Four Marketing Elements That Must Be Instantly Recognizable

When you spend years wearing the same type of clothes and having the same haircut, people recognize you even when they do not see your face. If you are smart, then you use that high level of recognition to generate revenue in some way. But when you change your clothes and cut your hair, no one recognizes you anymore and the magic is gone.

Consumers like to be able to recognize the companies they use instantly and there are several things you can do that make your company instantly recognizable. Once you have achieved a high level of recognition, all of your marketing efforts become more productive and your revenue starts to go up.

Your Logo

The very best logos can be recognized almost instantly and immediately associated with their respective companies. Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s all have logos that consumers can recognize immediately and that does wonders for increasing sales.

For example, when you and your family are on a long driving trip and you want to stop for lunch, if you see those Golden Arches, then you know you are stopping. A recognizable logo becomes something everyone can agree upon and something that brings in business all on its own.

Your Corporate Color Scheme

If you work in the computer industry and you see something in the colors of blue and white, then you instantly think of IBM. If you like drinking soft drinks and you see a cup with red and white on it, you automatically think of Coca-Cola. It does not matter if IBM or Coca-Cola have their logos in plain view. What matters is that these companies have worked hard to associate their organizations with those common color schemes in the minds of consumers.

Your Company Name

Kentucky Fried Chicken became so popular that two could be having a conversation and refer to Kentucky Fried Chicken as KFC and they would both know what restaurant each other was talking about. When your company becomes so popular that consumers start abbreviating your company name and making it part of conversational dialog, then you know that your marketing work is effective.

Your Product

You may have never heard of a company called Kimberly-Clark, but you probably use a product called Kleenex every day. The facial tissue known as Kleenex is so popular that most people do not realize that the product is actually called facial tissue. Most people call all facial tissue Kleenex and that makes Kimberly-Clark a very wealthy company.

A company has to make a lot of decisions when it comes to marketing. The right decisions could lead to a product becoming a household name, while a wrong decision could put a company out of business. The worst thing any company can do is cut its marketing budget, even when the economy takes a turn for the worse.

Good marketing creates images that are burned into consumers’ minds and result in ongoing sales. When your marketplace starts referring to generic products by your company’s brand name or when consumers shorten your company name into a nickname because they refer to your company so often, then you know that your marketing is effective. Take the time to develop the four most important parts of your company’s marketing image and you will see returns several times over for years to come.

The Four Cardinal Sins Of Logo Design

Your company logo, for many people, is your company’s primary source of identification. Your logo is a summary of your company and it is supposed to create mind share within your target audience. When people see your logo, they should think about your company and doing business with your company. That makes your logo a very important marketing tool for your business.

We have been designing logos for years and we have learned a lot about what does and does not work in logos. When it comes time to create your company’s logo, you are going to want to avoid the four cardinal sins of logo design.

A Logo Shall Not Be Complicated

The most effective logo in the world, the Nike Swoosh, is also one of the simplest logos in the world. After millions and millions of dollars in marketing, just about everyone in the world recognizes that little Swoosh as the logo for Nike. The one thing that everyone can learn from the Nike Swoosh is that good logos are not complicated. 

When anyone looks at your logo, the reaction you want is “Hey, that is neat!” If the reaction you get is “What is that supposed to be?” then you need to go back to the drawing board and create a new logo. 

Thou Shalt Not Use Inside Jokes For Logos

When the Linux operating system was first being created and offered for free, the developers chose a penguin as the logo. Why? Because Linux created Linus Torvalds mentioned once that he liked penguins. Three decades later, a marketing brand was born.

When Linux was introduced, it had a huge swell of grassroots support that instantly made it a worldwide sensation. People were looking for anything to compete with Windows and Linux fit the bill nicely. If your product has a groundswell of grassroots support from thousands of people all over the world, then you can use an inside joke as your logo. Otherwise, inside jokes only create confusing logos.

Thou Shalt Use The Company Colors In The Company Logo

If you look at the colors used in the most successful corporate logos, you will notice a deliberate trend. All of the very best corporate logos use the company colors and nothing else. The Coca-Cola logo is only red and white, and the Buffalo Sabres’ logo is blue and gold. 

In order for your marketing to be effective, there needs to be consistency in everything you do. Your website, logo and all marketing materials need to have a consistent theme and color scheme. Without consistency in your colors, you will not be able to establish brand recognition.

