LOGONUZ ŞİRKETİNİZ, MARKANIZ HAKKINDA DOĞRU İMAJI VERİYOR MU ?

Do They See What You're Trying To Say?

Your logo is the most important statement you make about your company. It is the base of your marketing image and, therefore, should represent a significant business investment.

Your logo - or corporate identity bespeaks what you do and how well you do it. Innocently or deliberately, it tells the world who you are. People react to it - good, bad or indifferently - every time they see it.

Its appearance and the responses it provokes are too important to be entrusted to nonprofessionals with anything less than a solid understanding of both the art and the science involved in brand development.

Unfortunately, some businesses - particularly small ones - liken a new logo to ordering a pizza, without any realization of the amount of research and time involved in the development of a successful logo.

All Sizes, Shapes and Budgets.
How much does a logo cost? That's one of the most frequently asked questions. And no one likes the answer because the best ball park estimate would be "anywhere between one thousand and five million dollars - depending on whether you're a Mom & Pop grocery store or Coca-Cola."

While most businesses are somewhere in between, most of the considerations concern factors of size (i.e. local, statewide, national or international); diversity (variety of products or services); and the research required..

Good Research Inspires A Poignant Statement.
The messages conveyed through the application of color, line and design are subtle, yet telling. A well designed logo makes your company look credible - believable - stable.

Your logo reflects your values, your corporate culture, your mission. It comes straight from your business plan, encompasses your history and captures your company's style, personality and energy.

A successful logo becomes tattooed in the memories of your customers. It's their emotional connection to you; and the signpost by which they find you. Schooled, experienced Graphic Designers are trained in the art and science of researching the soul of a business or organization and expressing it with an eloquence that communicates concisely and aptly.

Focus On Your Basic Mission.
There's no need for your logo to be literal (i.e. include a symbol for everything you do). For example, many cities feel compelled to include the mountain, the lake, the trees, the landmarks and a menagerie of other symbols related to their city, instead of focusing on the overall emotion or feeling they're attempting to convey.

Simplicity Is A Plus.
It's a plus because it's safe. It's more forgiving. Simplicity allows your logo to speak to all aspects of your company. It facilitates focusing on your mission by capturing the feeling and provoking the desired emotional response.

Witness the successful logos or brands you see every day - on television, in the newspaper, when you drive down the street. The successful logos are usually very simple and uncomplicated.

Don't give your audiences a puzzle to solve - something so complicated they have to figure it out - like an obscure vanity plate.

The Never Static Successful Logo.
While a successful logo seldom undergoes a complete, overnight transition; it, nevertheless, evolves with the company or organization it symbolizes. If you've been paying attention, you've probably noticed that, currently, many logos are evolving into the 21st Century - taking on high-tech enhancement. The changes are subtle and slight in most cases, but, generally, they do a good job of underscoring the message that this company is moving forward.

This evolution acknowledges the past and builds on it. At the same time, it transcends trends.

Is Your Logo Really You?
Is your logo an accurate representation of your company or organization? Does it communicate who you are and what you do?

Is it clean? Uncomplicated? Attractive? Does it reflect your style and personality? And, most important, is it memorable?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, you're on solid ground. If not, and you're considering revisiting the issue, follow through by avoiding the pitfalls.

How To Brand.
There's only one right approach to the development of successful corporate identity - an experienced, trained graphic designer with a portfolio of successful logos. And, while you peruse, ask yourself if those samples provoke the appropriate emotional responses. Do they touch you? Do they capture the essence of that enterprise?

If so, you've probably identified the right designer. If not, shop around. Be methodical and take your time, because this is a very important decision. It's like selecting the outfit you're going to wear the rest of your life. (Heaven forbid.)

And remember, your logo is one of the most important investments you will ever make. Invest wisely.

How NOT To Brand.
Without question, the most offensive and ineffective logos are born of logo contests. Usually, the participants aren't qualified for such a highly technical feat and, almost always, the end products aren't an appropriate representation of the business or organization.

The CEO's nephew or brother-in-law who "took an art class " is another familiar culprit in the war against really rotten logos. Unfortunately, for too many frustrated artists, this is fun - the time to let those creative juices flow. And flow they do. All over your corporate identity. Tell the CEO to send his kid or brother-in-law to school where he can get serious about a career in design. Being a "talented artist' has almost nothing to do with being a competent designer.

Working with a Designer, keep an open mind. Don't be too dictatorial by prescribing the specific elements to be included. Speak more in terms of the feelings you want to evoke. It's fine to reference other logos that appeal to you. Explain the reasons you find them appealing. But never imitate another logo.

A Very Personal Matter.
Think of it as an abstract portrait of you and your organization. Certainly, its creation and development require intellectual application and energy, but its function is to capture the essence on an emotional level.

Like a song, the logo has to trigger something - a feeling, a memory.