How do you create a great logo? Here are 3 excellent guidelines…
* Design in black and white. Color can mask a design’s weakness.
* Shape and style matter more than color. Most successful logos are sufficiently versatile to make a statement, whether on the side of a bus, on a business card or embroidered on a shirt.
* Color counts. Don’t pick a color simply because it’s your favorite.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I learned as much in Friday’s Get to the Point newsletter, What Makes a Great Logo. I love that the newsletter is simple, succinct, actionable. Think of it as a PowerBar for small business marketing.
Get to the Point, published three times a week by MarketingProfs, offers Small Business Secrets in 60 Seconds. Written by Christian Gulliksen and edited by Managing Editor Val Frazee, the newsletter debuted only a month ago. But already, I’m digging it! (And if your inbox looks as crowded as mine, that’s saying something.)
Christian and Val are delivering actionable advice you’d expect from MarketingProfs, but in a fun, bite-sized format. Recent issues include: When to Issue a Press Release Two Google Research Tricks, How to Drum Up Word of Mouth and Five Hints for Effective Survey Design. See all recent issues here.
If you like what you see, you can subscribe here.
And let me know what you think!
Tags: Get_to_the_Point, logo_design, Marketing, MarketingProfs, newsletter, publishing, small_business
Simple, Succinct, Actionable. That got my attention. And right you are, so consider me subscribed. When is the blog site coming?
Interesting post, Ann. Especially since I’m with an identity company.
I’m with you on the design in black and white – that’s a big one. We also present the options to our clients in black and white first so they don’t get caught up in the color.
But above all, a logo has to have a reason for existence. Is there a mark or just a type treatment? It takes digging down deep into the culture of the company and its customers to find out. Logos (we call them identity marks) should never exist just because they look pretty. There needs to be a story behind them. Some context. And a lot of meaning. It should tell a story in and of itself.
Good stuff.
Ann,
Good post. I am disappointed, however, because I have so much fun bantering with Spike. But as a business that also offers identity services, I agree with everything he says. The key to brand identity is the story, not a logo. And the logo and every image tied to the business must show and tell that story to be relevant and memorable.
Lewis & Spike: Wait a sec. Did hell just freeze over?!
Thanks for the kudos, Mike. A blog is a great idea, potentially. The real “content” informing GTTP is the Know-How Exchange, MP’s discussion forum… check it out:
http://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/index.asp
Don’t worry, Lewis and Ann, there’s always another post, eh?
Love this – info that’s relevant – short and sweet.
Hi Ann,
Where have I been? I’m a subscriber to Marketing Profs, and didn’t know this existed! This is a great service for small business and entrepreneurs; and much needed.
Thanks for the heads up on this one: just signed up.
Funny Ann because I meant to email you to tell you how I thought the ‘Get to the Point’ newsletters are such a great idea. Quickly gives us business and marketing info we need. Great idea!
Ann,
Your tips are right on the money. When we present logos we always present in black and white.
We also always present both large and small. How often has a company fallen in love with a logo that looks great on an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper only to be crushed when they see it on a business card.
A logo is one of the workhorses. So best to see how it looks on the mundane things like coming through on a fax and the size it is most often going to be.
I’ve been enjoying the “Get to the Point” pieces since they launched. Good stuff!
Drew
Drew: “We also always present both large and small.”
That’s good advice beyond logos, too. Currently, I ‘m working with Warner Books on the publication of the 25th Anniversary Edition of “A Whack on the Side of the Head” (coming out early next year). Part of our cover discussions has been around how easy is it to recognize the cover when it’s reduced to 1″ high.
Since more and more sales and marketing of books is done on-line, often the 1″ version of your cover is what the customer will see. Thus, what looks great at 5.25″ x 8″ can be unreadable at a much smaller size. My solution: NO WIMPY TYPE and CLEAR LINES – the kinds of things you’d find in a good logo.
This is one of those ideas that makes you wonder why it wasn’t done sooner. And the big hook for me? I can read it in :60! Now if only everything in my inbox could be read in :60!
Try to imagine the Altria logo in black and white…! The designers of that one certainly weren’t tuned in to this thread!
Hooray! I now have an outside source I can cite when convincing clients that we need to a.) start in black and white, b.) consider billboards, business cards and ink pens, c.) think big and small, and d.) remember that this logo doesn’t need to speak TO you… it needs to speak well OF you, TO your marketplace.
Loving the new newsletters.
Ann,
I totally agree with the B&W. Faxes are still in black and white for the most part, and many impressive print ads are done in B&W. Therefore, the logo has to be designed for this print mode – sort of a least common denominator. If it reads good and crisp in B&W, it should be real good in color.
Steve
Dear Ann:
As a long time marketer from the client side, I say – just blink.
I don’t think a logo needs a great “story”. That’s a bigger job for the branding. The most important thing is that a logo must be memorable, stimulate the senses, and be recognized in an instant. It should create an immediate reaction in the viewer in the blink of an eye. If you have to explain the design story, don’t bother to present it. The same holds true for all creative. Words and images should capture attention, memory, or evoke emotion. The key word is “memorable”. To sell-in a design to a client, designers need to present visually, not verbally.
And just blink.
What makes a marketer a great marketer needs to be discussed in context to the dynamics of their respective industry, their competition, market life cycle, company sensitivity to investment and marketing spending, company culture and other crucial company, market and consumer behaviorial and lifestyle components.
Certainly a great marketer is an individual that has vision, the ability to lead and motivate a team to think and create innovative ideas from concept to final product well beyond the ordinary that is relevent, memorable and satisfies a need for the target market. The best and great marketers are those that can perform within the dynamics noted above as well as having restricted resources yet have a ubiquitous presence in all targeted markets. They can implement a strategic, tactical and instinctive approach to create excitement and customer demand for their brand with the ultimate goal to capture significant market share, become a innovative market leader and optimize the ROI well beyond industry standards for the long term.
Hi Ann: Thanks for a great heads-up. Am so glad our logo fulfills all three criteria… our principal took 3 years to think and design that logo of ours. He’s quite a perfectionist (that’s why it took so long) but we’re happy that the logo looks good both on our stationery, our t-shirts and of course, in due time, on our website.
Ann – Simple, Succinct, Actionable are 3 traits I look for in marketing, reading material and many other things. Its great to see some thoughts on those very things and I’m definitely subscribing to the newsletter.