From Nike’s Swoosh to McDonald’s Golden Arches, for the world’s biggest brands, their logo is arguably their most valuable asset. Spending millions to get the design right, a logo can truly make or break success. It’s a company’s first impression, one which can impact your customer’s brand perception, purchase decisions and everlasting attitude towards their brand… so getting it right is essential.
When logos go right
Instagram replaced its retro camera logo, adopting a flat, colourful design. The new brand brings a more minimal look which over the last few years has become in vogue in logo creation. It also allows the logo to be easily scalable and responsive which is important in the age of digital browsing.
Mastercard
Mastercard is a fantastic example of refreshing an existing logo and bringing it right up to date and bang on trend. Their logo is one of the most recognisable emblems in the world, and used across more than two billion plastic cards worldwide. Their logo had not changed for 20 years, so when it came to modernising their branding, it was important not to stray too far from their original logo design. Simplifying the shape and adding a modern typeface introduced a new brand identity emphasising simplicity, connectivity and seamlessness. Built for a digital age, the new design is optimised for screen use.
When logos go wrong
Logo designs and branding have always had the potential to stir up strong criticisms, both amongst the general public and in the design community itself. Some of the most famous logo changes which have been questionable include Gap and Leeds United.
Gap
In 2010 Gap faced a social media firestorm after taking the decision to change its iconic logo. Gap performed possibly one of the fastest branding turnarounds of all time when they reverted back to their original design, just six days after putting their new logo out to the public. New logos can be risky, but by doing your market research you can get it right!
Leeds United
The proposed club crest for Leeds United football club came under scrutiny. A new logo that would feature the ‘we salute’ symbol received much criticism from fans with some saying the new badge looks ‘threatening’, ‘generic’ and completely inappropriate for the club. Crowdsourcing a new logo may be good PR, but it’s probably not the best way to redesign a brand!
Why should you care about your logo?
Your competitors are offering similar services to you and competing for the same target audience, so make your branding the reason why a customer chooses you over them. A strong, professional brand with a beautifully designed logo assures your customers that you mean business, and take your reputation seriously. The time and effort you’ve spent on your branding assures your customer that you will pay the same amount of care and attention to them, helping you to gain their trust and respect.
Our tips for great logo design
Be unique- ‘Imitation is a form of flattery’- not in the case of logo design. You have to make your company stand out. Think about your business, not your competitors. What makes you unique? Use this to inform your logo design.
Stay true to your brand- While it’s important to be on trend with your logo design, it’s more important to stay true to your brand’s values and personality. Trying to be something you’re simply not, isn’t going to work.
Know what your logo means- Every brand has a history filled with meaning and purpose. This is what makes your business unique from all the other businesses out there, so use it to your advantage. Successful logos fit all of those years of experience, history and development into a single concise expression of your personality. Don’t design ‘just because’, design with reason and meaning.
Time to call in the experts
Rebranding is in no doubt a big challenge, however, if you get it right, its more than worth it. As many of our customers know, at Brace, we ourselves rebranded at the start of 2018 and have been able to grow and expand our business because of it.
We have helped lots of our clients with their branding, from all kinds of industries. We have designed the logos for all of these great businesses, plus many more!
Our design, branding and marketing experts can work with you and your team to refresh your brand in order to bring it up to date and optimised for digital, or even transform your business with a complete rebrand from head to toe.
Get in touch with our team today on 01452 729 953 or email hello@brace.co.uk
