When you’re working on designing your company branding, you should already know that a good logo is important. But what is it that makes a logo matter so much? Whether you’re designing it yourself or hiring a professional, your logo needs to work hard for you. Here’s why.
- It grabs attention. Consumers have short attention spans these days. This means that companies only have a couple of seconds to convince a potential customer that your products are worth thinking about. This is where your logo comes in. A good logo will catch the attention of the viewer and can communicate your core values in a way that is interesting. That short attention span of the consumer can work to your advantage if your logo has been well-designed and will speak for your company.
- It makes a strong first impression. You have one chance to make a first impression. Your logo is your first introduction to a consumer. If it has been designed well, it can catch the interest of the public, whether they’re seeing it on a coffee cup or you’re handing out custom logo tote bags, and invites them to learn more about you. With bad logo design, you can alienate your potential customer instead. This first impression is your chance to immediately show that you own your products and the niche you’re best in.
- It’s the foundation of your brand identity. Successful branding should tell a story that influences your customers’ emotions. A logo is only part of your brand, but it is the foundation for the whole narrative that you build your brand on. Colors and fonts are all determined by the story that you want to tell, and your logo sets the stage for you. These brand elements can translate from your logo onto all your branding materials, such as business cards, website pages, and letterheads.
- It’s memorable. A logo is a point of identification. It is a symbol that customers use to recognize you. Ideally, you want people to instantly connect your logo with what your company does, and how it makes them feel. Because a good logo is aesthetically pleasing, it should trigger positive recall about your brand in a way that a company alone can’t manage. It’s also likely that some parts of your audience will forget the name of your business no matter how much they like you, but they will still associate your logo with their memories of your brand.
- It encourages brand loyalty. Consumers like consistency. As your brand grows, your logo will become more familiar to a wider range of consumers. As this happens, the familiarity will give the impression that you are trustworthy and accessible. Think about your own shopping behavior. If you’re looking for somewhere to get a coffee in a strange town and spot the Starbuck’s mermaid, you’ll head for that. Why? It’s familiar and you know you’re in safe hands. Starbucks is a brand that you trust. Trust can be built on a logo with great design, and brand loyalty always follows trust.
