Published:

09/12/2011 05:15pm

Your Logo: Mixed Message, or Marketing MVP?

Logos are all about communication, not looking pretty. (The word "logo" is derived from the Greek word for "word" or "speech".) And if you follow even the most basic rules of branding, you use your organization's logo everywhere you can, whenever you get the chance.

But is your logo saying what you think it is?

There are four things about your logo that viewers notice right away. See how your logo scores on the big four outlined below. (Hint: tape your logo up on the wall of a big room and look at it from far away.) Total the points for each, and see which of the three categories listed at the bottom your logo is in. For extra credit, check it with factors five through eight below.



The Big Four:

1. Color: (Five points) This is the first thing your viewers notice about your logo. Don't settle for a color palette that gets attention, but is wrong for your marketing message. For example, primary colors (red, yellow, blue) are eye-grabbing, but many viewers will associate them with simplicity, getting back-to-basics or young children. So if you are claiming that your company is upscale or exclusive, will a primary color palette shout down your other messages?

2. Contour: (Three points) People will see the shape of your logo immediately after taking note of the color. Is the outer shape of your logo square, rectangular, or circular? If your marketing message is, "We're bold and modern", this kind of contour can reinforce that statement. The human eye "grasps" simple geometric shapes easily. But "easy" can also be boring (quickly forgotten). An outer shape that looks like the coast of North Carolina - lots of ins and outs, and asymmetrical - can hold a viewer's eye longer. But this can cause problems with readability (see below). It can also look feminine. Does this support the marketing message you need to get across?

3. Image: (Two points) Viewers take note of any images in your logo after the color and contour. Simplified, symbol-like images usually work well. More detailed product or service images usually work better on websites, in ads or brochures than in logos. If your logo includes an image, does it muffle your marketing message by causing problems with readability, uniqueness, timelessness, or comprehension (see each below)?

4. Words:(Two points) Viewers will try to read the words in your logo only after they process the color, contour and image. Consider both the text, and the font the text appears in.

Text: Aside from spelling out the organization's name, does your logo include any text at all? Using your company's tagline right next to the logo can reinforce your marketing message. But what happens when the logo has to squeeze into a small space? (See "readability", below). Logos need to stand on their own. And - let's face it - people don't really read anymore.

Fonts: There are thousands of fonts available today. Do the font(s) in your logo support your marketing message? If they have a strong visual style of their own (such as modern, traditional, childlike, ornate), does this style go along with what you're trying to say? Are they easy to read? Will they (and your company) look outdated in eighteen months?



Extra Credit:

5. Readability: (Two points) If your logo is hard to read unless it's shown at billboard size and in full color, it's mumbling your marketing message. Even if your company has strict corporate identity standards, you can't control every instance where your logo is used. How does it look in a single color and half-an-inch high, engraved on a plaque with seven other logos of companies who sponsored a charity event? Keep in mind that viewers have to be able to "read" and recognize images fast, as well as text.

6. Uniqueness: (Three points if you've never seen a logo that reminds you of the one your company uses; minus 25 points if your logo includes clip art, or the concept or image is an uncomfortably close copy of a well-known logo, or one that belongs to a competitor, or is used in another geographical region) Clip art says your company is no better