The Elements of an Effective Brand Logo

Your Brand Strategy Begins With Your Brand Logo

Simply put, your brand logo is the key to any effective brand strategy. As we outlined in our recent Small Business Branding Mistakes You Need to Avoid blog post, not having a professionally designed brand logo will hurt you! For most customers, your logo will be the first impression they have of your brand. That is the key reason why an effective brand logo is essential for your brand recognition. Just think of Apple, Nike, or McDonald’s and you get the idea. A poorly designed, or (gasp!) clip art logo, creates a very bad first impression. Learn how you can do better by identifying the Elements of an Effective Brand Logo.

When you begin to develop your brand, you most likely will start with your brand logo. Logos do a lot of heavy lifting for your brand strategy right from the start. An effective brand logo provides a framework for relationship building. So what makes an effective brand logo? It is a combination of subtle visual cues that give a solid first impression. Your brand logo should be a quick read that conveys clearly what your name is, along with colors and shapes that further indicate what your brand represents.

What Is An Effective Brand Logo?

A Credible Logo

Your logo needs to look professional and clear in order to make people confident enough to want to do business with you. This pretty much excludes any sort of clip art or logos built with an online logo generator. If you don’t invest in your own brand why should other people trust you?

A Logo That Defines What You Do

One of the easiest ways to do this is to include a bug or design element that quickly communicates what it is that your business does in a precise way. A misleading logo gives the impression that you don’t quite know what you are doing or where you are going.

A Logo That Communicates Your Brand Message

Along with visual clues you want to pick fonts and colors that represent your brand message. Choose design elements that further enhance your brand image and spread your brand message.

An Updated and Modern Logo

A modern looking and feeling logo communicates that you are aware of current industry trends and are going to employ the most efficient and advanced tactics to help their business. If your logo is more than ten years old you should consider refreshing it.

A Simple Logo

Simplicity and straightforwardness communicate confidence and power, which is what you want. Overly elaborate or detailed logos tend to confuse customers. And at small sizes, such as on your website or business cards, all those little details are lost anyway.

A Versatile Logo

Don’t get tied down with a brand logo that only works one way. Especially in today’s digital world, it is essential that your brand logo performs equally well in a variety of sizes across multiple devices. In addition to being your logo, it may also have to function as a favicon, profile image, or icon for your social profiles.

A Logo That Stands Out From The Competition

Ownability is king. You want your logo to be unique unto you and not be confused with another brand, especially your competitors. Take a look at your competitors brand logos before you decide on your own. Always remember, if you don’t own your brand, someone else will!

A Logo That Forms Personal Connections

Good communication is the foundation of good business. You can set out in the right direction with a clear, concise logo that builds personal connections from the beginning. Maybe you are reading this because a #highlycaffeinated yellow umbrella piqued your interest. It happens every day!

Creating an Effective Brand Logo

Now that you understand the elements of an effective brand logo you may need to take a close look at your own brand logo and see how it measures up. We always recommend starting with what we call the “low-hanging fruit” first. Maybe you just need to clean it up a little, choose a better font, or find a more suitable color palette.

In some cases, however, you are better to start from scratch and create a new brand logo, and perhaps even a new brand strategy. Our elements of an effective brand logo outline all the pieces you need to consider. You may want to consider working with a professional graphic designer or brand strategist to guide you through the process of creating an effective brand logo.

Need Help WITH YOUR Branding?

Here at ESPRESSO.digital, we offer a full range of branding services, including branding and brand strategy development, information design, and a range of other creative services. Contact us to learn more about our brand strategy and design services, and how our team can help you achieve your business goals through creating an effective brand logo and strategy for your business, and help you create the brand image and presence you need to attract, engage and convert your target audience.

Is Your Branding EFFECTIVE?

Do you have an existing brand image and identity? Is it helping you stand out from your competitors? Or do you feel it is lacking in some way? Please feel free to let us know so our audience can benefit as well, and grab our feed so you don’t miss our next post! And feel free to share our post with your audience!

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By ESPRESSO Team Mobile-first experts translating innovative web design ideas into measurable business results!