Logos are one of the most misunderstood elements of marketing. People expect more of them than they can ever hope to do.
Let’s see if we can shine a little light on the subject.
Though it comes from the Greek word for “word”, it doesn’t necessarily include any words or letters. It’s just a symbol meant to represent a company, product line or product, idea or process.
A logo:
1. Should be easily recognizable even at a distance.
2. Needs to be distinct from and can’t be confused with competition logos.
3. Should be memorable.
4. It needs to be suitable to the company, product line or product it is supposed to represent.
5. It should give a desired impression or reinforce it.
That is all a logo does or can do.
The McDonalds’s stylized “M” logo is simple, recognizable from a distance (by color and shape) and associated with McDonald’s worldwide by literally billions of people. No one seeing that logo is going to think they are at Burger King.
A person who has eaten at McDonald’s seeing that logo, knows at once that McDonald’s is being referred to. He also knows what he can expect – inexpensive fast food hamburgers, fries and other items. An American, seeing that symbol in Sweden, China or Kuala Lumpur, has a pretty good idea what he is going to get. With minor variations. They use more ketchup on the burgers in Sweden, and beer is amongst the drinks available.
The Nike “swoosh” is a good example of a logo that communicates a certain impression – a sense of motion and grace.
What can’t a logo do?
No one is going to know what your company or product is like, know what it does, know that it is cheaper or better or prettier than the competition’s. They are not going to know it is what they need — unless they have previous familiarity with what the symbol stands for!
No one is going to rush down to the store to buy a product because they like the logo or because the logo causes some kind of subliminal effect on them.
Logos are valuable, and any company should have a good logo. Just don’t try and make them do more work than they are capable of.
They are liable to go on strike.
Logos
