“The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than it processes words, making the logo the most crucial resource a business owner can leverage to efficiently and effectively capture their target audience, both new and old.” – Sarah Koch, SK Creative Solutions
Your business needs a logo. It is a graphical representation of who you are as a company, and becomes the single most visible manifestation of your brand to your target market. For this reason, a well-designed logo is essential to your marketing strategy.
Think about what some of the biggest brands have put into their logos: Apple, Starbucks and McDonald’s. Some brands, like Coca-Cola and Subway created a logo by using their own names written in a unique style. These are the graphical images that represent them. What do you imagine when you see the golden arches? Or when you see the apple with the bite taken out? Whether you love or hate the brand, you feel something about it when you see the logo.
Based on your service and the level of trust you’ve built (or will build) with your target audience, your logo will bring a certain feeling as well. A perfectly designed logo isn’t a substitute for good service and trustworthy business ethics; rather it is a representation of what you’re already bringing to the table. In a sense this works well, because all of the trust you’ve established is brought to mind when a customer views your logo. Now, that’s powerful.
As the chief visual component of your brand identity, your logo design will require a lot of thought. It should be simple, yet meaningful. Do some research on the psychology behind colors and what they do for a brand. For example, red is used by a lot of fast food chains because it encourages appetite and urgency. Blue is used often with IT companies because it promotes security and trust – highly necessary when trusting someone with your internet security!
Next, consider an image that you feel represents your company and your values best, while keeping it simple. Think Nike swoosh or the Shell seashell. Simple can go a long way. Once you’ve established your brand’s logo, remember to use it consistently. If you want it to be recognized, it should be everywhere: your website, your newsletter, email signatures, signs, etc. Consistency is key; this is how it will pick up steam.
The beautiful thing about your logo is once you’ve created it and placed it everywhere you can, it continues to work for you when you’re off doing other things. What a great investment!