Why a logo is important to your business
Identity
Reusability
Brand reputation
Attraction
Hey,
With so many businesses wanting to get a logo these days it is useful to know why a logo is important to your business and if it is something you actually need to invest in. The truth is not every business may need a logo but if you are ambitious enough and picture your business going places then you might want to invest in a good logo design. However, many people don't really understand what a logo does for their business which makes it difficult for them to justify the pricing of logos by graphic designers. In this article I intend to share with you some of the reasons why a logo is an important investment for your business. The points I'll be discussing here are knowledge I've gathered from over four years of working as a graphic designer and from other more experienced designers as well.
Identity
A good logo design helps to put a face to your business and helps people to identify your brand easily in the midst of several others. This is why it is important to have a good logo at the start of your business, for your customers to be able to tell it's you the next time they come across your brand. Think about a logo as the face of your business. Because a logo can be considered as the face of your brand or business, this is why it is also very important to get a distinctive and unique logo instead of something generic. Generic logos won't exactly stand out from the competition and as a result it won't serve the purpose of having a logo in the first place. It will just be like having a logo just for the sake of having a logo.
Recently I came across a 'G' logo for a gaming brand online and initially I was thinking it was another Google product until I looked closely and noticed a slight difference in the style of the 'G' ; a slant at the edge then I immediately realised that it wasn't the Google logo at all. You can see how important a logo is in identifying a brand easily from this example. This happens a lot actually, even when you are searching for an app online and there are several apps with similar names, you look for the icon that matches the one you are looking for. Another thing about logos and identity would be that it conveys the mood of the kind of brand you have. Everything, from the font style, the colour, the icon used in a good logo design will in a way help people to identify something about your brand. I know this point can be easily misunderstood with trying to literally convey everything about your business in the logo, especially the icon but that's far from it. A good logo actually passes that message in a more subtle way. This is a lesson I learnt recently from a legendary logo designer, Sagi Haviv.
Reusability
Unlike other elements of branding and marketing such as flyers, posters, ads a logo can be used multiple times to reinforce a brand. In fact, on all of these other elements the logo can be placed again and again so people can tell that it is you. You can put your logo on a shirt, a cap, a mug, even on a pen, as many times as you'd like. That's like having one piece of artwork that can tell your story across different platforms. This to me is one reason why businesses shouldn't hold back on spending the right amount of money on a good logo. Because it is like an artist selling a painting to you to be used over and over again; not to mention the fact that you will make back that cash and more if you invest well in getting a good logo.
Creating a logo that is Reusable is not exactly an easy job, it requires some level of experience on the part of the graphic designer as well. There are factors to consider before you start creating a logo and reusability is at the top of that list. It is important for the client to tell the designer exactly how they intend to use the logo from the start so the designer can have that at the back of their mind while working on the logo.
Brand Reputation
As the old saying goes: "you are addressed as you are dressed", so also it is with a professional logo; it sends a message to your potential clients that your brand is professional and they really mean business. People will take your brand more seriously when you have a logo that conveys that kind of energy. Having a cheap logo on the other hand also gives off a bit of a negative vibe and will go as far as creating a lack of trust in the client's mind. Imagine walking into a hospital and meeting a doctor who is not looking too neat or healthy himself would you trust such a person to operate on you or a loved one? Probably not. Even if he or she might be very good at what they do, their appearance alone could create a sense of doubt in your mind, giving them a bad reputation. In the same way choosing a cheap and bad image as the face of your brand can equally give the brand a bad reputation.
Your logo usually introduces people to your brand, it creates that first impression and you know what they say about first impressions; ”They matter a lot”.
Attraction
This probably sums up everything I've been talking about so far, a good logo will help you stand out from the competition and attract new clients to your business. A logo alone can pull people in and make them curious to learn more about your brand. In fact a logo could guide someone to choose your brand over others. Think of the apple logo for instance and how people love showing it off every chance they get. Or even the Nike logo or Adidas logo, these are all brands whose logos can indirectly affect people's decision in buying products. I once bought a rubber bracelet just because it had the Adidas logo on it.
The possibilities of what a good logo can do for your brand are numerous and should not be underestimated. If you have the cash don't hold back on investing in a professional logo. You can check out my portfolio and hire me to create a good logo for your business today.