tea shops using a new brand “Cha”. Nestlé has opened Nescafé coffee houses and these are now to be extended into motorway service areas, Café Nescafé, and inside retail outlets. Like the Disney stores, these coffee and tea shops represent not only a new distribution channel for hot beverages but they also allow the development of the Brand Experience. Witness here the success of Starbucks and other quality coffee shops that have transformed coffee drinking from a mere activity to an emotional experience. Consumers are not simply buying a cup of coffee. Lyons understood this many years ago and it is interesting to note that in the UK, Paulig is returning the Lyons coffee brand to its roots through the opening of Lyons coffee shops.

The blending of social values also adds experience to the logo design. In this way, both The Body Shop and Ben & Jerry’s offer more than their products but they allow the customer to participate in a social and ethical marketing programme. The consumers become part of the programme and ambassadors for the social values.

General Motors has opened Europe’s first automotive theme park in Germany. Opel Live has forecast 1.5 million visitors for its first three years. The theme park includes a 3-D cinema, car simulators, interactive exhibits, a themed ride and a tour of the manufacturing facility. While this may be the first of many such parks in Europe, the next stage is to follow the Disney model and make the Brand Experience locally relevant. This could include extending it to other General Motors plants and, undoubtedly, its dealers. For most consumers, the only contact with the company is through the dealers and so this is where the experience needs to be developed. Question: how can brand-focused theme parks like Legoland and Cadbury World reach a wider audience?

In fact, all retailers should be able to add experience to their offer. Music retailers offer the chance to listen to music in the store. The latest Virgin Megastore in the UK has taken this further with vibrating floors around the listening points and in the games area. This adds a whole new experience to music shopping. Restaurants offer an experience that is not available when eating at home. Witness here having meals cooked at the table. This suggests that manufacturers can add logo design experience to their products by looking at areas such as restaurants. Surely, it is a fairly simple move for makers of ready meals to provide a pair of chopsticks with each meal to tap into the authenticity experience.

Adding the Service Element

When a service element is added to a product, it allows an area of experience to be developed. On-line retailers such as amazon.com and CDnow are able to utilise technology to provide recommendations for their regular customers and so generate a stronger relationship and, presumably, more sales. In fact, any business using the Web should be able to learn about its customers and adjust its offer accordingly.

Similarly, the nature of the Web makes it a perfect way of adding customer experience. For example, SmithKline Beecham’s Nicorette Web site provides far more than simple product information and represents a service element for smokers wishing to give up. The possibility of continuous updating, discussion forums and e-mail correspondence make the Web a natural partner for launching books, films and TV programmes.

Even bricks and mortar retailers are able to improve the customer experience. Witness here the growth of coffee shops within bookstores that encourage customers to stay longer and look at more books.

Brands that already have a service element are tapping into customer experience whether they like it or not. Every contact with the company represents interaction with the logo design. This highlights the importance of consistency across all commercial messages. The driver in the company lorry or the operator on the end of the telephone communicate just as much as a major advertising campaign.

Brand Extension

Our earlier work looked at how the Disney, Virgin and, more recently, Cosmopolitan brands were being extended into new categories. Under this scenario, the company’s manufacturing operations are less relevant than its ability to manage a brand and develop properties that allow the brand to be transferred. Virgin may have started life as a music retailer but today it has become an experience that can be transferred across seemingly unrelated categories. A recent survey by J Walter Thompson identified Virgin as the company with the greatest capacity to “bounce” into new sectors. Any new product or service launched will start with the existing logo design values and should be managed so that it enhances them.

Summary

The creation of the Brand Experience represents an area that companies will have to address in order to provide sustained differentiation for their brands. At a time when consumers are becoming increasingly disenfranchised from many marketing activities and many marketers are finding it difficult to differentiate their brands through “conventional” means, the Brand Experience can represent the way forward. The Brand Experience seeks to immerse the consumer in the logo design and connect rather than distance them.

Brand Experience is a wide concept that runs close to event marketing at one end and relationship marketing at the other extreme. It looks beyond the brand to identify and develop values that have a greater degree of relevance for the consumer. In doing this, it moves much close to the consumer in terms of immersion, engagement or individual relationships. This is where logo designs can start to develop a competitive edge. The Brand Experience enables marketers to provide genuine and sustainable differentiation which, in turn, provides a strong defence against “me-toos” and other competitive threats.

