Logo Design Blog - Corporate Logo Design - Custom Logo Design

Designing logos is one of the coolest and most challenging jobs. We are introduced to a product by its logo. So it is important that a logo makes a striking first impression, as the old saying rightly points out: “The first impression is the last impression”. In the endeavor to form the right impression, various companies have changed their logos over the years to suit the changing taste of the masses. In this article, we mention a few such companies and the journey of their logo designs … a journey from the old to the new.

Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. is one of America’s biggest online retailers. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and launched online in 1995. It begun as an online bookstore but soon expanded into selling of various other products such as DVD, MP3s, computer games, electronic goods, furniture, food and many more. Bezos named his company “Amazon” after the world’s largest river. The original logo of Amazon.com in 1995, showed a river running through the letter ‘A’. The logo was blue in colour and its meaning was obvious. It represented that the company aspired to become the largest retailer and paralleled itself with the world’s largest river. Over the years it underwent minor variations but stuck to the flowing river and the letter ‘A’. In 2000, the company came up with an entirely new logo. The logo presented the name of the company, with an arrow leading from A to Z. This implied two things: firstly, the arrow is in the form of a smile, representing customer satisfaction and secondly, the arrow moves from A to Z, which declares that Amazon.com is an one-stop solution for all that the customer needs.                                                                 

Heineken Beer

Heineken International is a group which owns over 170 beer brands. Among them the two largest brands are Heineken and Amstel. Heineken was first launched in 1868 and today it is sold in 39 countries over the world. The Heineken logo as it appears on the beer bottles is the Star-Heineken logo. It contains the name of the company, with a red star which stands for the company’s brewing quality and authenticity. The logo is quite simplistic and clear in its message but there is a twist in the tale or lets say in the letter ’e’. If one carefully notices, the letter ‘e’ in the logo is slanted. This change was suggested by Alfred Henry Heineken, the grandson of the founder Gerard Heineken. He came up with this creative idea to make the logo more customer friendly and attractive. It worked very well….a friendly beer with a smiling, friendly ‘e’ in its name.

Starbucks

Starbucks is the largest coffee retailer in the world with 17,133 stores in 49 countries. The Starbucks logo is as popular with the people as its coffee. But this logo has a long but interesting history. The mystery that surrounds the logo is about the mermaid like figure that appears at the centre of the logo. The original logo was designed in 1971, was modeled after a 15^th century Norse woodcut and contained the image of a mythical two-tailed mermaid, with a coffee brown colour theme. The objective was to show the alluring effect of Starbucks coffee and flatter the desire of the public. But it raised some controversies because of the bare chest of the mermaid figure in the logo.  This logo continued to be in use, until the company was taken over by Howard Schultz in 1987. The previous logo was remodeled and the bare chest of the mermaid was now covered by her flowing hair, though her navel was still quite visible. The colour scheme was also changed from the coffee brown to a soothing green. A third version of the logo appeared in 1992. It brought the image of the mermaid into focus and her navel was no longer visible. Even the tails of the mermaid were made obscure and it was different from both the earlier logos. In 2008, with the introduction of the Pike Place Roast blend, the company has re-introduced the original logo. Though it is not a replacement of the new Starbucks logo, it appears on the Pike Place Roast cups and bags of coffee beans.                      

MTV

MTV is an American music channel that was launched on 1^st August, 1981. The original purpose of this channel was to play music videos and it also launched the concept of VJs. Today apart from music, the channel broadcasts a number of reality shows and other programs.   The first logo presented by MTV, is unique in its own way and is still remembered by many. The channel was launched with a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing. What is interesting here to notice is that the flag on the moon was shown to have the MTV logo on it. True to Neil Armstrong’s immortal words … MTV was “one giant leap for mankind” from the days of radio or jukebox music. The moon man is still used frequently, especially at the MTV awards. Frank Olinsky, along with his Manhattan team created the MTV logo, which still exists and has stood the test of time. Although the logo has gone through subtle changes over the years, the original ‘M’ gives it the flexibility to alter without hampering its basic concept. The logo changes in colour or text within the block ‘M’. Therefore, it gives the logo the liberty to change according to the changing situations or events.

