Your Logo Design does matter

Remember when you were young, no, no…not that far. Think School. Think those wooden desks with an obscene word or “graphic” sandpapered out. Hold that thought as you reach for your pen with the full intent of making your tiny mark on this soon-to-be more significant desk…Just as pen hits wood. Teacher announces that tomorrow we’re having a test!

And if you were like me, choiceless… you accepted your fate. And you go study, cause that’s what you do. You know full well you are not spending another year sitting behind Frikkie the Fart Machine who’s recently taken up smoking meaning, fear now has a smell to it.

We learn and study for one simple reason really – To go further, be more, achieve more. Now, as life would have it, we go through tests and challenges the same way – More than once I might add. Let’s say you weren’t the test type. You were the sports type, sport means practice; correct? I mean, I wouldn’t go write my test without some sort of preparation. And you, “said sport junkie” wouldn’t go run a 10km race without doing some training?

Yet everyday I see new business just go with the 4-hour pencil “that-could-be a-nice-logo drawing” of a millipede “Grietjie” got an award for at the Eisteddfod  7 years ago. For many of us a Small Business is a dream. That once in a lifetime to start afresh and create something new! Away from the mundane, away from the everyday! Yet…some just run in without planning, without any consideration. We all face the winds of change every day. Preparation and consistency is what keeps us going, regardless of how scary tomorrow looks. So when that “On your marks, Get Set, GO” whistle rings, you give it your all!

The same counts for your new business venture! Cause we definitely don’t want it to fail! Here’s why that logo and first Impression is so very important:

• It should grab attention – Look, it’s safe to say the service or product you are offering will most likely also be offered by your competition. Something I have learnt back when i was still studying is: Companies have about 2 seconds to grab that potential client’s attention. And in today’s world, filled with so many options… if we pull this off… half the battle is won! So yes, if you feel it looks good at first glance…so will a potential client.
• First Impressions – Remember my chariots of fire Montage sketched into your memory based on the above intro I just wrote. That’s what a good logo does! It leaves an impression, and it should communicate ownership over the product or service you sell, if done correctly you will come across as someone who dominates within that specific field!
• It’s the foundation of everything still to come – Successful Branding (logos) is all about storytelling. Colors chosen, fonts used, images that go with it. All these things should tell a good story of why your brand is THE brand to use. All these elements translate onto your business cards, letterheads, Website, Newsletters…So make sure it’s a good story!
• Is it memorable? – If it is, it leaves an impression, which means it’s pleasing and will be remembered. That’s what we want. A Reference made, that makes your client feel…YUP I need that.
• Competition? What Competition? – We have sort of touched on this, but you have to stand out. It’s imperative. Let’s say you were one of 5 flowers, and that bee pollination is a matter of life and death for you and the other 4 daisies…If there was a way you could make all the seductive petal gestures a flower could make… in order to attract the most bees – your little petal fingers would be remnant of a tap dancer…on fire.
• It creates loyalty – Your Brand will grow. That’s why you went the original logo route in the first place. Given that there are at least 10 dentists who can whiten your teeth in a 20km radius, but you are the only one who does it for dentures too! (I don’t know if that’s a real thing) think Nike, I say just do it… think Coca-Cola. You don’t link Coca -Cola with green or blue? Now tell me what it sounds like when you open a can of coke…yes…I know you heard it too!

So in closing, if you don’t have a logo (and one that does not look like everyone else’s), then you are missing an opportunity to make your business stick in the minds of your audience. If however you had no choice and had to run with the Eisteddfod logo…rest assured we have the insights and experience to help! We are after all: Designer Needed!