Logoing the Distance

One of the early deliverables that clients are always the most excited about is the logo. Whether it’s a fresh logo for an existing brand or a totally new identity for a totally new business, that first round of logos serves to solidify the reality that big things are happening. It’s an immediate, tangible symbol of the brand taking shape.

With that said, as one of the best custom logo design companies and a full-service marketing consulting agency, we’d like to share some tips with you on how to approach the logo creation process. The first, and most obvious, piece of advice is to go with a full-service agency if you can afford it. Cheap logo creation websites are all over the internet, but you’re not going to get something that lasts from one of those. Best case, a real artist whips something up in 15 minutes, worst case, you get a piece of pre-made clipart that is already used by dozens of other businesses.

Your business is unique. It needs a personality to reflect that. A logo embodies what makes your company different.

With that caveat out of the way, here’s what you need to keep in mind about creating a memorable, lasting logo. We’ll be using our client NetWorth Realty as an example.

Your Logo Needs to Be Adaptable – Remember that your logo isn’t just going on business cards and your website. You’re not always going to have unlimited horizontal space to work with, which means your logo should either look good in a vertical format or you should have an alternate version of the logo that is recognizable in a vertical or square format. This is particularly tricky with text logos, as the less space you have to work with, the harder it is to keep the text legible.

Here’s an example. You’ll see that NetWorth Realty has a big, long logo that can be used whenever you have a lot of horizontal space, but we can also use just the image for occasions where space is limited.

You Don’t Have To Be Literal – A common logo trope is to include references to whatever industry you operate in within the logo. So if you’re a landscaping company, you put a leaf in your logo, etc. These can be fun if done organically, but don’t get fixated on trying to be literal. Sometimes it’s better to allude to what you do in an impressionistic sense. For example, our client NetWorth Realty is in the real estate business. Many logos in this space have keyholes or doors or windows buried in the design. We opted for a subtler approach, using the  three-dimensional “N” to evoke a sense of structure and architecture, without being too on the nose.

Simpler Logos Are Better – The entire point of a logo is that it should be immediately recognizable even from a distance or if only seen fleetingly. If you go too wild, you’re just going to confuse people. There are also practical advantages to keeping it simple with a logo. If you’re printing a bunch of swag, you’re going to save money by only printing one color.

If you need help making that great first impression, apply for a Rock Candy Media positioning analysis. Our team of marketing and advertising consulting experts will review both your and your competitor’s branding and marketing strategies and identify where you’re strong and where there’s room to grow. You just might get a new logo out of it.