The term “brand”, today, is as ubiquitous as business itself. It is a word tossed around constantly, but what does it actually mean? Essentially, your brand is the reputation of your business; it is how people perceive your business and your products or services. Your brand is only as good as the value that is placed upon your company by the consumers. Thus, as a business that wants to succeed, you obviously want to build your brand to be as strong as possible. Right? How do you to that?
A logo is a symbol that utilizes both visual and auditory cues in order to make your brand more memorable to both existing and potential customers. The usage of a graphic symbol (the visual cue) and your business name (the auditory cue) ultimately embodies your brand, conveying important information about your company to your customers. An intelligent logo design should not be underestimated, no matter how small a business is. At every moment, whether intentional or not, you are building your brand. Your brand is like a young child, being released into the world. Would you rather create your brand intentionally, with forethought, or allow it to develop on its own, without any guidance?
While this may seem obvious to some of you, many businesses, especially fledgling businesses, simply do not understand the importance of a professionally designed logo. Your logo is the face of your business. It will appear on everything from your website to your business cards to your promotional items. Furthermore, your logo will be the icon that you use on all of your social media platforms. This is the design that people will eventually associate with your business, with your brand. It is the first impression that your business will make on the public.
I understand that cost is a significant factor for new businesses when making the decision to either opt for a cheap generic logo or to hire a professional to create a custom logo design that will suit the company’s specific needs. However, many new business owners simply do not realize that an amateur logo can ultimately be a very expensive mistake. A unique, high quality logo generates trust among your clientele. If your logo appears unprofessional, it can impart to your clients that your business is also unprofessional, untrustworthy, and unreliable. A quality logo, however, signifies that your business is a quality business, that you care about the quality of your products and services.
In business, your image is everything, and your image is based on people’s perception of your brand. Brand recognition is built through the recognition of your logo. A generic logo, even if you believe it has a professional appearance, has likely been designed to be suitable for a variety of uses. A generic logo is not unique to your brand. You want people to see you logo and clearly identify it with your company. Furthermore, you want that logo to evoke the ideology of your company. You want people to perceive your brand exactly how you intend to be perceived, without any room for interpretation. You want to control the message.
A professional graphic designer understands the important elements that are involved in creating a strong logo. If you hire a professional designer, you benefit from the extensive knowledge of an individual who will dedicate the necessary time to understanding the needs and goals of your business. This individual, or possibly even a team of individuals, will work with you to achieve a custom design that is not only unique to your company and distinguishes you from similar brands, but also is a testament to principles behind your brand.
A professionally custom designed logo establishes and builds the identity of your company. It is a mark that is totally unique to your business, evoking the attitude of your business, and distinguishing your brand from your competitors. Save yourself the trouble of beginning with a generic logo, only to find that it cannot work for you and what you need. It will ultimately cost you more in customers and in sales. Hire a a professional to design your business a custom logo from the very beginning. Save yourself the additional expenses of what is an unfortunate mistake for many new businesses. Be different. Set yourself apart.
