When you are building your business, usually, your crucial area of focus will be anything other than a logo. After all, a logo might seem like a trivial aspect of your business, right? You focus on the market forecasts, marketing analysis, hiring, product quality and setup, supply chain and other operations, etc. And a logo might be the least of your worries.
Technically speaking, a logo should not be a worry but a priority for your business. You would do well if you consider this an integral part of your brand because it is as crucial as the products and services themselves.
Remember, you are not doing something on the side but creating a business, a brand, a lasting thing that will impact people. You might think that you don’t need a logo at an early stage, but that is precisely what you shouldn’t do.
Setting up a business and doing each step correctly could be confusing and complicated. It could be more challenging if you are new to the field.
The good news is that you do not have to worry anymore because we are here to help you through this Blog. Let’s dive deep into why your business needs an appealing custom logo design to create a business identity.
Creating an Identity – A Startup’s Lifeline
When you are stepping into a market, there are two things that you aim to create; recognition and customers. You need the latter to start, but you need the former to thrive and sustain.
Customers cannot recognize you if they cannot associate you with something. You need a certain kind of identity, and it is created carefully, considering your business requirements. This is where the logo comes in. It gives you a visual representation that makes you popular among the masses.
Mcdonald’s logo works for fast food because the ‘M’ looks like French fries. You might not have noticed it, but that is the beauty of an appealing logo; you are drawn to it without realizing or knowing why.
Make a Great First Impression, Because It Can be the Last
You must be fabulous with your first impression because that is the beginning. A wrong first impression is not the be-all and end-all of a business, but it is undoubtedly a setback. That being said, you have only one shot at the first impression; your logo could be the ideal to help you ace it.
It is the introduction of your company to consumers. Your design piques consumer interest or finds a place in thousands of forgotten brands.
A logo formed using a well-meaning business identity is the ultimate first impression. It communicates your brand’s scope and its products or services (or both).
What Makes a Business Identity – And How a Logo Fits In
There is more to Mcdonald’s success than just its logo. From a marketing standpoint, it has built its identity through several aspects, such as its famous Ronald McDonald mascot and recognizable food items like the Big Mac. However, everything within the company’s brand was formed through its foundational logo.
The logo worked as more than just shapes and colors. It generated the business identity and brand image.
With this being said, a logo must be unique, not because it is different, but because it should not blend in with the rest. It has to stand out and speak for its uniqueness.
You Need to Influence Your Consumer’s Emotions by Communicating a Story
A successful brand is built around a business identity that tells consumers a story and ignites their emotions. This does not mean having a heartfelt story around your brand, but instead, a brand that can narrate an idea without too many words.
There is no real ‘narrative’ to a brand’s story. It is similar to how a song can be emotional without a true story behind it. I call this a story because a brand is more than a final product. Instead, it is a journey of hustle, struggle, risks, and chances.
Just Like a logo is the foundational element of your marketing and business identity, emotions are the foundation of a brand’s story. You need to merge these elements to build a brand.
All elements of your brand take part in it—the logo’s colors, shape, tints, everything.
Attention Please!
Without a logo, customers cannot recognize what your startup looks like. You want your logo to scream for attention, all while being subtle.
You need your logo to stand out from all the other hundreds or thousands of businesses competing against you.
You must be unique and creative while staying in the trend and mainstream fashion.
Use the Short Attention Span to Your Advantage
It is no secret that these days, people are less and less inclined to reach, watch, or view any lengthy form of content.
This is why snippets of text and videos have become more popular. Consumers are in a position where every advertiser is vying for their attention, and there is only so much to go around.
So, businesses must understand that their consumers look at different things at different times, and if they do land on something, it is only for a short while before they look elsewhere.
A logo is the perfect element to grab a viewer’s attention. It is built on values and solutions and adapts to the market. A great logo with its business identity and brand meanings keeps the user’s attention.
Let the Logo Inform Your Marketing – Not the Other Way Around
We mentioned how Mcdonald’s used their logo as the foundation for its marketing. Well, that is no accident because you should prioritize that, too.
If you want to create a business identity, You will need to ensure that your logo is appealing, recognizable, and, more importantly, one that fits just right with the rest of your brand.
If your logo is all over the place but doesn’t fit with your brand, it will confuse consumers regarding your business identity and potentially hurt sales.
An example of when everything fits is Amazon. To a consumer, Amazon is a marketplace where they can buy anything. However, Amazon’s other ventures, such as the popular Amazon Web Services (AWS), are sister brands under the parent company to separate the business identity, thus preserving brand synergy.
You Want Your Customers to Remember You
Your customers can remember you through your name and logo, and it is best to keep them together.
That lands the logo in a situation where the logo has to be memorable and easy to remember. If your logo is too complicated or dull to be unique, customers aren’t likely to recognize or recall it.
Logos are ways to define you, and you would want to keep it as simple as possible. Think of the Coca-Cola logo. It is simple, with two colors and fancy font. Anybody can recognize and define it without any critical thought process.
This is precisely what a good logo does. It is aesthetically pleasing, visually appealing, molds in well with your business identity, and allows itself to be easily identified and remembered.
Let the Brand Story Tie in with Your Brand’s Recognizability
A logo can tie your brand name to something easy to remember. Customers might forget your name and services, but they will forever remember a story or experience.
A business identity is formed through this back and forth between the consumer and the brand itself. The brand communicates something to the consumer and gets a reaction. Your business identity conveys a particular emotion, and your customers will associate that emotion with your brand.
Consistency Builds Loyalty Towards Your Brand
Consumers prefer having a brand that delivers what they expect. So, when your brand and business grow, you want your business identity to remain consistent. However, the only way to stay consistent and successful is to plan and focus on conducting business according to your brand identity.
Having one single recognizable logo is part of that.
As your brand and business grow, consumers also affiliate with certain elements. With a single, easy-to-remember logo for your business identity, that very familiarity can help build brand trust and brand loyalty.
Brand Loyalty and Trust Go Hand in Hand
You buy an Apple phone regardless of its price because of the brand trust built regarding reliability and quality.
You purchase a Toyota because it is economical, reliable, and gets the job done. You buy Nike products because you know the stitching is the highest quality. You make these decisions for some reasons, which include trust and loyalty.
Once consumers have built brand loyalty, they will more likely seek your brand and products than anybody else. This is what identity does; it brings you to the top of the preference list.
Customers Look for Logos More than Anything Else
This goes without saying; your logo is the front and center of your business. People look for logos and recognizable names when making a purchase.
Your logo is your first point of communication for your business. It is the foundation of all marketing material and business stationery. A no-name, no-logo brand instantly tells the customer that it is a knockoff and not worth their money.
If you do not have a logo, or at least one that does not fulfill the criterion above, success might be more of a fluke of a possibility for you and won’t last long.
So, if you want long-term success and to build a reputable brand with a stellar business identity, get started on the logo, and don’t look back.
Conclusion
And there it is. It is lengthy and quite a read, but we hope it informs you in the right way why you should never consider a logo an afterthought for your business.
Laying the groundwork is the first step, but it is the step that paves the way for success. It is as critical as concrete in a building. Without a foundational bedrock, you won’t have anything to build on.
You don’t need to design a perfect logo; you just have to create a good one.
Make an appealing custom logo design that makes a perfect representation of your business identity. The investment, if done right, will be worth it.
About the Author!
Alex Turner is a professional graphic designer at Logocorps. She creates unique yet practical designs for her clients throughout the US. Creating Logocorps custom logo design, websites, and merchandise is her core domain. Clients frequently adore her work as she puts her utmost creativity into each project.
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