Thou Shalt Not Have More Than One Logo

The biggest logo cardinal sin that many new business owners commit is having more than one logo that is used for different types of situations. Once again, the key in good marketing is consistency and having more than one logo, for any reason, confuses customers and takes away from that consistency.

Let Us Make Your Logo

We have the experience and talent to create your perfect logo. Let us create the cornerstone of your marketing plan and the core of your brand recognition program by developing the perfect logo for your company.

Four Reasons Why Your Logo Is Critically Important To Your Company

A company logo is one of the most important marketing elements your organization will ever own. Your logo appears on your business cards, letterhead, marketing materials, and it is all over your website. That is why you should contact us and allow our professionals to create your logo for you. 

What makes your logo so important? What is it about your logo that requires you to invest in our professional services? The importance of a good logo cannot be overstated, which is why the development of your logo should only be done by a professional.

Mind Share

If you are in business, then you are familiar with the term “market share.” But have you ever heard of the term “mind share?” To understand the mind share value of a logo, let’s go through an example. Let’s say you walk into a shoe store to buy a pair of sneakers. You really do not have a brand preference in mind, until you see the Nike swoosh on the wall. Suddenly, you must have Nike sneakers. That is mind share and it is extremely powerful.

Brand Recognition

Human beings are visual creatures and we respond faster to visual cues than we do to verbal ones. When you are driving a sports car through a city in a video game, even the game developers know that arrows pointing the way are more effective than having the game give you verbal directions.

Your logo becomes the way that consumers visualize your company. If you think about McDonald’s, you think about the golden arches long before you imagine the word “McDonald’s Restaurant” on a sign. A good logo helps establish the brand recognition your want inside and outside your industry.

Establishing Your Corporate Identity

Consider your logo like a brand that cattle ranchers put on cattle. When other ranchers see that brand, they know who the cattle belongs to. When people see your company’s logo, they will instantly identify your company with that product or idea. This is why so many major corporations use their logos in their television and magazine advertising. Putting the logo side by side with the product or idea permanently associates the two in the mind of the public.

Speeds Up Communication

The singer called Prince used to use a symbol to identify himself for a while. Some people thought he was a little eccentric, but the idea was actually a brilliant marketing ploy. The symbol became Prince’s logo and you could either refer to him as “the artist formerly known as Prince,” or you could just show his logo.

Your corporate logo works the exact same way. Instead of having to say your name to sales prospects, you just show them your logo and they can instantly identify your company. The more people who identify your logo, the most successful your company has become.

A good logo is critical to the long-term success of your company. Give us a call and we will discuss your company’s identity and marketing objectives with you. Then we will deliver a logo for your company that will become the single most important marketing element your company will ever own.

Picking the Perfect Logo for Your Business

A good logo is both the lynch pin and the first impression of a brand. Designing and perfecting your logo is one of the most important steps you can take to making your brand stand out from the rest. The public sees a logo as an instant reminder of the company or the service that it stands for. Your logo is all of your company’s ideals and goals wrapped into a superbly crafted icon.

You and your designer will work together to help you to realize your vision for your logo. But first, let us go over a few common mistakes that many people make with their first logo designs. Seeing the mistakes of others will help you to avoid them yourself in your logo journey.

Common Mistakes Found In Novice Logos

Now that you have an idea of what to avoid, we can give you a good place to start working on your logo. There are several steps on the road to a great logo.

Number one. Know your audience and your brand.

Who do you what to attract with your logo design? In other words, who is your company’s target audience? Your logo must be crafted in a way to appeal to your audience. Think about your company and its history. Study your old logos and any old advertising that you may have. What was strong about those old designs? What was weak about them? Being able to identify your prior strengths and weaknesses will take you far in deciding which direction to move your company’s next public persona.

Number Two. Avoid Clichés.

Of course you want your new logo to be memorable. And, you naturally want your new logo to be as iconic as any in your field. The problem with stating these as your goals is that they are nearly impossible to design. To get an iconic and memorable logo will require a more nuanced approach. Do you want a logo that uses strong and forceful imagery or something understated and simple? Both approaches can lead to something that is immediately memorable. When it is backed up by your quality service and attention to your customers, it will become iconic for quality.

Number Three. Pick a Great Font.

The perfect font for your logo is the font that is clear, easy to read quickly and that matches the branding of your company. Avoid the lure of the fun ‘gimmicky’ font face or the overly stylized font. Instead, go for the classic fonts with good strong lines. Your logo can be embellished with other garnishes of color or imagery. Keep your font clean. After all, you want your customers to know just who you are!