Domino’s Pizza

Domino’s Pizza, Inc. is the world’s second largest pizza delivery corporation. It was founded in 1960, in the United States by Tom Monaghan. Domino’s currently has 7,300 stores in 50 international markets. In 1975, Domino’s introduced its corporate logo, in which the company’s name appeared in red, against two blue rectangles. It is interesting to observe that the present Domino’s pizza logo was presented in 1997 on a very special occasion. The company opened its 1,500^th store outside the United States on the same year. 7 stores were opened in a single day on 5 continents consecutively. The company decided to change its logo as the company itself was undergoing a moderation and the shops were being brightened up. The new Domino’s Pizza logo bears the company’s name in white against a blue backdrop. It has two red rectangles, which carries three white dots. These white dots actually represented the three stores that Tom Monaghan had planned to open years ago.

Kodak

Eastman Kodak is an American multinational company which produces and supplies a huge range of photographic equipments and material. It was established by businessman Henry Strong and its inventor George Eastman. The Kodak logo has a long history of changes, since its first logo which appeared in 1898. Kodak was the first company to bring together its name and looks in the 1907 logo. In 1935, the company used its full name with the red and yellow colour format. It had a yellow background and contained the name of the company in red. In 1960, a curl was introduced at the corner of Kodak’s previous logo.

Is your organization an official non-profit?  Could your organization’s website and logo use a facelift?  Look no further! MyCorporateLogo.com announces its non-profit website and logo redesign contest.  We feel a sense of responsibility to help the community, and the winner of this contest will receive a new website and logo design. Prizes

• Grand Prize – Five Page Website Package and Silver Logo Design Package (Total value $1,648)
• 1st & 2nd Runners Up – Silver Logo Design Package (Total value $149)

Rules

• Must be an official non-profit organization
• To enter, add this sentence to your website or blog, “Give me a new website and logo design and link logo design to http://www.mycorporatelogo.com.”
• Leave a comment below with the following information about your organization:
  • Name
  • Cause
  • Website
  • Why you deserve to win
• May enter during the period of March 1, 2010 – March 31, 2010
• Top 10 organizations are put to a vote from the public. That means you should tell everyone you know when the time comes – Twitter, Facebook, email, word of mouth – you get the point!
• Voting will be open for 2 weeks

So give us the best reason why your site should be chosen, and help your organization’s website get a facelift!

It’s not always product quality that decides the success of a business. More often than not, a brand becomes pivotal towards deciding the performance of a product in the market. Well known brands always have the upper edge as people trust them for their quality.

Every brand needs some time to sink into the minds of the consumers. A corporate identity is ideally an organization/company personified. It is the first medium by which a person views the company. As the saying goes, “first impression is the last impression”, absolute care should be taken before releasing a company’s identity into the market. The impression created by a corporate identity thus decides the fate of a company.

A good corporate identity, aided with quality products, helps to etch its name on the minds of the customers. To create the first impression, a corporate identity should be able to catch the eye as well as effuse professionalism and quality.

Corporate identity is not confined to one element alone- it includes all those means by which a company/organization can be represented. Some of them include- logo, business card, letterhead, envelope, etc. These form a part of your corporate identity and as such should imbibe your company’s essence and objectives.

The task of creating a corporate identity should be always assigned to professionals. An amateur can create graphics but on account of inexperience, often fail to infuse the much required professional look and feel into the designs. Most people think the design companies are expensive but they fail to realize that quality can never replace cost. Design companies having years of experience in the corporate industry can be completely relied upon to come up with innovative yet professional brand image. So expand the strings of your purse just a little more to avoid compromising on your corporate image.

What is a Logo?

Logo is the visual representation of your company or organization. It is the name, symbol, monogram, emblem, trademark or any other graphic representation designed for easy and definitive recognition by your company audience.

Short History

Logo design has its origin in Greece. Ancient Greeks used symbols, which consisted of one or more letters. These typically represented the initial letters of a person or place for use on stationery and signs. Early Greek coins used to bear the logos of rulers and towns. In the middle ages, similar logos were seen in abundance in commercial use.

Merchants in the thirteenth century used these simple letterforms as trademarks. These early examples of logo design include marks for masons, goldsmiths and nobility. By the 1700s, every trader and dealer had a trademark or stamp.

The industrial revolution caused a dramatic gain in the value and importance of trademarks. By the 1950s, with the emergence of national and multinational corporations, trademarks began to move beyond symbols, using larger design systems to unify all communications, to accomplish identifiable goals.

In today’s world, company logos have become the faces of business. The general audience has become very responsive to logos and their meanings. Because of the diversity of products and services available today, a well planned and thought-out-logo design is very important to a company’s success.

Importance of Logo

Logos trigger people’s memories of previous experiences with the company, leaving a greater impact than words alone can do. Logo itself is the simplest and direct way of promoting a business. It describes a company without lengthy explanation. A well-designed logo will help your business to increase visibility and in turn, sales.

What makes a Good Logo

Don’t be too flashy and try not to include too much information. These can have a negative impact. Complex designs representing all aspects of your business and long tag lines are fine in their place, but not as part your logo. The logo type and imagery should be instantly recognizable, up close and at a distance.

Logos with rich colors and rich illustrations may be difficult to use in certain applications. A good logo design should consider all potential implementations.

Your company logo design should be distinct to make your company stand out of the crowd. Using common or fashionable styles goes against the purpose of having a logo and can even have a negative backlash among your audience, who can view your company as unimaginative.

Alison Hulett said, “The logo or trademark is without a doubt the ultimate ‘branding’ tool.” The logo is the entry point to the brand – this statement perfectly defines the position of your company logo and the part it plays in your visual portfolio.

The word “logo” means a name, symbol, or trademark designed for easy recognition. To better understand the place of the logo in organizational branding, it is helpful to look at a little history. The use of logos goes back to the early days of the Renaissance, around the 13th Century. Goldsmiths, masons, paper makers, and potters, were among the first trades people to use marks—pressings into gold, chiseled symbols, watermarks on paper, and simple thumbprints on pottery. Trademarks are still used for the same reason, they were established centuries ago: to provide an easy method for recognizing a particular product. These “marks” made it easier to differentiate a quality product from one that was not well made. The value of the craftsmanship represented in the gold, paper, stonework, pottery, etc., could be expressed through the special, distinctive mark on the product. It’s still helpful to think of a logo in those terms: your logo is your symbol—your mark—of guaranteed authenticity. A simple swoosh on a pair of athletic shoes transforms those modest sneakers into desirable, quality footwear with an unspoken guarantee of “authentic athletic performance.”

Logos are still the front door to products and services today. Uniqueness is key to the success of the identity of a business. The uniqueness of a logotype is of utmost importance to avoid confusion in the market place. The spontaneous perception of the logo increases through the consistency of its presentation.

A good logo provides a recognizable image portraying the quality and professionalism of a business. A professionally designed corporate logo will allow you to create your brand and effectively market your product or service. Your logo should be simple and readable. The viewer should “get it” immediately and be able to get a “sneak peek” into your brand through the mark itself. The challenge then, is to create a logo that is simple and immediate without being boring or institutional. Your logo should convey a sense of emotion and personality. Think of it as the layers of an onion. As you peel each layer—the typography, the symbols, the shapes and textures, and color palette—you learn more and more about the brand, better to say more about the company behind the logo. Your logo should express the appropriate tone and voice articulated in your brand strategy. Since brand consistency ensures that consumers will easily recognize the products, branding is especially important to small and growing businesses.

Your logo should look different than other logos—especially those who share your same market space or prospect base. Having a “me too” logo designs, will weaken your organization’s uniqueness and the differentiation you tried so hard to establish in developing your brand essence. It is always advisable to approach professional branding or designing companies who have proper experience in conceptualizing your company logo and shaping them in reality.

Every logo has a story to tell about its company or organization and its products and services. So it is always advisable to choose your logo wisely because this logo symbolizes the name and brand of your organization. Some popular logos that are identified solely by their symbols are Yahoo’s “Y!” the Nike “Swoosh” and the Google. The attributes of the logo, i.e. its color, shape and design are very important aimed to communicate the image of the company to its customers.

Logo designing is considered to be an important aspect of graphic designing and is an art in itself. Logo-designing firms are specialized in this job and several meetings with these firms help the logo designers to develop an appropriate logo, which symbolizes the true spirit of the company. These logo-designing firms offer a variety of designing options such as vector designs or 3D designs that will help you to choose the best possible logo for your organization.

To ensure that your logo stands the test of time you need to look for the following in your logo:

- Your logo should be unique and different from any other logos of your industry or different industry.

- Your logo should be consistent in any media. The logo should hold its color, shape and design across a variety of media.

- Easily recognizable amongst thousands of other logos.

- Your logo should explicitly represent the vision of your organization.

Creation of a brand and corporate identity involves a lot of hard work. Thus a logo works in two ways: not only does it earn profit when you make a sale, but also assists in brand promotion when the customer uses it and tell others to buy it. This is the power of a strong logo. Thus, a well-designed logo is the most valuable thing for a company that can help them to reach new heights.

Designs can change the world. This may sound lofty but it is something that people have come to believe and that has been reinforced by other designers; discussed and debated at conferences. Sure it is a lofty belief but it keeps things going. Anybody loves and appreciates good design. But you have to admit that ultimately the design of anything is only successful when it clearly communicates its message. Unlike art, there are rules in design: there are the grids that one builds within and the brands that contain them. What is the key to survive such a rigorous structure? Knowing when to break the grid and holding nothing sacred.

Design is always a passionate endeavour. But Creative Strategy is not. And design has to be innovative. Can you imagine a world without innovation? A world without basic medicine such as penicillin where a minor infection could be life threatening; a world where we still take our clothes down to the riverbank and beat them with rocks to clean them; a world where we cannot store food for longer than a day because we have no way to chill or freeze. It is hard to imagine. Steve Hilton argues that ‘behind every great brand lies a valuable social benefit delivered through innovation’ and cites some recent examples of how brands have improved customers’ lives in developing countries. And behind every leading brand there is good innovative design to market it.

Brands are everywhere. There is nowhere in the western world you can go where you will not see, buy or encounter a brand in some shape or form. As widespread, however, is the lack of understanding about the nature and role of brands. When you buy a can of Coke anywhere in the world you are assured of three things: firstly, a distinctive product; secondly, a great taste and thirdly, an assurance of a high level of quality, a quality that the consumer has become accustomed to and trusts to deliver their expectations. The truth is that people like brands. One benefit of brands’ cultural ubiquity is the ability to harness a widespread appeal for promoting social good.

Logo designs have a widespread influence on consumer attitudes towards brands. Logos have played an important role not only in brand promotion but have also come handy for conveying the brands motive across to its targeted consumers. Coca Cola has used its brand to create sexual health campaigns in Africa to combat AIDS; McDonald’s has a long tradition of supporting local communities; MTV has used its organization to change attitudes towards issues such as AIDS, environmental protection and human rights and ASDA supermarkets have campaigned against domestic violence. All these big brands have employed creative skills to convey the message through their logos.

Researchers have found that brand name characteristics and their effects on either memory or attitudes have been of primary importance. Although research claims brand logos generate positive consumer response to the brand. On one side, consistency has been shown to have positive impact on attitude. This could be epitomized by integrated marketing communications where brand elements “should talk with a single voice”, to consumers in order to enhance brand attitudes. On the other side moderate incongruity effects have been shown to have a positive impact on attitudes as well. The figurativeness of logos have increased the coherence in communication signs and led to unique brand building strategies. People need someone or something to depend upon, and they choose well-known brands, while shopping, because they are assured that they can depend upon the brand. The known logo the known color, the recognized design- all makes them believe, ‘yes , this is something that will not betray me. This is some thing I can rely upon.’

It is pretty easy to set up a new business but the actual challenge lies in surviving the cutthroat competition and to stimulate growth over the years. One of the prime reasons why most of the businesses face a very tough time is the lack of proper marketing plan and minimal focus on branding. After all, only when you are able to market your products properly to your target segment will you have a chance to generate revenue to take your business forward.

While a business success is largely dependent on concerted effort of various major functions, during the early years it is most important to focus on branding. Your branding effort should be strong enough not just to introduce your company name to your target segments but also create an impact on them. For a new business the marketing and branding strategy should ideally be able to establish its presence, create name recognition, build credibility among the target market segment and contribute to its status and reputation. Here are seven tips that would actually help you to achieve success with your new business.

1. Write Down Your Business Plan – This should be the first step. Probably the most common and biggest mistake that most entrepreneurs do is not creating a proper documentation of their business plan. We all know what we plan to do; yet it is important to write it down in a formal business plan. It is always easier to follow a written plan. Your business plan should contain your business description. Objectives, marketing strategy and budget, Business overview, facilities and infrastructure, description of products and service, Industry overview, Regulatory Issues, Implementation plan and financial plan.

2. Focus on your Branding – Do everything you can to promote your brand. Get a professionally designed logo that would justifiably represent your business to the people. Get your business cards, letterheads, brochure and marketing collaterals designed and printed by professional design and printing house. Ensure that your logo is properly placed in all these. Don’t fall pray to those cheap DIY logo and branding solutions, they might save you a few $$ to start with but it would actually take a toll on your brand image.
3. Create a Web Presence – It is most crucial for every business, irrespective of its size, to have a website of its own. Most consumers do their initial research on the web before making a buying decision. It is important that they are able to find you at that stage. Also a website adds value to your brand and gives you an added medium to communicate with your customers. Get your website designed and developed by professional web developers. Your website should ideally be an extension to your brand and provide complimentary information to that of your brochures and print materials. Try to update your website often with useful information, this gives your visitors a reason to check back your website regularly.
4. Create an Advertising Strategy – Most business organizations invest in advertisements but often a business does not get the maximum ROI on its advertising spend because the advertising strategy is not effective or at times, there is even no fixed strategy. Make sure your advertisement is targeted specifically at your market; for example, if you are a local store, it doesn’t make sense for you to advertise on a global media, rather the local newspaper is a much better option for you. Be consistent in your advertising effort. The more your customers see your company ad, the deeper impact it creates on them. It has been observed that a 5-minute ad film served 10 times creates a greater impact on the consumer than a 50-minute ad film. For your ad composition, it is always advisable to consult a PR agency. If you are trying it yourself, ensure that your advertisement leaves your customers with a good reason to contact you and your brand and USP is properly presented.
5. Publicity is the Key – Yes, do whatever you can to put your business on the forefront. There are various things that you can do for publicity.Send out a press release announcing a Grand opening for your new business, with a short description of your products and services. Keep your press release short, error free and interesting.Write letters to the editors of local newspapers and magazines about your industry and product. Send out further press releases to communicate other business happenings. For example, if you win a business award, get membership to a professional organization, offer services to any charity or even if you are hiring an industry recognized for a key position in your business.Try writing articles and reviews for local publications and industry magazines. This would help to build your credibility as an expert and would add value to your business brand as well. The amount of trust people place on such experts is much more than what you can get by buying the best ad slots on top magazines.
6. Business Networking – Word of mouth is undoubtedly the best form of advertisement and the more you expand your business network, the more you can have such publicity. Try joining professional organizations in your industry; be a member of Chamber of Commerce; attend networking meets and special events that give you a chance to interact with more people. Volunteer to join a NGO, get associated with a charity organization, or school board. You will not only be paying back your community but also be putting yourself and your business in front of the public.
7. Measure, Analyze and Decide – These should actually be continuous processes in your business life cycle. You have laid out a business plan but this doesn’t mean you will be blindly following it. Measure the output that you are getting from all the efforts that you put into your business. See if it is more or less than what you projected. Analyze the reasons for any variance, whether positive or negative, and then use the result of this analysis to make educated decisions for the future. You need to keep in mind that you should not be too quick to judge anything. To get a decent understanding of your business processes, you should give them sufficient time to run, which will allow you to have enough data to perform a fruitful analysis.

No, you really don’t need a logo for your business; a logo is definitely not a must-have for your business, if you don’t care for your customers to remember you. After all, you are not as big as McDonalds or Sony or Nike and neither do you dream to be a big business, right? You don’t care if your customers think of your business, as a one off venture, isn’t it?

Eh! What did you say? You want your business to grow? You want your customers to remember you and come back? You are home-based Internet business but you want your customer to feel that you are a corporation? Well, my friend, if you are thinking any of these, you definitely NEED a LOGO.

And why not? There’s no harm in getting a logo; a good logo can actually give you a lot of advantage in the business front and these days they are cheap too! Yes, that’s definitely a big reason to get a professional logo. You don’t need to go to a Publicity/ Branding firm and spend a few thousand dollars on your logo. The Internet gives you access to several professional logo design companies who would offer you excellent logo designs at a very affordable price. Some of them might even top that up with some business card, letterhead or other business stationery design.

Still not sure if you need a logo? Ok, consider the points below and see if these make you think otherwise.

An identity without a face? – No, you definitely don’t want that. We all need to have our individual identity and so does your business. A professional custom logo design gives a face to your business and makes it more memorable to your customer. Get a logo and help your customers remember you.

Stand Out from the Competition – Yes, a unique professionally designed logo can actually help you stand out from your competitor. Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes and think. If two companies are selling the same product at same price, you would definitely prefer the one that has a more professional get up and a professionally designed logo does just that. It makes your business look professional.

Explain Your Business – A logo can be a great help for you to explain the nature of your business and convey your organizational values and principles to your customers. An experienced professional logo designer would definitely know how to make best use of color and shape to convey the right message to your customer. Don’t you get a feel of the smartness when you look at the Nike Swoosh?

Enhance Consumer Perception – People are always more comfortable to do business with a big business house; they feel more confident about them. Even, if you are just a one-man company a professional logo can actually enhance your consumer’s perception about your business. They will tend look at it as a professional business house. Particularly, if you are an Internet-based business where your consumers get to contact you only through the web, a good logo can actually do miracle to the way people think of your business.

So, still thinking? When you actually have the option to get a professional logo design for such affordable price, what keeps you waiting? Its time to act! Get a logo for your business and give your business that extra mileage.

A corporate logo design should be highly instrumental in building your corporate identity and should successfully exude the company’s attitude. The viewers must have some idea about the disposition, character, or fundamental values of your company through your logo.

Following certain basic principles can ensure that your corporate logo design is professional easy to remember and creates a great impact on its viewers while successfully expressing the nature of your business.

1) Go for Professional Logo Designers

You might save a few dollars doing your own logo or getting it done from the next door boy who knows the basics of designing but if you are serious about your business you should always go for a professional logo design firm. Your corporate logo is your identity, your customers recognize you by your logo, so the more professional and sophisticated your logo is the better will be your customer’s impression about your company.

Though most of the logo design companies charge exorbitant rates to create a corporate logo design but the industry is changing. These days there are companies that offer excellent professional logos for nominal charges.

2) Simplicity – Keep it Simple

An ideal corporate logo design should be simple and memorable. Corporate houses spend thousands of dollars to ensure that customers remember them at all point of time and a simple logo is the key to that. Think about the Nike logo, it’s simple and memorable—once you see the Swoosh, do you ever need to think twice about the company name?

3) Colors

Colors you use for your corporate logo are a very important factor in your brand establishment. If you already have your corporate colors ask your logo designer to use those colors for the logo. If you don’t, suggest the colors that you think might give your prospective clients some idea about the type of business you do. For example, a company working in the fields of forest conservation might like their logo to be in green. At the same time, you also need to consider which colors will go well with your corporate stationeries as well.

• Minimize Colors

  This is more important from an economic and usability point of view. Corporate logos are often required to be printed for stationary and corporate literature. Using a one or two spot color logo can save a lot of cost compared to printing a full color logo.

4) Black and White Version

While emphasizing the colors we must also remember that it is important for a corporate logo to come out well in black and white. A corporate logo design is used in all corporate communications including fax and photocopied document where they will be in black and white and the logo design must be such that it holds the same impact even in black and white.

5) Logo Format

It is advisable to always use a vector format for your corporate logo design. A corporate logo may be required to be reproduced at any size for different purposes in the future. A logo design done in vector format can be expanded to any size without any loss of image quality, where as a corporate logo in raster format will loose image quality, if scaled up. Also it is easier to convert a vector logo design to bitmap than vice versa. If you get a professional logo design firm to do your corporate logo design and brief them about this basic tips (most of the knowledgeable firms are well aware of these principles) you are sure to get a satisfactory corporate logo design that would go a long way in helping you establishing your brand.

6) Use your Logo

Once you are ready with your corporate logo start giving it maximum exposure possible. Not only on your business cards and letterheads but also on your packaging, uniforms, pens and all possible goods should contain your logo. This gives wider exposure to your logo and people gets familiar with the corporate logo much faster. With all these you are on your way to establish your brand.