5 Things To Consider Before Choosing A Logo

by Riche Goldmann

Some decisions you only get to make once, but they will affect you for the rest of your life, or at least the rest of the time you are in business. The best example of this kind of decision is the choice of name and logo for a business. Both are really important and can determine the direction in which your business will go. Here are 5 important points to consider when choosing a logo.

Does the logo reflect the image you want your business to have? A logo can say a lot of different things about your business, but you want it to say all the things that you are trying to convey; you want it to send the right message to potential clients. The tone of your logo should be reflective of the tone of your business. If you are in the cake decorating business, for example, you may want a logo that’s fun and artsy or extremely elegant. On the other hand, if you are in the business of law, you definitely want a more serious and confidence inspiring logo.

Does it resemble any other logo you are familiar with? You dont want your logo to become easily confused with another companys logo or to infringe on any trademarked symbol or licensed image. Think about logos that have now become almost universally accepted symbols for a particular brand”like the golden arches for McDonalds, the Michelin man for Michelin tires, or the girl with the braids for Wendys. You dont want your logo to look like a knock-off of a logo that already exists! It wont achieve the purposes you desire and it could get you into legal trouble.

Is it timeless? Once you have established your logo, you have established your identity. You want your logo to be recognizable to customers, so that last thing you want to do once you have achieved this is to change it. It can cause confusion, cause you to lose customers, or create a new impression about your business that you may not be satisfied with. To avoid any of this hassle, be sure that your logo is timeless and that it can evolve with your business.

Is it easily recognizable and identifiable”even from a distance? In all likelihood, your business logo will be incorporated on print, marketing, and promotional products, but it will also be utilized on signs, billboards, graphics on company vehicles, and in other venues where potential customers need to be able to see”and immediately recognize”your company logo from a distance. Take this into consideration when finalizing your logo decision. Make sure your logo design will stand out in a crowd!

Do you like the colors, graphics, and other elements of your logo? Are the colors and graphics in your proposed logo something you can live with for a long period of time? And something you will like when you see it reproduced on your building, signage, letterhead, envelopes, business cards, and all of your marketing collateral and promotional items”in all sizes? If you agree to a logo you dont really love, you may regret your decision and wish you could change it, so make sure you are passionate about your logo design before you commit.

Riche Goldmann is an marketing guru who has consulted many businesses on how to do effective marketing, branding, and awareness campaigns. He often uses VistaPrint for the smaller businesses that he works with especially when doing print material. Though they are not a marketing firm, VistaPrint can get the job done on under budget and on time.