Creating a business logo is one of the most important things your company should do, as it is the first opportunity to create an impression. A good business logo must be able to capture the essence while conveying the company's values. We all know iconic logos like Nike or Apple. Understanding the principles of logo creation will make your logo memorable and effective.
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Part 1 of 4: Identifying Your Trademark
Step 1. Define your company values
The first step in creating a good logo is to understand your company's trademark. Although a logo is only one of many ways to communicate a brand, it is often considered a basic principle of a company's brand. For a logo to be effective, you must understand very clearly what the company represents.
- What emotion would you like to evoke in people's hearts and minds when they see your logo? What are your company's core values? What vibration do you want to create from the logo? What impression do you want to give others about your company? The answers to all these questions will help you decide what your company trademark should look like.
- One way of knowing the brand identity is by creating a mood board. On this board, put all the images that come to mind when you think about or envision your company.
- Write down key words that describe your company. It's also a great way to start creating a logo. These words can lead to logo ideas. At the very least, the logo that is created should capture the impression of the words you choose, because the logo and brand must reflect each other.
- Consider the history of the company. The company's story and history are part of the brand as well as the overall identity. A good place to start when trying to establish a brand is to remember the origins of the company.
Step 2. Find a unique selling proposition
A trademark should make you stand out from other competitors. Don't even sink and be disguised. That's not the way to sell products.
- This becomes even more important when there are rival companies that market similar goods. You have to find a way to differentiate yourself from the rest.
- Find the one major factor that sets you apart. A unique selling proposition doesn't take much. One is enough.
- Think beyond the product itself. What makes iconic brands like American Express and Mercedes successful is that it connotes great quality or service, so people are willing to pay more for the product.
Step 3. Don't forget the emotional response
It's important that you can determine what emotions you want to evoke when people see your logo or imagine your company's brand.
- A brand is essentially a customer's "gut feeling" about your business. The airline company Virgin Airlines is an example of a company that thrives by focusing on customer feelings, as well as service.
- A good brand will make people miss your product. The brand has meaning for the audience. Coca-Cola is able to connect people with their childhood. Thus, the brand creates meaning to the customer, beyond the taste of the product itself.
- A brand not only goes beyond what you imagine the company to be, it involves how customers feel about the company and they communicate those feelings to each other. Whatever the customer imagines about your brand, that's your company. Customers choose Starbucks because of certain lifestyle associations and fulfillment, not just coffee.
Step 4. Perform a SWOT analysis
Make sure everything about your company's position in the market. SWOT is a technique developed by business experts in the 1960s to get concrete business plans to improve practice in the field. The four main aspects of a SWOT analysis.
- A CEO of a computer company said that his company conducts a SWOT analysis every quarter. He uses collective knowledge by involving all employees in the analysis, and the CEO believes that this analysis helps the company catch weaknesses and any that go unnoticed. Other companies use SWOT analysis as part of the strategic planning process. Sometimes companies bring employees together in idea-searching or brainstorming sessions that utilize the four-step SWOT analysis. With a SWOT analysis you can find out how to translate the trademark and company position into the logo.
- The first two elements in a SWOT analysis are the internal factors faced by the company. The remaining two elements are external factors.
- What are the strengths of your company? This is the first question asked in a SWOT analysis. Be realistic when measuring the company's strengths and consider competitors' situations. Branding, pricing and other locations are elements that are often considered.
- What are the weaknesses? Don't focus too much on the gray area. Do not make a SWOT analysis that is too complicated.
- What are the threats faced? This is the third part of the SWOT analysis, focusing on the customer and competitive, as well as other external threats.
- What opportunities are there?
Part 2 of 4: Choosing a Logo Type
Step 1. Use a wordmark logo (text) logo
As one of the simplest yet most commonly used logo forms, this type uses only text, often with a unique font that captures the essence of the company. Just imagine YouTube or Microsoft. Their logo puts the company name on the front clearly.
- Text logos are very commonly used by Fortune 500 group companies. The challenge is how to create a logo that is not boring. However, wordmark-type logos will help define your company's trademark because they focus on the company name.
- Text logos are easy to reprint on all marketing materials.
- Don't opt for a text logo if your company name is too generic. Google uses a text logo because the name is unique and easy to remember.
- Be careful to space the letters correctly. This is called "kerning" in the logo industry.
- A wise choice of font will capture the "feel" of your company. Serif fonts are considered more traditional in style, while san-serif fonts feel more modern. Choose a font that conveys the attitude of the company.
- You can buy fonts on the Internet or look for free ones. If you don't feel comfortable creating your own logo, you can hire a marketing or PR firm.
- If you need a logo that is fast to create, the wordmark type is the main choice. This is the simplest.
- Text logos are not suitable for companies that market their products in countries without the Latin alphabet.
Step 2. Use a lettermark logo
This type of logo also uses text, but only takes the initials of the company name, not the full name. CNN and IBM are examples.
- Lettermark logos are a great choice if your company name is very long or technical.
- Products whose names don't have much space for brands, often use lettermark logos.
- It takes time and investment to educate consumers about your company initials, so don't opt for a lettermark logo if you don't have the skills to do so.