Through the Loop is tracking the development of Brand Experience. Our Brand Positive programme to analyse the management of leading brands through times of slow economic growth has already shown that many marketers are looking to surround their brands with a greater level of customer experience.

Are You Experienced? August 1999
Written by: BrandLoop Newsletters
Source: http://www.throughtheloop.com/knowledge/brand.html

Tags: logo type, logo types, image branding, create a logo, logo designers, online logo design, real estate branding, best logos, creative branding, logo print

by Jared McCarthy

Developing a great logo is a strange mix of art, science, psychology and (in most cases) a good amount of luck.

Last week, in part one of this two-part series, we discussed some fundamentals of logo development and design.

Now, in part two, we’ll look at…

1. Don’t look for a literal translation

If you saw a logo with a hamburger in it, you’d think the place sells hamburgers.

When you see the Golden Arches, you think of McDonalds, not Burger King. When you see a logo with a drawing of a car, you think of a car dealership or service center. When you see the three-point star inside a circle (for hippies, the peace symbol) you think Mercedes, not Buick. A logo with a tennis shoe would lead you to think about shoe stores. The “Swoosh” takes you straight to Nike, not Converse.

Certainly, these logos are among the most effective ever produced. But none have any literal connection with what their companies sell.

This doesn’t mean that an apple orchard should not use an apple in its logo. It just means that the orchard doesn’t necessarily have to. Actually, logos that are literal translations of the business line may be less effective at building a unique brand identity.

Imagine if every hamburger joint had a hamburger in its logo. Placed side-by-side, they would be pretty difficult to distinguish from one another.

Logos, over time, come to represent the company. They don’t have to be literal translations of what the business does.

2. Size matters

Strange as it seems, some logos fail because they were never checked for size.

Before saying yes to a logo design, insist that you see it mocked up in your corporate ID package. You want to be sure that the logo works well on business cards, letterhead and envelopes.

If your logo is going to be part of a product marking, be sure to see it there, too. A logo that looks great on a big presentation board might fail completely when reduced to an inch in size.

Give a logo plenty of elbowroom. Although you don’t see it, a part of your logo is its “clear space.” That space is an invisible fence that surrounds your logo, preventing anything from getting too close to it. And while clear space is seldom discussed, it’s essential. Your logo’s clear space, which is a part of the logo, allows your logo to stand apart from everything else and prevents graphic interference.

Nothing should ever cross this clear space fence, except for a slogan that accompanies your logo. If your logo includes a slogan, consider it part of the logo when determining clear space.

As a general rule, clear space is around 10-20% of the size of the logo, in all directions. For instance, if your logo is being produced at 10″ wide and 4″ inches tall, the (fence) clear space will be approximately 11″x4.4″ to 12″x4.8″, with the logo sitting right in the middle.

Remember: clear space is an integral part of your logo—as much as the font, the shape and the color. It’s as important as the amount of space between the columns of the coliseum. And while you might be tempted to think that it’s invisible, a logo’s clear space is just as visible as the rest of your logo. Don’t mess with it.

A note about slogans: If you run a slogan in connection with your logo, consider it a transient part of the logo design itself. Your slogan may change from time to time. But between those changes, it should always appear in the same font and in the same position. Remember that everything associated with your logo becomes part of the logo’s shape and color. Changing the slogan’s position, font or color is the same as changing the logo. 3. How to make your logo choice

Don’t make choosing your logo too complicated. Have fun with it. There is a tendency for the evaluation process to get long, involved and much more cerebral that it should be.

Remember that your customers and the viewing public are not going to sit down in a boardroom and study your logo for weeks. Neither should you.

Put the proposals on the wall. Ask people to give you a quick impression. Then—and here’s the important part—watch what their eyes do. Find out which one they look at first. Get their first impression and get it quickly.

Don’t be tempted to tear the design apart looking for hidden meaning or to be an art critic. That kind of stuff is best left to the goofballs who hang out at galleries pretending to enjoy those little triangular sandwiches as they make totally irrational interpretations of what they see. (And, no matter how hard they try, they’ll never convince me that they really like Woody Allen movies.) Prolonged discussions confuse the issue.

Again, look at the logo proposals the same way that the public will look at your logo—quickly. Pick the one that hits you first and has the most positive initial appeal.

