When starting a new business, there are many elements that need tending to. What is your product/service and how do you provide it? Who is your target audience? The list goes on and on and can be overwhelming to many. With all of these aspects to worry about, one might think “Why overexert the time, money and resources into a logo? It’s just for show – it’s really not that important in the grand scheme of things”.
This train of thought is a very common mistake among business owners. Ask yourself, when you think of brands like McDonald’s, Apple, and Snapchat – what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most people would answer; the golden arches, an apple with a small bite taken out, and a cartoon ghost, right? These companies know how to keep their image in your head and make you remember them. They heavily researched and invested into the look of their logo and are continuing to improve the visuals of their brand. They NEED to keep fresh in today’s ever-evolving marketing techniques to stay relevant. And this all stems from an impactful logo.
Logos act as the face of a brand and are the backbone of how a business wants to be represented. You want to convey a message about what your business is all about. Using consistent fonts, color schemes, and brand elements is key to a strong logo. It is essential that a business creates a logo that compliments their products and, if possible, many brands also attempt to find a way to tie the product, service or their name into the logo itself. The goal is to resonate in the heads of potential new consumers and this can be done in a variety of ways via shape, color and other elements. There is actually a psychological science to make your logo appeal visually to the market you aim to serve via color.
Color has a lot of impact on how it relates to your product. For example, many fast food establishments use reds and oranges in their logos, as it is scientifically proven that those colors can induce hunger within consumers. Companies like Walmart and Facebook use blues, as it is proven that blue can convey as sense of strength and trust. While many companies use similar color schemes within their particular market, the logo styles are still unique enough to be distinguishable, and resonate in the minds of the consumer. The visuals of a business need to appeal to their particular market, but must also be unique enough to stand out. Simply mimicking competitors logo styles usually result in a business fading into the background of its market. Research MUST be done on the visual aspects of your market to ensure your success.
Investing into a strong logo is one of the smartest moves a company can make. Both local businesses and large corporations find that researching your market to develop the strongest logo you can is key. Many consumers focus heavily on the look of a business without even realizing it, regardless of what products or services they offer. The way a business presents itself visually can be THE deciding factor on whether a customer will return, or even consider that company as legitimate. Brands with a consistent logo often see the largest return on investment because they become familiar by consumers. While the design process can sometimes be tedious to achieve the best look for your business, a well-designed logo is worth every ounce of time and money a business can spend. You want your business to be successful, right? Start with your look, we promise it will pay off.
Written by Nick Marzluf
Richwood Marketing Design