Building strong brand recognition begins with a well-designed logo. The best corporate logo designs immediately convey the success of the company and the quality of their product and help to form a bond of trust between business and consumer. A good logo goes beyond what it looks like—the real importance is whether it’s attracting the attention of the intended target audience.
The Power of a Logo
Robert Jones, professor of branding at the University of East Anglia, told BBC.com that the best logos successfully express a company’s values. “Your logo is how people recognize you,” Jones says, “and it helps express how you’re different from your rivals – warmer, greener, stronger, and so on. As Aristotle said, the soul cannot think without an image.”
Corporate Logo Design Trends
The power of the logo is evident in the extensive marketing statistics. According to financesonline.com:
- 59% of consumers prefer buying new products from brands they already know
- 77% of marketing leaders say a strong brand is critical to their growth plans
- 91% of consumers would rather purchase something from an authentic brand.
And when operating an industry that’s in a highly competitive market, having excellent branding is imperative. Take Coke and Pepsi, for example. In a 2004 study of both products, the liquid, sugar content, and taste were virtually the same. Most customers couldn’t tell the difference. But consumers are more likely to buy one or the other because of the stories, memories, and emotions they feel the brand and logo evoke.
Most Expensive Corporate Logo Designs
What Makes a Great Corporate Branding Logo Design?
It’s a daunting task to decide where to begin on a company’s logo. There are so many choices to make in design and execution and creating an image to carry the weight of the brand is no small feat.
Sagi Haviv, a partner of the prestigious New York graphic design firm Chermayeff & Geismer & Haviv (CGH), said in an interview with Adobe, “A good logo is not about what you like, but instead is about what works.” Since 1957, CGH has specialized in brand identities for business giants such as the U.S. Open, NBC, Showtime Networks, and National Geographic.
When designing a good business logo, Haviv says that there are four essentials:
- The logo must be appropriate to the business
- The logo must be memorable
- The design must be uncomplicated in form
- The concept must be original
In many of CGH’s design overviews, they also review the ease of placing the logo on merchandise. Taking Panda Global, for example, they explain that the “previous visual identity for Panda Global was a line drawing that did not work well on white applications, was difficult to use on all the merchandise fans eagerly purchase and couldn’t be separated effectively from the wordmark.”
Haviv goes on to caution that “It’s never love at first sight. Trademarks gain meaning and power over time, and first impressions can be misleading.” He described a presentation by CGH for a large corporation where they’d created six logos to choose from. “The chief executive could live with any of the six designs apart from number two.” But two hours later, his opinion changed. “At the end of the presentation, [the CEO] wanted number two and he wouldn’t hear of anything else.”
Focusing on Simplicity
The need for simplicity in a logo is echoed across all platforms and industries. In a 2015 marketing study done by Microsoft Corp., the average human attention span dropped to eight seconds due to the digitalized lifestyle on the brain. Lisa McKenna, a senior brand strategist at Arrow North told business.com, “A great logo doesn’t make one think very hard when it’s looked at. It can’t be art [that] one sits in front of and ponders its meaning. If you have to [do that], then it’s not working.”
The Psychology of Colors in Corporate Logo Design
There are also a surprising number of statistics on the use of color logos versus black and white. In the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, researchers Lauren Labrecque and George Milne say that “like a carefully chosen brand name, color carries intrinsic meaning that becomes central to the brand’s identity, contributes to brand recognition, and communicates the desired image.”
Many big brand logos use specific colors to provoke emotions or responses in consumers. Red is utilized to encourage appetite and happiness; green is often used to signify the environment—even color saturation plays a part in how we perceive an image. Labrecque and Milne found that certain industries frequently use particular colors. For instance, the color blue is used in over 75% of credit card brand logos and 20% of fast-food brand logos. Meanwhile, red is found in over 60% of retail brands, but 0% in apparel.
Successful (and Unsuccessful) Corporate Logo Rebranding
If you’re a company looking to rebrand, history has shown that working with a reputable firm that has both your business and customers in mind is the best way to undertake the task. While many rebrands have successfully bridged a company into the modern age with new, relevant brand identities, a handful of rebranding ventures have companies millions of dollars and customer loyalty.
Gap, for instance, attempted to rebrand in 2010 without consulting customers and throwing their original logo to the wayside. Within days of the rebrand announcement, they announced that they would return to their original logo due to customer backlash on Facebook. Knowing your customer and conveying the same mission with a new logo is critical for rebranding. Consulting with a firm well-versed in brand identity and graphic design is the first step in assuring a successful rebranding.
Modern Business Logo Design Inspiration
In Summary
Whether you’re looking to create a brand for your up-and-coming business or rebrand your existing company, it’s important to consult with a firm that personally invests itself in your work and your customers. One that will take care to create a simple, recognizable, and remarkable logo for your brand. We’d be delighted to assist you in your brand design and identity.
Besides having grown up in the design Industry, Christiaan has advised some of the world’s largest companies on their branding & packaging designs. Has been the resident judge for design awards, and has spoken at numerous global design & marketing events. Christiaan founded the London office of the award-winning Cartils agency, and has founded the DesignBro.com platform.
