Building a Small Business Brand: Why Your Logo Matters

Many people confuse the word “brand” when it comes to marketing. Some people think that the logo its self is the brand. This is primarily due to the ancient custom of branding cattle. A logo used to be burnt into the hide of livestock to show whom it belonged to. People have taken this notion and co-opted it into the marketing world, where they start to believe that a brand is the logo its self–this is not true. In marketing terms a “brand” is a clear and concise statement of principles that the company aims to maintain at all times.

The brand logo is a proud ambassador for your company

The brand logo is something that acts as an ambassador for a company and its brand principals. The principals are able to stand behind a logo, which is used more like a flag than it is a medium of communication. If a company puts their logo onto a product then they are putting their brand principal promises into that product. They are saying that they product has all the qualities that you should expect from any other product in their line. You can create your own brand logo if you just sell pens and pencils or if you have your essay writing service.

A logo expresses your brand qualities at the risk of your company reputation

A brand is a very powerful tool, and when you encapsulate this power and put it behind a logo, you are also staking your brand reputation at the same time. If a consumer is aware of your brand and its principals then they will recognize its logo. If you then put your logo on a low quality product, your whole brand will take a fair amount of PR damage. A brand logo is a very powerful tool for instantly raising the credibility and salability of a product, but this comes at the cost of risking your brand every time you put its logo on a product.

A logo is often a sign of an established company

Smaller businesses do have a large problem with credibility. They have very few customers, and new customers have to take a leap of faith when they sign up to join them. This is why having a logo is a good thing for a small business to invest in. A logo is often a sign that a company is established and professional. This is simply because many small businesses and new businesses do not have one.

A logo can communicate your brand principals in seconds

If you have suitably grown and expanded your brand, you should also attach your brand principals to a logo. This is because if people associate your brand with your logo, you will be able to use your logo as a quick delivery system for your brand principals. The appearance of your brand logo on a product or piece of text will instantly convey that your principals and beliefs apply to that particular product or text.

A logo can raise the prestige of your company

It is a commonly held belief that a company is more important and established if it has a logo. By attaching a logo to your company, you will inadvertently raise its prestige.

A bad or inappropriate logo can cause problems

If you are looking for proof that a logo matters then look at what happens when a company has a bad or inappropriate logo. Their credibility and PR takes a steep nosedive. How could this be possible if a logo did not matter to a company?

A logo makes advertising a lot easier

This is because if you are able to successfully weld your brand principals to your logo, you will have no need to have to reiterate your brand principals with every advert. All you will need to do is put your logo onto your adverts and people will remember what your company stands for. Their subsequent expectations will be raised to a point where they will be more willing to purchase from you.

Here is a short list of the types of logos to avoid 

• Ÿ  Ones that look like other peoples

If people confuse your logo with another company, it will cause a host of problems that could have easily been avoided. Try not to copy other logos and follow only your own ideas and projects. And then your logo can help you to create a brand.

• Ÿ  Ones that restrict your company to a certain product

People made this mistake when they had their logos in the form of Polaroid cameras or VHS videos. As soon as the items were out of circulation, they had to go out of business or start rebuilding credibility for a new logo.

• Ÿ  Ones that use unattractive colors

Colors such as caterpillar green or yellowy brown are not attractive colors, so you should avoid them. Moreover, combine colors in right way. Now it’s very easy to find tutorials and tips how to choose the most appropriate colors.

• Ÿ  Ones that are not in keeping with the host company’s brand values

This is obvious, but things such as putting guns on a peace-furthering brand (for example) is a silly thing to do. The logo must keep with the brands values/principals.

• Ÿ  Ones that are over simplistic (unless you have a big advertising budget)

Logos that give no clue as to the nature of the business they represent are harder to market and therefore should be avoided unless you have the budget to create saturation media coverage.

• Ÿ  Ones that cannot change or evolve

Changing and evolving a logo is one of the best ways of keeping people interested in a brand. Twitter are the current masters of this, to the point where ordinary fans are redesigning their bird logo.

• Ÿ  Ones that do not translate very well into black and white

If your logo has colors with multiple shades, or text that is on the back of similar colors it will not translate well into black and white, which is a bad news for your logo.