Quick and Easy Identification
When you think of Coca-Cola, what’s the first image that pops into your head? In all likelihood, it’s that iconic bright red can with the classic white cursive lettering. Coca-Cola has one of the most easily identifiable brand logos in the world, which allows us to immediately associate the logo with the product and vice versa.
Why is this so important? Well, for starters, the most successful companies in the world have the most popular and easily identifiable brand logos, including McDonald’s, Nike, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Target, and Starbucks to name a few. This allows the brands to advertise across any visual medium, whether it’s TV, online ads, print publications, billboards, or even the products themselves, and customers will instantly recognize the logo and the company. Even across different countries and languages — the logo remains the same and is just as recognizable. Therefore, it’s important that your company’s logo is distinct, but also easily identifiable across a variety of visual mediums. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is to keep your logo simple while ensuring it does not resemble any other existing company logos, especially the more prominent ones. The last thing you want is to encounter any legal trouble.
A Valid Reason
In addition to being easily identifiable, it’s just as crucial that your logo is meaningful as well as serves as an accurate representation of your company and its mission. For instance, the World Wildlife Fund’s logo features a giant panda and according to worldwildlife.org, “The giant panda is the featured animal on the logo for World Wildlife Fund as a symbol of all endangered species that would be able to thrive if permitted the range and natural environment of their origin.” Not only are people quick to relate the giant panda to the World Wildlife Fund, but the meaning behind it and the company’s commitment to animal and environmental preservation truly resonates with people.
Customers Dedication to Your Brand
Successful companies are sure to attract dedicated customers, and when the companies sell clothing or other promotional items that sport the company’s logo, customers are bound to buy it. Not only is this a form of advertising for the company, but it also solidifies the loyalty of the customer to the brand. For example, fashion lovers adore wearing clothing and accessories that display the Louis Vuitton or Gucci logos, coffee drinkers enjoy collecting and using Starbucks cups and tumblers, and McDonald’s fans favor shopping at Golden Arches Unlimited — McDonald’s full-time online branded merchandise store that sells t-shirts, hats, socks, Funko collectibles, and more. When customers wear or use a company’s promotional product that proudly display the company’s logo, it creates a sort of ripple effect that encourages other people to jump on the bandwagon.
Emotional Design
An interesting aspect of a company logo is the design as it has the power to evoke a specific feeling in those who view it. More specifically, the feeling conveyed is often dependent on the particular fonts and shapes used, but especially the colors chosen. For example, red is a bold color that is known to trigger appetites, which is why we often see it in fast food logos, such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and KFC. Alternatively, blue is synonymous with trust and intelligence, which is why banks, such as Chase and Bank of America, as well as technology companies like Facebook and IBM, use blue in their logos. Additionally, the color yellow corresponds to fun and cheerful, which explains why the social media platform SnapChat chose to incorporate yellow into their logo. It not only stands out in the social media realm, but it also helps convey a sunny and playful disposition, which is fitting considering the platform provides users with a variety of fun and silly filters for selfies and videos. Also, Bumble, a popular online dating application, uses yellow in their logo to honor their name as well as convey a sense of happiness and community. Ultimately, it’s important to carefully consider every aspect of your logo design because it has a direct and significant psychological impact on how people will perceive your brand.