Try a preview. If it’s possible, try out the new designs in a real-world setting. If your logo is going to be on a box of rice, mock-up the box and take it to the grocery store. Put it on the shelf for a test drive. Ask your designer to mock-up a billboard and superimpose it on the picture of a real billboard. (Most of the big outdoor advertising Web sites have photos of their billboards posted online. Grab a few and see how your new design looks in traffic.)

3. Be sure to protect your rights

Whether your logo is brand-spanking-new or has been around since dirt, you have to protect it. Significant time and resources are invested in your logo, trademarks and service marks. But unless you take active steps to protect them, you run a serious risk of losing them.

Logos, trademarks and service marks must be used properly and consistently in order to protect your exclusive rights to them. That’s why style sheets and usage guides are so important. Most of the time, these guidelines will be created by the design firm as a part of the total package. If it’s not included, the guidelines should be your first order of business before you begin using your new logo.

Style sheets are graphic representations of precisely how logos should appear. They include dimensions, proportions, clear-space requirements, and color references. The guidelines will include how a logo is to be printed and displayed in four-color process (CMYK), spot (PMS) color, Web (RGB) color, and black and white.

Be sure that you have printed copies and downloadable versions of the guidelines.

Whenever you allow your logo to be used in any visual medium, be sure that whoever is doing the design work has ready access to the guidelines—and that they know, in no uncertain terms, that they must comply with your guidelines.

When you proof a project, adherence to your guidelines should be front and center on your list of things to check.

If you allow your logo to be displayed in any form without strict compliance to your guidelines, the mark runs a very real risk of becoming generic, and enforcement of your ownership and rights may be lost. You may have already allowed your logo to be used without compliance. And while you can’t un-mail that last brochure, you can do a comprehensive audit of your brand.

Gather every piece of printing—business cards, letterhead, envelopes, catalogs, brochures, and anything else that includes your logo. Check them for compliance. If they don’t comply, get rid of them. Yesterday.

While it may seem to be a real pain in the neck, it’s better to get rid of the gremlins than it is to lose the rights to your identity.

A Final Word

Logos should have staying power. Avoid trendy stuff that will go out like Nehru suits. Hire a competent design firm, and do your best to leave your personal preferences and biases aside.

Remember that it doesn’t matter if your logo works for you. What matters is that it helps you sell stuff.

MarketingProfs.com

Tags: types of logos, logo advertising, online branding, sub branding, design logo, logo art, business logos, company logo design, branding marketing

How Do You Define a Good Logo Design?

by: Ray Smith

Everyone wants his company logo to be the best but how good is good? How do we define a good logo? Is it necessary to be colorful or an exquisite piece of art? Can a simple design work as a good logo? We are often in a dilemma.

Now to define a good logo design we first need to understand the purpose of having a logo. A corporate logo is one of the most essential branding elements for your company. It should be instrumental in building your corporate identity and should successfully exude the company’s attitude. The viewers must have some idea about the disposition, character, or fundamental values of your company through your logo. The functionality of a logo does not end here, I have not yet mentioned the most important function of a corporate logo. Your logo should be able to build a positive, strong and long lasting impression on existing and prospective customers. The very moment a person views your logo, even a part of it, he should think of your company.

Just think of some of the all time great logos, McDonalds’, IBM, Nike— the moment you see their logos, even if you see a part of it or may be in Black and White (there comes another important aspect!) are you able to think of anything else than the respective company? The answer is definitely NO! The first thing that comes to your mind is the name of the company. This shows how strong an impression their logo leaves in our mind. Isn’t that, what all of us are looking for?

How do you get your logo to leave such a strong long lasting impression? The key to this question is to make it easy to remember. Companies often make the mistake of thinking that a complicated artistic design might work well for them, while the reverse is true, in most cases. The simpler your logo is, the easier it is to remember and so it leaves a stronger impression on the people.

You also need to think of all the possible mediums where you are going to use your logo. You are not going to use your logo in only one medium, you might use it on your business cards and stationery, you might use it in your website, you might also use it in the conventional media like newspaper classifieds and magazines. This is why it is most important to inform your logo designers about the possible mediums where you are going to use your logo. You should also check if your logo looks good in Black and White, because tomorrow if you need to get a document in black and white with your logo on it, it should be very easily compatible to that as well.

