Periodically Eddie the Entrepreneur walks through the door excitedly announcing that he needs a brochure or a web site, eager to get his product out to the public eye. I always appreciate this wide-eyed enthusiasm and seemingly boundless energy of the enterpriser. After a little discussion I discover that Eddie does not have any kind of identity established (that’s OK, that’s a service designmeister can provide), but Eddie is surprised that the need of a logo for his new company is a fundamental necessity, and not just window trimming.
A logo is more than a random icon, it has a serious function, power-packed into a very small package. It is the foundation of your company identity, and with that it will effect how your future customer perceives you and your companies product & services.
A logo serves a much broader function than some people realize.
What a logo can do for a company:
- Initiate a Presence. A logo establishes solidity. Your future clients will be more willing to work with you if you have the presence that you have been and are going to be around for the long haul. A logo can actually make your company look bigger than it really is, especially for a new business. This is important when you are establishing a young company up against competitors that have long-term recognition in your industry.
- Communicate Professionalism. A refined logo and branding can communicate that you have been meticulous and comprehensive with your own company, and you are ready to pass-on that expertise to your customers
- Establish Consistency. This is where we go beyond the logo, and where the branding comes in. Making sure that your brand is implemented consistently across the board in all avenues of media; print, packaging, exhibit, billboards, the web, etc. is key. Having a professional design a logo and implement a simple brand platform can make the difference in your visibility and company recognition.
Different Businesses Have Different Logo Needs
Different types and different size companies have varying identity needs, including available budgets. Not every company needs a full-blown branding system established. Some companies can get away with a simple solution. Maybe you are a dentist, a massage therapist, a photographer, a house painter. These straightforward service industries can get away with having a simple effective logotype.
Horwitz Photography is an example of an effective but simple solution for a small service business. The logotype is still unique to the business and clearly reflects the personality of the Horwitz Photography studio, but the design was designed and budgeted to fit the needs of the business.
The performance requirements for a logo is not the same for all company-types. When a company steps into: 1. creating a product and not just a service, 2. providing a niche service that needs to be clearly distinguish in the market place (i.e. your not just a “realtor” but a realtor that focuses solely on green real estate), and 3. having more of a global presence and not just a local presence, then the need for a company identity and strong company branding becomes a requirement for success.
When a logo will be associated with a product and not just a service, it needs to be able to stand alone on billboards, advertisements, and the multitude of other deliverable media. This stand alone prerequisite, demands more information to be power-packed into the logo. The echinashield logo shows how it has more visual clues contained within the logo than the Horwitz logo, allowing the first-time viewer to immediately ascertain knowledge of what products and services that company provides.
When developing a logo, both the current and future needs of the business should be kept in mind. Not only in function of use, but in function of the types of media and therefore exposure that a logo will be required to perform. This visual representation of your company should deliver a voice that is uniquely yours. So, next time you see Eddie the Entrepreneur on the street excited about his new company logo that shouts, “I’ve arrived!”, you know Eddie won’t get lost in the crowd, or behind the window trimming.
