When was the last time you really paid attention to a brand logo? Maybe you’re thinking of your favorite brand. Or maybe a really popular brand comes to mind, even if you don’t have any personal experience with the company. On the other hand, you could think of a logo that makes you shy away from any products associated with it!
Regardless of what comes to mind, the effect is the same: brand logos are closely associated with the brands themselves. The logo is simply a visual representation of the company.
Wait — “simply” a visual representation? Does that mean that logos aren’t really that important?
On the contrary, logos are enormously vital to the life and growth of a brand.
Why Are Brand Logos Important?
Everything has a logo, these days. Companies, brands, even individuals who have found their niche as an influencer on social media — not only are they “branded,” but they often include their logos in posted content.
Logos are a throughline for both brands and individuals, tying together everything from content to customer service.
Brand logos in particular are a baseline for a company, as compared to product logos, which can vary widely from packaging to packaging.
Ultimately, the reasons why you should have a logo boil down to a few simple ideas:
• Communication
• Ownership
• Loyalty
• Visual appeal
Let’s take a look at each aspect and how an amazing brand logo contributes to the success of a brand.
Communication
Logos are small, usually covering a space of a few square inches. But that little space packs a punch in terms of messaging and communication.
As you delve into the design of your own logo, there’s plenty of research to do regarding the psychology of color and font, which different types of logos fit which businesses, how shape and use of negative space play into the feeling of a logo, and even which elements are more likely to appeal to different demographics.
What it boils down to, however, is that every single element of your logo communicates about your business to your audience. It isn’t just a case of writing your brand name out for all to see!
Your logo will not only be identified with your business, it will actually tell potential customers important details about that business. Do you run a fun, quirky company? Are you family-focused? Do you want to communicate trustworthiness and safety? Each element in your logo can be chosen to ensure that these messages are broadcast to the viewer.
Ownership
Brand logos are also used to identify products and who they’re produced by. As a business owner, you’re not going to sign every single product that you produce; but your logo can do that for you!
Brand logos are also well-utilized when introducing new products and services into your line. Even if the product is quite different from everything else you’ve been offering, the presence of your brand logo will reassure your audience that it’s coming from the brand they know and trust.
As you work hard to build up an excellent reputation, your audience will start to look for your brand logo as a sign that a product is worth investing in. That leads us to our next point: building customer loyalty.
Loyalty
Brand logos can be likened to a national flag: if you’re visiting a foreign land and you see the flag of your homeland, you’re likely drawn to it as something familiar, trusted, and valued.
Well, your customers are like those visitors every time they go to the store. They’re surrounded by foreign products. Your brand logo is a beacon for them to head towards and rally behind!
Providing your customers with a visual representation of your company gives them something to look for and attach to. Logos help to build an emotional reaction in happy customers; with each good interaction, they associate positive feelings with that logo and will be even more likely to seek it out the next time.
Visual Appeal
A final key reason behind designing and utilizing a great brand logo is simply “for looks.” Aesthetic appeal is a valid motivation that can be leveraged by smart branding. Your logo plays a big part in the first impression that a consumer has of your brand, and an attractively-designed logo will make a better impression than a plain, “function only” design.
Let’s face it, there’s more competition for businesses than ever before. It’s vital to leverage any opportunity to promote your brand — whether it’s a big opportunity, like advertising on a billboard, or a small one, like an inch-square space on your product packaging.
The point here is that brand logos have a much bigger impact than the actual physical space that they take up. Regardless of the design that you choose, your logo has the potential to become the “face” of your brand — communicating with your audience, helping them to build an emotional bond with your company, and attracting new customers each and every time.
Author Felix Jean
When not writing blog posts, Felix plays the guitar and go bungee jumping with friends. His writing is focused on technology, design and online eCommerce. He’s a graphic designer too; likes to dabble with Adobe Illustrator to create designs for friends and colleagues.