In the beginning of this article, I have mentioned, that your logo can successfully convey the character and nature of your business to its viewers. How do we do that? There are a host of factors that are considered before designing a logo. When you place an order for a logo design, as a client it is your responsibility to give a clear brief of your company profile, the industry you are in and the nature of logo that you are looking for, to the designers. If you are not sure about the nature of logo that suits your company, let the logo design firm decide on that. There are many logo design companies who are experienced and they will be much better equipped to suggest you the correct type of logos. Any good logo design firm would conduct a market research about the different types of logos used in your industry by your competitors and their impact on the people. Based on that they will deliver you a set of logos from which you can choose any one and then they will customize !

that to your perfection.

If you have any corporate colors, as we have red for McDonalds’, it will be wise to suggest the designers to use that color in your logo-any good designer would anyhow do that.

One last word, as with any other industry, it is definitely beneficial to buy professional service than to go for any amateur designs just to save a few dollars. You might be the best in your industry but they know their job better than you, so if you want to get a good result, try to depend on your logo design company. I do understand that there are certain logo design companies that charge exorbitant rate to create a logo design but the industry is changing. These days there are companies that offer excellent logos for nominal charges (check out http://www.mycorporatelogo.com ). So before you decide to place your order for your logo design, check the portfolio of the company and then check the price tag. You can definitely find some professional logo designs at affordable rates.

About The Author
Ray Smith is a marketing Expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing. http://www.mycorporatelogo.com
webmaster@mycorporatelogo.com

Tags: logo font, images logos, business logos, corporate logo, logos for companies, custom emblem, t shirt logo, production company logos, corporate identity logo

Corporate Identity Logos

Help on your Brand Logo

Well thought out corporate branding will increase your company’s profile and visibility through easy recognition. Your business logo can build a brand that is strong enough to give your consumer a visual imager of your company. Brands and logos often work in harmony for the greater good. Keeping in mind that a brand logo and corporate logo serve 2 different purposes but can work together. For clever integration of the 2 logo types counseling with experienced branding and logo developers are worth every penny to help ensure marketing success.

Before you decide to get a logo for your company you should answer some questions to yourself

Simple Logos breakdown to color, shape, font or letter style. Based on these 3 key design elements a logo should still be distinctly different from all others in the same field. AT the end of the day a logo speaks for your company and will be best suited with a complimentary logo that spells it out. It is an creative rendering representing the your philosophy.

Logo Design Advice on Choosing a Logo Designer

Logo design service for small to medium businesses and organizations are a dime a dozen online, but how do you cut the mustard? I mean how do you determine which logo design firm delivers the best bottom line to you. Reputation is my personal choice. To get a logo design and slogan for your company at affordable rates is your goal. One of the main reasons to hire professional logo designers is to make certain your logo design is tailor made, unique and does not infringe on any copyrights. That is good piece of mind when you make your payment to the corporate logo designer. For any new business relationship your requirements are known from the start so I would be hesitant towards companies that what full, up-front payments. To make a professional logo it is a development process, one that is generally billed out on an hourly basis. The best logos in the world were not made in a couple hours. I recommend, once you get a good feel for the right developer to arrange a Q and A session between the company and the logo designer.

There are Many Points to Consider when Discussing Details with a Logo Designer

Get a fix on how long the company has been around for, examples and clients references. Check with the local Better Business Bureau. You may also want to check with data aggregators who have access to credit bureaus. Try to find a design company (there are many) that guarantee the rate from start to finish. These companies know that it pays to satisfy customers, because they have experience wand confidence with their products and services.

Your thoughts are the propellant of your success.

Tags: creative branding, business logos, manufacturer logo, corporate logos, logo types, image logo, logo print, company logo design

Corporate Design

by: Jonathan Foster-Smith

A rough guide to corporate identity

The tabloids report the millions spent by large corporate companies on their logos as a scandal… Those small swathes of colour adorning British Airways’ tail fin, ICI’s letterhead or Sainsbury’s checkout seem to come at a huge price.

So do these companies have too much money and not enough common sense? Are they victims of designer indulgence, or are they getting a good deal?

This isn’t rocket science, but it is often misunderstood, as the tabloids flagrantly show. Let’s start at the beginning. Every company has a corporate image. Every company from Joe’s One-Man Taxi Co. to IBM. It may be good, it might be bad. Put simply, corporate identity is the way in which an organisation is perceived.

