Many people overlook the importance of a logo for a business. They think it’s all about special offers or fancy marketing to get your name out there, but in reality, your brand is built and remembered through your logo. It provides the lasting impression that keeps your business in someones mind, or triggers a memory when they see it again.
We are all very familiar with the golden arches from McDonalds, which is basically an institution. Seeing them in the distance gives you the instant recognition of “Maccas”, not only showing that you are going past, but also making you want to go inside for one of their tasty burgers. Their advertising has been built around this branding, and as one of the biggest fast food chains in the world, it has obviously worked.
Other companies who have memorable logos include the World Wildlife Fund. This is a very interesting logo, as it uses a panda as the main part of the graphic. This is very effective, as it stands out from other logos and also gives the representation of an endangered species, one that needs to be protected. So not only does it help people remember the company, but it also illustrates the important point of conservation…their main focus.
Nike is another whos business logo design has given their image widespread success throughout the world. Their simple graphic, the Nike “swoosh” is recognised by almost anyone who sees it, thanks to the successfully marketing of their brand. Nowdays, their logo is so familiar to people that they can show the swoosh without any mention of the company name, and people know exactly what it is.
Some of my other favourite logos are Coca Cola, Federal Express, and the 4 Australian banks. All of these recently had their branding revamped, including ANZ, a proud sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open. Their blue and black colours are very powerful and the new graphic shows 3 little graphics, which together looks like a person with their arms out. It is simple yet very effective. The letters ANZ have only been changed slightly and still have the same font as before. But these subtle changes have given the banks branding a fresh new look, and brought them in to the 21st century.
The most successful logos are ones which are simple, yet memorable. Most logos need to be shown across a wide range of mediums including the internet, company letterheads, email signatures, on office stationary, in magazines and newspapers and sometimes even on billboards. So it must work in a various range of sizes and positions. That is why scalability is very important.
Finding a suitable company to design your business logo is paramount. Your logo plays such a big part in the success of your organisation and you must allocate resources from your budget accordingly. If you invest wisely early on and get branding that helps you stand out in the crowd and is remembered, you will reap the benefits for a long time.
