The truth of the matter is, the product or service you are offering is probably something that has already been done before. So how do you make your business stand out in an oversaturated industry? Here’s what you need to know when you go head-to-head in a logo battle with your rivals.
Have a cohesive and consistent brand message
All the great brands have one thing in common: a clear brand message. Start your branding strategies by defining what your purpose is. Why are you in business? What do your stand for? How can you help people with your product? What role will your services play in other people’s lives? The brand message you create from answering these questions is very important as it should be one that can stick with your company for the long haul. Once you’ve nailed down your brand’s message, the next step is to create a roadmap for your marketing campaign. This roadmap includes your logo as a central part.
Your logo should be timeless and should communicate your brand’s message, such as Coca-Cola’s for example. The soda brand has made some minor changes to its logo over time, but mainly it has stuck to classic hand-drawn, swirly-red scripted font. It still remains refreshing, recognizable, and memorable even after many decades have passed since its inception. They have maintained the classic theme across all of their branding and marketing over time.
By contrast, their rival Pepsi has been fighting a losing battle in the soda industry and this can be partly attributed to the company’s poor branding history. Pepsi has been fiddling with its logo and branding every so often without a firm brand identity. They run gimmicky campaigns that leave the audience unsure about what Pepsi stands for. This creates a lack of loyalty to the brand.
So in this case, you can see Coca-Cola comes out the winner thanks to their consistent messaging and representative logo. Once you have identified your brand’s identity, there are some other factors to consider about creating a quality logo.
Logo design tips
This checklist can be helpful when creating a logo than will stand the test of time and the competition from rival brands.
Keep it simple
Stick with a clean and uncluttered logo. These are usually the ones that stay at the forefront of the consumer’s mind, while complicated ones are usually relegated to the background.
Targeted typography
Then, you need to think about your company. You can’t just choose a typeface or a color simply because they look good on paper. If you are creating a logo for a traditional business, then a timeless and classic font will work well. On the other hand, if the business is a modern one and lives online, you can take a risk and go for a quirky and whimsical font.
Versatility
Make sure the logo translates well on different platforms, both online and in print. Also check for readability – the logo should be easy on the eyes. If your logo takes a lot of effort to read and puts strain on the eyes, then it won’t make a good impression.
Relevant design
One tip to make your logo stand out is to keep your target audience in mind during the design process. Think about the audience you are trying to attract. The logo should not be a reflection of your preferences but rather, it should appeal to your target market. For example, a cutting-edge, attention-grabbing logo might not appeal to a mature crowd, while a simple but elegant logo might be deemed as “boring” or “safe” if you’re trying to market to millennials.
Use colors to your advantage
Color is critical during the logo-making process, as it invokes all sorts of feelings. Therefore, choosing the wrong color for your logo can be detrimental to your business. Ninety-three percent of purchasing decisions have been made based on visual perception, and perceptions can be heightened or lessened based on color used for a logo.
Just take a look at the color blue. It inspires trustworthiness, security, and calmness. This is why banks such as Visa and Barclays use it on their logo.
Red is all about energy, action, passion, and boldness, which is why beverage companies such as Coca-Cola and Red Bull use this color in their branding. When designing a logo, choose colors that align with your brand identity.
Be different
You might be tempted to look for inspiration among your successful competitors. You might even think that aligning your logo and branding with theirs will make you succeed by association but this could prove to be a costly mistake. Potential customers may have a hard time making the distinction between you and your competitor which is the opposite of what you want. Steer away from using logos that are somewhat similar to your competitors’ and forge your own path.
How to win
Choosing the right size, shape, font, and color for your logo are all important. But in order to set your logo apart from others, you need to have a good grasp of the “whys” of your business and be able to articulate those in the logo you end with.
Want More?
Starting up a company and getting the right branding is no easy task. Thankfully we’re here to offer guidance along the way. Check out these articles for more helpful hints:
5 Common Free Logos to Avoid
How Crowdsourcing Design Helped Me to Kickstart My Business
The 10 Decisions You Will Make When Designing Your Logo
Top Reasons Why A Logo Fails And How To Ensure Your Design Works Well
Written by Jessica Walrack on Monday, September 5, 2016
Jessica Walrack is a professional freelance writer with a background in sales and marketing. After 7 years in the corporate world, she stepped into the online sphere and has now been freelancing for 4 years. She specializes in helping businesses to create a stellar online experience for their audience in order to build industry authority and increase profitability. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys traveling all over the world with her family.