Corporate identity describes the individual characteristics by which a company is recognised. It is the organisation’s sense of ‘self’ - the corporate individuality or personality. Visual identity (that’s the logo) is a pretty big part of it.

So how deep into corporate identity do you want to go? Let’s really confuse matters.

The public, customers, employees, the city, all have a vastly different image of the same company. The image is an accumulation of a company’s past and present identity. Each and every encounter we have with it (by phone, in person or through the media) alters our impression. First impressions (what psychologists call the “primacy effect”) are vital to how we see the company in the future, and extremely difficult to change. Future encounters with the company and its products will only add to the mosaic already constructed in our mind (the “recency effect”), rather than replace it.

But the multi-nationals have bought far more than just a logo. They buy a carefully designed face - corporate plastic surgery, an appearance, an identity. And they’ve paid for a lorry-load of thinking behind it. They have funds and enough at stake to really do the job properly. The logo isn’t plucked from the sky, but selected with precision from thousands of others which were cast aside during its design.

A research team identifies the company’s needs (they are all so very different). A corporate ID programme uses the results and a design team is briefed. Ideas lead to solutions, and stage by stage presentation to the client for discussion and refinement.

Once completed, the ID is usually ‘rolled out’ gradually, strictly enforced by lengthy guidelines covering all possible applications. The advent of desktop publishing has both helped and hindered in-house bastardisation of corporate identity. Without consistency, the identity is ineffective, probably damaging.

There are companies in the UK still unconcerned by their image. Some feel the company is not developed enough to begin work on its image; others perceive astronomical costs, or just don’t care that their corporate communications look like the office dog ate them. And some just slap a logo on everything in sight.

You don’t have to spend millions on corporate Identity !

Many household names would not exist without painstakingly designed and instigated schemes that we as customers seldom even consciously consider.

So what of those companies who don’t have millions to outlay on corporate identity programmes? Fortunately, the corporate identity for a smaller company tends to be far simpler.

Your corporate identity programme can be conducted in-house, just as the research and much of the development. Always keep it very simple, and brief an appropriate designer not a print company. Make sure you get on with them, and see some of their past work. Get a rough quote before you start. Cut down any wrong trees they are likely to bark up. Inspire them. Be direct. Be patient. Be decisive. Give them ‘creative freedom’. Ensure they get to know and understand your business. Try to see your company from the point of view of your target market.

Keep the number of presentations they make to you to a minimum. This adds importance to those meetings. Don’t compromise, but do stay open-minded. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and an investment in a well thought-out corporate identity for your business will reap its cost many times over, not to mention giving you a massive advantage over your badly-dressed competitors.

Next time you walk down the street, look out for Sainsbury’s which is certainly tasting better at last. It took their designers nearly three years to lose the ‘J’ and find a replacement for that ghastly orangey-beige. Check out Barclays’ gorgeous new global eagle. And while you’re there, you might remember that Tesco not so many years ago looked a little bit like Kwik Save does today. Next time you decide to skimp on the presentation of your company, think how much you spent on your best suit. Don’t turn up to the ball in your jeans!

About The Author
Written for In Business Magazine by Jonathan Foster-Smith from Shine design - http://www.timetoshine.co.uk, distributed by Whatprice - http://www.whatprice.co.uk

articles@whatprice.co.uk

Tags: design logo, retail branding, sub branding, corporate logos, custom logo, top logos, brand strategy, logo creator

How to Create Well Represented Logos

by: Paul Hood

Creating a well-designed logo is a must for all businesses who want to enhance its image. A good logo adds a professional look to letterhead, business cards and marketing materials. It’s important for your logo to be unique and appropriate to your business.

With this in mind, you can consider seeking the services of a graphic designer well-versed in designing logos. Making a good logo for your company is a task that you can opt to delegate to skilled experts.

Have a brainstorming with your designer to find the best design suited to you and your company. Choose a logo that you feel comfortable with and one that best meets your need. You should be comfortable with your chosen design as you’ll be spending a lot of time with it.

