Don’t underestimate the power of your logo. Your logo is the face of your company. The more it stands out, the more clients and customers will remember you.Small business owners are in a unique position. At this stage in your growth, you have a personal connection between the product (or service) you are selling and the end user. This is prime time to test the waters. You will never again have the transparency to know quickly if a marketing strategy is effective. That knowledge allows you to optimize your strategy on the go, whether it’s tweaking the current strategy or stopping it to start over completely. Everything you do during this period of growth is shaping your brand. So as you can imagine, it can be really good for your company, or it can go bad quickly.
Your logo was most likely designed on a computer monitor. it may look awesome on your screen and printed on your stationery. But how will it look reduced to the size needed to have it placed on a pen, or expanded for a billboard or the side of a bus? Is it so complicated that when it is embroidered on a hat, hoodie, or jacket it looks crowded and illegible? If it does, you need to make some adjustments.
The idea of a right or wrong color is hard to comprehend. There are plenty of websites that explain the feeling or ideas a person has when he is exposed to a color. Red sparks feeling of anger and rage. Blue brings feelings of trust and relaxation. Simply put, colors matter. Consider the message your logo will send with the color you choose.
There will be times when your logo does not show up on a product because the colors blend. This why major companies have a primary logo as well as a backup logo. This is two logos that are exactly the same, except for the colors. Some businesses just flip the colors. If your logo is a green circle with a white “W” in the center, you could invert the colors and make your secondary logo a white circle with a green “W” in the center. Your marketing strategy will include many avenues of advertising which should include:
All of these items will not accommodate your logo in the same format. This is why you should have your logo in two different formats. Your company needs your logo in a vertical format and a logo in horizontal format. This gives your supplier the tools they need to effectively place your brand in the public eye.
Standard printers use the CMYK coloring system. This stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. When you print the color green, the right amount of these four colors are dotted on the paper. They must all dot the surface at the same time. The PMS System is thousands of colors that are precisely formulated. So, when you punch in “green”, and the number on the back of the color block you get that exact color every time. By providing your PMS color to your various vendors, they can match your exact PMS number on any surface or any material. Your logo looks as clean and crisp on a billboard as it does on your business card.
There may come a time when you want to give your logo a facelift. You may expand or change product lines. When you do it, pay close attention to the feedback from your client base. People generally do not like change. If you are going to change, make it subtle and explain why you have changed it. Drive home the point that you are growing and the change is good. If you still get negative vibes, consider changing it back or modifying it a little closer to the original.
Your logo is going to be with you for the life of your company. In order to get the most out of it, make sure to have a graphic design specialist guide you through the process. No matter the size of your budget, getting things done in a professional manner will prove to be a better investment in the long run.
