2021 will be the year when global healthcare will reach new heights; therefore, giving your brand the proper visibility will be crucial for the health of your brand. I will talk about some strong reason why custom healthcare logo design is essential, and promise to share ‘7 Secrets Tips for Designing Your Healthcare Logo in 2021’.
2020, the pandemic year, proved disastrous for global health. The year was marked by lockdowns, Covid-19 related deaths, facemasks and discovering new ways to boost the immune system. Healthcare around the world is still finding it increasingly difficult to provide critical healthcare services even as we enter 2021. However, the healthcare sector has evolved at an accelerated speed and 2021 just might be the year when the world declares victory over the monster called Covid-19.
What is Healthcare Branding?
Healthcare branding is comparatively a new concept. The need for branding did not really exist until a few years ago since the level of competition in the healthcare industry was to a bare minimum. The increase in consumer choice in the recent years has led brands to market themselves more effectively. Some reasons why the healthcare sector needs branding are as follows:
- It tells your story in an instant
- It builds an emotional connection
- It gives your brand direction
- It generates growth
Branding includes various elements coming together and one such extremely important element is the visual branding. Visual branding is what visually communicates a company’s values such as colors, fonts, logo, business cards and website.
One of the major components of visual branding is the company logo. A great logo quickly grabs attention of the consumers and forms the foundation of your brand identity.
Custom healthcare logos are going to be extremely important in 2021; here’s why?
1. It establishes trust
What do you do when a loved one falls ill in the middle of the night? You rush them to a hospital you trust. Nowhere is the trust factor more important than the healthcare sector. Be it ambulatory surgical centers or birth centers, a logo that can inspire trust among people is best suited for a healthcare center. Since the logo is the very first thing people see, it should quickly grab their attention and inspire trust in a matter of seconds.
2. It gives competitive advantage
Competition in the healthcare sector was to a bare minimum until a few years ago. But with the increase in the number of healthcare centers and services, competition is getting steeper every day. A great logo will play a crucial role in branding your healthcare center and give you an edge over your competitors. The logo should act as an extension of your brand and your brand should be an extension of what you promise. Once patients develop trust and faith, you gain competitive advantage.
3. It enhances consistency
How could logo enhance consistency you may ask? Well the answer is simple, Branding allows people within or outside your company to understand what you are about. Branding helps everyone stay on the same page. Logo is a crucial part of branding; therefore, it should project exactly what you are about in a matter of a few seconds. Consistency will not only increase work efficiency within your organization but will also play a vital role in increasing revenue. Proper branding will enable everyone to work as a cohesive unit.
4. Stronger financial results
A strong brand increases patient trust and definitely plays a huge role in attracting talent. Once a brand gains the trust of the people, half the battle is won! Why do I say half the battle? The real challenge is to continue keeping the trust of the people. This means, your work only begins after you win the trust of the people. Once people continue to have trust in your healthcare system, your revenue will automatically increase. So, the bottom line here is to keep the faith and trust of the people to enjoy increased revenue generation.
5. It sets you apart from the crowd
Your healthcare logo must inspire trust and enhance consistency within your organization but in order to achieve all that, your logo must first set itself apart from the crowd. A great graphic designer with years of hard work knows how a logo can set your brand apart from the crowd. A combination of various color schemes, fonts and shapes evoke various emotions. A square gives you a feeling of security and protection, while green makes you feel rejuvenated, which is why lots of healthcare centers use the combination of green and squares.
6. It is memorable
The Cedars-Sinai Medical Center or UCLA Medical Center have clean logos and are easily retained by the brain. Our brains are designed to remember simple things. The brain breaks down even the complex of structures into simpler parts so that it can remember it. A logo should be simple so that the brain can easily retain it. A simple company mark with its name, when done the right way, can be enough for it to become memorable. People will see your company mark and remember everything you are about.
7. It is the foundation of your brand identity
A logo establishes and fosters brand identity by describing what it is all about. A great logo attracts the attention of people within seconds and gives away all the important information in a fraction of a second. Though logos only form a part of the brand identity, it serves as the bedrock of the entire narrative on which the brand image is built. Since your logo will be the first thing people or patients will see, it should create a strong first impression: a lot rides on it.
A WHO article mentioned, “One of the clearest lessons the pandemic has taught us is the consequences of neglecting our health systems.”
As a provider of critical healthcare, you have to upgrade yourself in every way possible in 2021 which includes branding. Branding will ensure that you get the proper visibility and the kind of services you provide.
Bonus: 7 Secret Tips For Designing Your Healthcare Logo
1. Simplicity
The attention span of the current generation is reducing as we speak. A logo that does not have clarity will definitely not emerge victorious. A simple logo will allow you to achieve clarity. A complex logo which requires attention and lots of “reading between the lines” might not be the way to go especially for the healthcare sector. A simple logo is memorable and extremely difficult to counterfeit.
2. It must be engaging
An engaging logo is both memorable and has the power to make instant connections. An engaging logo creates a meaningful relationship with people which eventually turn them into repeat customers. An engaging logo uses simplicity as the key element and avoids distractions. Diabetes education centers or addiction treatment centers or centers that provide critical care may display their services in the logo for it to be engaging.
3. It should communicate
This point can also be seen as an extension of number 2. If your center provides critical healthcare such as addiction treatment or vaccination against life threatening diseases such as Covid-19, it should be displayed in your logo in a creative way. Logos that help calm the anxiety of patients are indeed the best logos. Your goal with the logo should be to calm and not intimidate in any way.
4. Minimalism
Minimalism in logo design is the “in thing” and will continue to be so in the near future. Minimalistic logos use simplicity and space along with cutting out the extras. Minimalist logos have the power to attract people from every part of the society. Extremely engaging and eye catchy, minimalist logos can easily be retained by the brain.
5. Colors
Shades of green are widely used in the healthcare sector and there is a reason for it. Green is a color that rejuvenates and evokes the feelings of healing and relaxation. You should limit the usage of colors to a maximum of four for better results. Shades of yellow or light blue may also be used besides green.
6. Fonts
Careful attention should be given to the fonts you use in your logo. Fonts reveal a lot about the brand personality. Simple and clean fonts are the best for healthcare logos. Simple fonts portray elegance and create a strong first impression.
7. Shapes
The shape of a logo plays a crucial role in the way people perceive your brand. Circular designs are comforting to the mind and squares evoke the feeling of security and protection. A circle or a square could be great for your healthcare logo.
Healthcare logos are going to be vital since it will give your brand that well deserved visibility. We know you provide the most important service in the society and people should know about it.
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.