There are certain issues that will have to be answered when making a company logo. This will serve as a gauge to determine if the logo is doing what it was intended to do. First, it must be clear if the logo is accurately portraying the real essence of the company. The main purpose of your logo is to make your company look good. What you are trying to do here is to let your customers see the real you through your logo. Next, see to it that your logo will look well in different sizes. There will be instances when your logo will have to be reduced or enlarged according to certain situations and it is important that it still will look great with all the manipulations done with it.

In making your logo, a key factor that must be given attention is originality or uniqueness. You certainly would want people to recognize your logo and associate you with it. It should be eye-catching and interesting and have a pleasing quality.

An important note that should be kept in mind is that the making of your logo must not be hasty. A great deal of planning is required for you to have a satisfactory output. Many difficult times will surely arise but it will be easy to overcome them if you know what you want to do and you stay on focus.

About The Author
Ariel Velasco goes by the author alias of Paul Hood. This author is into books and writing. Reading is an essential part of his life and this has lent a considerable influence in his writing. Well traveled and would always want to travel more. He loves learning more about people and their ways. Took up a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology to further this fascination and had a fulfilling educational experience having been exposed to a wide spectrum of people. Always ready for new opportunities to learn and have a great deal of interest in different fields of expertise.

For comments and questions about the article you may contact the Author through their website at http://www.brochuresprintingonline.com

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Tags: types of logos, production company logos, firm logo, logo advertising, production company logo, examples of letterheads, online logo design, top logos, product logo, logo portable

Having a colorful, customized logo design for your business is great, but that design will only pay dividends if you use it. This article shows you all the ways you can use your business logo design to attract customers and keep your company at the front of their minds. Written by Jeff Kear © 2004
Creative Director, myICON Design

So now you have a colorful, attractive logo design that represents your business. Well, that gorgeous design won’t do you a bit of good unless you use it.

Studies have shown that prospects need to see or hear your company’s name multiple times – as many as 7 or 8 – before they are familiar enough with it to pick up a phone and call. So it behooves you to put your business logo on anything and everything you can think of to gain exposure for your company and keep your image in front of people.

There’s a long list of places where companies customarily place their logos, which include: Business cards · Letterhead and envelopes · Web sites · Print ads · Direct mailers · Forms and surveys · Billboards · Banners · Bumper stickers · Brochures and sales sheets · Indoor/outdoor signage · Company cars and fleet vehicles · Pens and pencils · Note pads · T-shirts and polo shirts · Thousands of other promotional items like key chains, coffee mugs, hats, etc.

Besides placing your company logo in all the customary places, you may also want to think about more creative ways of displaying your logo design. Some out-of-the-box ideas could be:

• Hiring a plane to fly over an outdoor stadium during an event with your logo in tow
• Handing out temporary tattoos that feature your logo at a trade show
• Wrapping a bus or other vehicle in a graphic that features your logo design
• Asking any non-profits you support to include your logo design in the materials they produce
• Asking a celebrity or athlete who believes in your product to display your company logo on a hat or shirt
• Offering your own line of promotional products featuring your business logo (like Budweiser or Coca-Cola)

In addition, think about all the special opportunities you might have to display your business logo that are specific to your industry. For example, realtors have “For Sale” signs they place in front of houses and promotional flyers on which they can display their company logo. A plumber could attach a tag bearing their business logo and phone number to a pipe underneath a sink (talk about a well-placed promotional opportunity). A computer store could place a sticker with their logo design and phone number on the top of each PC they sell. The possibilities are endless.

Keep in mind that, wherever you place your company logo, it needs to be consistent in all usages so that people can always easily recognize it as your logo design (meaning that the colors should always look the same and the logo design must never be stretched or pulled out of proportion in any way). In addition, don’t let your company logo be placed anywhere that might reflect poorly on your business or work against its intended perception. A plumber can get away with putting his business logo on a toilet plunger, but it would work against most other companies (especially if you are a perfume company or jeweler).

So start brainstorming and get your logo design in front of your customers today. It can only help your business.

About the Author
Jeff Kear is Owner and Director of Client Services for myICON Design. In his decade-and-a-half in the industry, Jeff has created revenue-generating advertising and design for nationally recognized brands such as Budget, MetLife, Moosehead Beer, Qwest and Toyota. In addition to working for design firms and ad agencies, he has served as a marketing and communications specialist at Fortune 500 companies and holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. You can contact Jeff at jeffk@myicondesign.com.

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