- Sometimes there are companies that decide to re-create a trademark using a lettermark logo. For example KFC.
Step 3. Choose a brandmark logo
This type of logo is sometimes referred to as a symbol or icon logo. And it looks like that: it doesn't use words at all. Just a symbol.
- Companies with long or technical names may be appropriate to use a branded logo.
- One study found that only 6 percent of companies use a branded logo..
- People often remember symbols better than words. In some companies, branded logos have proven to be very effective. Who doesn't know Nike's tick mark?
- Unlike text logos, brandmark logos can be interpreted in various ways. So choose your symbols carefully, and consider the variety of meanings.
Step 4. Choose a combination sign
Some logos use a combination of text and symbols to convey the trademark. This type of logo is able to capture some of the benefits of each of the previously mentioned types of logos.
- The text in a combination logo can help clarify the meaning of the symbol.
- In combination logos, the text and symbols usually stand separately.
- Red Lobster is one example of a company that uses a combination sign.
- Symbols can create a deeper emotional reaction than words. So consider your choice of symbols wisely.
- An emblem logo places text inside a symbol. Thus, an emblem is one form of a combination logo.
- Emblem logos are sometimes referred to as shield logos.
- The emblem logo conveys tradition and stability. Perfect for a family owned company.
- The automaker, Ford, and the coffee shop Starbucks, are examples of companies that use emblem logos.
Part 3 of 4: Consider the Other Elements
Step 1. Confirm the amount of your funds
This is important when choosing a logo type. Can you afford a color logo? How much money can you actually set aside for this? On the other hand, the logo is very important and sensitive. So, don't be stingy.
- Don't take shortcuts. The logo will greatly determine the success or failure of your company. So make sure to spend enough time and funds on this.
- The use of clipart or ready-made pieces of images, rarely works. It will not be unique, because it has been used by many people. Also, it will make your company seem stingy and cheap.
- It takes a lot of advertising funds to make the public understand what a symbol means.
Step 2. Be creative
A logo doesn't have to convey exactly the company's activities. For example, the McDonalds logo is not a hamburger, and the Nike logo is not a shoe.
- Don't use cliches. You want your logo to be creative, not cliché. If the logo contains cliché elements, it will not provoke the right vibe in consumers.
- Consider using custom fonts. You don't have to use the same font that has been used by many people. Create your own. This will make the logo look richer.
- Basing a logo on a certain trend will be dangerous because the name trend is always changing quickly. Your logo should be able to last a long time. UPS is an example of a company that doesn't rely on trends to successfully assert a trademark. Especially because the basic color is brown. The company is known to be reliable, and this logo works.
- The intentional omission of concrete literal details allows the company to change the trademark when necessary.
- The Apple logo works because the company makes many different products. If the logo was a PC, for example, it would be hard to sell an iPod.
Step 3. Carefully choose the color
Know that each color evokes different emotions and meanings. So research logo colors and choose wisely. Make sure it matches and goes into your trademark identity.
- Colors must be next to each other on the color wheel. Avoid bright colors that hurt the eyes.
- Colors should be chosen and thought out last. Color should not drive the logo. Therefore, designers often make logos in black and white first.
- Consider applying contrast. Your logo should have a variety of tones, so that it stands out from other logos.
- Business logos often only have one or two colors.
Step 4. Keep the logo simple and straightforward
The most iconic logos are often very simple logos. Apple has always been an example because its shape is very simple and is known by almost everyone.
- A good logo doesn't have to be explained, because it can instantly convey meaning or be recognizable.
- Usually, logos only have one or two fonts. Anything more than that would be annoying.
Step 5. Choose the logo size wisely
A logo that is complicated and messy until the focus is confusing will make it look bad if it is made in a very small size. Remember that you will have to print in multiple sizes later.
- Try printing the logo on an envelope to see how it looks in a small size. The quality can't go down.
- Determine where the logo will be placed. Logos should look good printed on business cards and on the sides of company trucks, if possible. The type of company and target customers you serve will help determine the type of logo you need.
Part 4 of 4: Trade Your Logo
Step 1. Look at the trademark database
You can protect the logo that has been created. This means other companies will not be able to use a similar logo and confuse your customers. First of all, you should check if another company has already trademarked your logo.
- A trademark legally means "intellectual property" that belongs to you. Hire a trademark attorney to do a search of the logo database.
- You can perform a logo search on the United States government's online database.
- One of the benefits of registering a trademark is that other companies will not dare steal your logo, and you have national exclusive rights to the logo.
Step 2. Register your trademark
Once satisfied that another company does not have your logo, register it with the Patent and Trademark Office.
- Here you must clearly define the products and services that your company offers.
- You must provide a sketch or drawing of your logo.
- If you only do business in one area, register your trademark through the Regional Secretary's office. But this will not provide protection at the national level.
Step 3. Create a trademark control agency
Owning a trademark legally won't mean much if it's not monitored so that people don't infringe it. There are companies that specifically do this for you.
- If you find a violation, send a warning letter to stop the act to the perpetrator. If this fails, consider filing a lawsuit.
- Trademark monitoring activities mean that you will be notified if anyone uses a logo that is too similar to your trademark.
