How important is a logo design for your business? Before I can really answer this question, I want to explain briefly what a logo really is.
A logo is a graphical representation of your brand identity. It’s ultimately the face of your company and is what most people will visualise when they think about your company. The interesting thing, however, for the best brands, if you cover up the logo design in any instance it’s shown, it will still be recognisable. So it really begs the question, what’s the importance of the logo in the first place?
We know the logo is only a visual representation of the brand, but what do I mean by brand identity?
What is brand identity design?
Brand identity is something which appeals to the senses. You can see it, touch it, hold it, hear it, move it and watch it move. A brand identity design will unite everything together, and make them one. Everything together will build perception and it’s this perception which helps drive value.
The best way to visualise this is to think about a company like McDonalds. If you take away the restaurants, the staff, the packaging and everything else related, leaving only the food, you are essentially left with a burger and fries. With MacDonalds however, any store you visit, you will learn to expect the food to taste the same. It’s this expectation, or rather, perception, which has been built over time. Everything has been carefully thought about from the way the food is packaged to the way the food is served. This is brand identity at its best.
A brand has more power than people. It can be controlled and used to your advantage. It can be styled and adapted to target the right market. It can be used to control perception… perception drives value, and this is what helps a company to grow.
A brand is the sugar coating, if what lies beneath is not what’s expected, it will damage the brand, chaining people’s perception.
How is logo design part of brand identity?
So now we all understand a little of what a brand identity is, how does logo designs fall into this? A logo is the peak of the brand. It pulls everything together into a single symbol, which, with time will represent everything that company has ever done. If a brand is loved and respected, people will become brand ambassadors, wearing that mark wherever they go. If however a brand is hated, no matter what, that perception will be difficult to change. This is why people re-boot their company with a new name, to start a fresh and re-build brand perception.
Smaller companies can easily look to the bigger companies and believe they cannot compete, and that a brand identity is not important for them just yet. Big companies like MacDonalds spend millions building up perception… how can a small company do the same?
You need to remember that every company starts small, therefore it’s important to have a vision from the outset and do everything you can to remain on track towards that end goal. Your service, product, staff, buildings, the way you answer the phone… all of these are touch points, which your customer comes in contact with. Work towards who you want to be, not who you currently are. If a touch point is designed to meet that expectation, even a small company can build strong perception from the outset and grow their business.
A logo, especially for small companies, will form the foundations for its brand identity. It will provide the customer with a perception, and it will help form the style and attitude of all collateral.
Is a logo design important for my business?
So to answer the question, how important is a logo for my business? A logo represents the brand identity, therefore every company needs one to succeed, however, the most important asset for any company is to build up a perception, and the only way to do that is with a strong brand identity… no logo will make or break this, only time, effort and dedication.
Here at logo geek, we’re obsessed with logo and brand identity design. If you want a logo design that correctly represents who you want to be as a business, to target the customers you want attract, and give a positive perception from the outset, we can help you on your road to success.
To listen to the podcast version of this blog, head on over to iTunes to listen to the logo design podcast from Logo Geek.
PS: I know your wondering what a bunch of eggs with a blue egg has to do with the blog post? well… it’s important to be unique, and to stand out from the crowd… and it’s your brand identity and logo design that will do this for you.