Let's Talk!

The Power of a Great Logo

Brand3 Team  •  February 27, 2017

6 ways to tell if your business has a great logo

Does your logo effectively communicate your brand to your customers? Is it clean and consistent? Do you like it?

Every company has a logo, but is it adding or detracting from your brand? Maybe it's pretty and you like it, but is it helping? While liking—or loving—your logo is important, what matters more is functionality.

According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a logo is simply “an identifying symbol.” This identifying symbol, however, has to fill big shoes as it becomes a mark that represents your business. Here are some ways you can tell whether you have a well-designed, functional logo:

1. A Great Logo is Simple, Unique and Easy to Retain

One of the key functionalities a logo has to fulfill is the ability for your market to retain and remember it. A good logo mark will consist of simple shapes or lines with a minimal color palette. The more complex your logo is, the harder it will be to reproduce. Also, it is unlikely that a complicated mark will stick in the minds of your customers, which lowers the likelihood of you being remembered when a potential customer needs services you offer. Similarly, if your logo isn’t distinct enough, your customers might have a hard time distinguishing between you and your competitors.

2. A Great Logo Clearly Represents Who You Are and What You Do

A good logo is able to encompass the most important aspects of your business into a single visual mark. This does not mean that your logo has to be literal, but it does mean that it has to have a meaning that represents what the core values of your business are. 

3. A Great Logo Ages Well

Trends are great when it comes to fashion or your hairstyle. Steer clear of temporary fads, however, when it comes to branding and logo designs. A great logo has the ability to endure time, and as it does, it builds more and more confidence in your customers to stand by your products or services.

Also recognize that logo refreshes are a good idea after a period of time. Think about brands that have been around for decades—their logos have been updated, but still retain characteristics from the original logos (think Sears, UPS and Ford).

4. A Great Logo Communicates to Your Audience

Understanding your audience is key when it comes to marketing, but it is also crucial when it comes to developing a logo. Well-designed logos have the ability to speak and tell a story. You may be thinking that this is asking your logo to do a bit too much, but it is actually very doable. You have to remember, that besides the actual context of the mark, there are many other aspects of your logo that are communicated to your target audience. These include the color choices, the fonts, the name, and the tagline. Ask your audience to validate the message your logo sends to them.

5. A Great Logo Works Well in Multiple Formats, Sizes and Applications

A great logo can be reproduced at different sizes, across different mediums and in different applications without losing its power. It is crucial that your logo works well on the web, your letterhead, in your sales materials and ads, as well as on digital media platforms. To attain this, your logo should come in multiple formats and variations. These include horizontal, vertical and symbol-only versions in color, all white, and black and white formats. Be sure you have a library of acceptable logo formats and variations created to maintain brand consistency.

6. A Great Logo is Used Consistently

Consistency is a must when it comes to your brand and logo. One of the worst things you can do to your brand is to use it inconsistently. You’d be surprised, for example, how often when business owners or employees can’t find their logo they attempt to recreate it in Microsoft Word. The results are disastrous. The best way to avoid inconsistent logo use is to secure your logo files, as well as to own and abide by a Graphic Standards or Branding Guidelines document. This way all who need access to your logo files can be held accountable for proper and consistent usage.

If you find that your logo lacks the characteristics of a great logo, Brand3 can help. Contact us today to see how we can improve your identity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

More from BrandEd

brand strategy

Businesses Have Had Enough of Bad Marketing

The State of Marketing Is Poor, But It Doesn’t Have to Be I’m hearing the same story over and over again from business owners and marketing directors. Let me know if this sounds familiar: A business needs to get more leads. It asks a marketing firm for help with what they need. Customer: “We need […]
Read More
marketing in good and bad times

Just Keep Marketing 

Why You Need Marketing in Good Times and Bad Marketing Makes Sense in Any Economy I can’t decide. Are the fundamentals of our economy good or bad? Sure, the market is up, but prices are higher than ever, and it’s getting harder and harder to make a profit.  And now we have an election to […]
Read More
holiday marketing

Holiday Marketing Starts…Now!

As we hit the back half of summer, sales have been heating up, many with the tagline ‘Christmas in July.’ It may seem too early to start thinking about the holidays but savvy marketers understand that ramping up holiday marketing in advance is like receiving that first greeting card in the mail; it’s attention-grabbing, excitement-building, […]
Read More
1 2 3 41

Contact Us

MAILING ADDRESS
1200 Agora Drive
Suite C #307
Bel Air, MD 21014
Copyright © 2023 Brand3, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Learn More

Contact Us

MAILING ADDRESS
1200 Agora Drive
Suite C #307
Bel Air, MD 
21014
OFFICE ADDRESS
201 Market St
Suite #202
Havre de Grace, MD 
21078
Copyright © 2024 Brand3, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram