Take any Marketing 101 class, and you’ll hear about powerhouses like Apple and Coca-Cola who have built their brand around their logo. And while your logo design certainly plays a role in your brand’s success, it is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your brand identity.
So how important is a logo to your brand identity? At Studio Lyn, our brand strategy services in Philadelphia focus on the big picture of our client’s business. We help you build a brand with our creative visual and messaging guidance, ensuring you have a clear strategy around each branding opportunity at your disposal. This includes your logo, but it includes some other important elements too.
While we love a strong, identifiable logo, there are a few reasons why we believe your brand’s logo isn’t that important. Trust us on this.
Building a holistic brand identity
Think of well-known brands like Nike or McDonald’s that are known for their logos. Sure, their brand image is easily identifiable all around the world. But that’s because they’ve taken the time and effort to build a powerful and connected identity outside of their logos. Their brand includes other elements like a consistent color palette, typography system, slogans, tone of voice, and much more.
Successful companies focus on building a brand strategy from the ground up. Many companies mistakenly believe that a logo design is step one in the branding process. Whether you’re a new business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur, branding starts with basic exercises that help identify your target audience, competitors, mission, and more.
Ahead of creating your brand’s visual elements, a clear strategy should inform your brand identity. You should have a deep understanding and be able to communicate how you improve your audience’s lives, why you’re different from your competitors, and what ultimately makes your brand important in today’s world. If you don’t have answers to those questions, our brand strategy services in Philadelphia can help you.
Placing too much emphasis on your logo
Logo design can be expensive when you hire an expert. If your logo is a key deliverable that you paid a creative brand consulting firm to create, you’ll likely feel like you want to get your money’s worth by putting it everywhere — and not doing much else.
While investing in your brand’s visual identity is important, there are right and wrong ways to build those creative tools. Many new business owners want a logo but are skeptical about investing deeper in brand strategy. As a result, they don’t have all of the branding elements and guidance they need to build awareness effectively, defeating the purpose of having a logo at all.
The last thing you should do is rely on your logo to carry the weight of your brand alone. No matter how much meaning you pack into your logo design, it will never tell your audience enough about you to gain their trust. Actually, it can confuse people further or take too much time for them to interpret.
Wondering how important is a logo vs. brand strategy to your business? Consider investing in our comprehensive brand strategy services to grow your brand from the root.
Less is more in logo design
You’ll notice some common themes in today’s popular logos and design trends. Companies are shifting to a more straightforward look with clean lines and basic shapes. Even Burger King has rebranded from their iconic logo to a stripped-back, less stylish burger.
While really intricate and detailed logos can be unique to a brand, they are ultimately limited in how they can be used. They can be difficult to print or use in real-world marketing situations. Plus, an illustrative logo is harder for your audience to remember and understand.
We believe less is more in logo design. A logo should be able to transition between all sorts of scenarios in digital spaces and on print materials. They should also be easy to understand and complementary to the rest of your visual identity.
When you invest in brand identity services with Studio Lyn, we make sure your logo design is unique and memorable without standing in the way of your marketing efforts. We also educate you on the best practices for your individual brand’s logo, color, and font usage.
Branding beyond your visual identity
When communicating with your target audience, you need to think beyond the visual identity. All of the pieces of your brand strategy should work in tandem to get your message across. If your logo doesn’t align with your brand’s overall aesthetic and mission, you risk having a disjointed and incohesive brand that confuses your audience and misses out on their interest and trust.
If a spa has a loud, edgy visual identity, customers won’t expect a peaceful experience, and they’ll likely look elsewhere for their relaxing spa day. Without brand strategy, companies miss out on the opportunity to dissect what their audience is truly looking for and how you can convey those qualities through your messaging and identity.
There are so many different ways your audience interacts with your brand. Working with a brand strategy team to create that cohesive vision will improve the efficiency and recognition of your marketing efforts.
How important is a logo?
Yes, logos are an essential part of your branding identity. But they aren’t the end-all-be-all and should be coupled with clear goals and strategy for your brand. That’s why enlisting the help of brand development services is crucial to expanding your company’s footprint.
At Studio Lyn, our brand strategy services in Philadelphia and beyond help business owners grasp their brand’s power. We’ll sit down with you to fully understand your brand, including an in-depth analysis of your target audience and how you compare to competitors. From there, we’ll build a solid foundation through strategic visuals and messaging to prime your business for growth.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
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