Designing a Memorable and Mind-Shaping Logo
Today, it is clear to branding specialists and brand managers that the impact of logo design on brand value is a matter separate from the production line and product quality!
This concept, which has recently drawn the attention of researchers in the field and may still be less comprehensible to the general public, has caused the rules of the trade war to change globally. While, on one hand, product or service quality remains an absolutely vital issue for the brand audience (customers will never tolerate poor quality and demand high-quality products), on the other hand, looking at prominent companies in Western and European countries, we see that the war of production is no longer the main source of inspiration and the herald of victory.
Among the world’s best-selling brands, vast companies have realized that they must focus on selling their brand, rather than excessively concentrating on product delivery. It is exactly at this point that we grasp the importance of every brand’s symbol—the logo—and the subject of designing a memorable logo becomes more prominent than ever.
As an example, imagine entering a store to buy an electronic device with a specific use. You carefully examine all available items. In terms of functionality and quality, you observe that almost all devices manufactured in the same year use the same technology and differ by barely ten percent in features. We don’t know about you, but people typically buy the product whose brand and logo they recognize (even if this product scores lower in terms of comparable features). This example should make you take the issue of specialized logo design, and particularly designing a memorable logo for your brand, more seriously than ever.
The Power of Logo Design
We draw your attention to an interesting fact: According to conducted surveys, today in developed countries, 75% of businesses operate in the service sector, 25% in the industrial sector, and less than 5% in agriculture. The reason for mentioning this is to highlight that in today’s commerce, companies no longer heavily involve themselves in manufacturing, as nearly every commodity is readily available to them. This signifies:
The increase in the number of brands and, consequently, customer choices in the market equals a decrease in the shelf life of a commercial name! This means the stronger and more memorable the logo design, the more enduring the brand and the higher the brand’s sales will be.
This is a major challenge in today’s trade market. To overcome this large challenge, major brands must shift their focus from production to sales. Instead of aiming to be renowned producers (though quality still remains paramount), they should aspire to be reputable brand creators.
The Main Challenge: Memorability!
In the realm of branding and brand creation, the perennial challenge has always been brand longevity!
Brand longevity is not something that cannot be achieved through advertising, but the more accurate statement is: powerful and targeted advertising is always a necessary condition for longevity, but not a sufficient one. Advertising can adequately support a brand, but advertising (especially the unrestrained kind) can never create a brand (and by brand, we always refer to a brand in its ideal state).
In fact, advertising, by creating a wave of engineered communication, leads to increased public awareness of the brand.
The key takeaway of this educational article is that for brands to become prominent commercial names, they must simultaneously offer high-quality products and services, but also look beyond quality and have a more meticulous view of their true position among competitors and in their market.
In today’s commerce, the main competition is no longer in the technology of production lines or the backstreets of markets; the battlefield is in the customers’ minds. Today, the goal of brands is no longer the war of production and goods, but the battle for market share and the share each brand occupies in the minds of its audience. This is the true capital of every brand!
To achieve maximum sales, manufacturers and companies must grasp this reality. Instead of focusing on the functional values of their products, they must direct their management team’s focus toward the mental performance of their products and services. This means brands, through designing a memorable logo, must strengthen the perception that the audience and the general public will have of that commercial name, ultimately bringing significant market achievements for their products.
The Secrets to Choosing a Memorable Logo!
The logo is the face of your company. It largely shapes people’s initial connection with your company and remains in the audience’s mind. Each of us can instantly recall an icon that is a company’s logo: the Coca-Cola logo or Apple’s. The best logos share common characteristics. Below, we read 5 secrets to choosing a successful logo from Jonaah Berger:
1. Simplicity
The first characteristic of all successful logos is simplicity. Berger says: “A good way to think about simplicity is the number of moving parts in the logo.” For example, the original Apple logo was colored like a rainbow, while the current logo is made of simple black or gray. Simplicity makes the logo easier to look at, which customers will appreciate. Berger also notes elsewhere: “Anything that requires easier processing is more likable.” This is why most brands try to use beauty in simplicity to make it easier for customers to digest.
2. The Logo Speaks of the Brand
Your logo is inspired to share your goals with the customer, so in designing the logo, you need to reflect your company’s overall message within it. Let’s use the Apple logo again. Decades ago, Berger said: “The rainbow has an essential connection to freedom and comfort,” but not anymore! While Apple’s ancient logo expressed the free spirit of a new beginning against technology giants, its current status as one of the world’s most valuable companies demands smoothness, polish, and a connection to the future—something the current Apple logo evokes. At the time, the Apple logo was “lighter” and “friendlier” than IBM’s dark logo, which aligns with Apple’s message: We are technology; we are friendly technology; we are easy-to-use technology. If you want to start a new company, you must seriously think about the “key characteristics of the brand” and “incorporating these characteristics into the logo.”
3. Enduring in the Mind (Memorability)
Memorability makes your logo easier to remember. Your logo should make it easy for customers to recall it and know you exist. Essentially, simplicity contributes to the longevity of logos, but interestingly, a little “incongruity” can make a logo better remembered. If the Apple logo lacked the “bite,” it would be easier to scrutinize but would resemble thousands of things we’ve seen before. Incorporating a little difference or unexpected elements can increase the logo’s potential for memorability.
4. Attention-Grabbing
Talentbin (a search engine that helps companies acquire talent) has a logo that demonstrates this quality (grabbing attention). The logo consists of a purple cartoon squirrel riding a mythical unicorn. It might look somewhat silly at first glance, but it has a specific meaning: in the recruitment industry, a “purple squirrel” is the symbol of a highly rare individual (a perfect candidate). This is an intelligent way to show that they are unique and know the etiquette. The purple squirrel is not the main TalentBin logo but is used in internal conferences and promotional items given to people in the recruitment industry. If you are an established brand, you probably don’t need to grab attention, but if you are starting a new business, you should take some risks.
5. Market Testing
Finally, do not rely solely on your own thoughts. Conduct market research. One way to test various logos is by using surveys and polls. Before printing your logo on promotional cards, you can place your logo on websites and gather feedback from other users. By testing your logo this way, you can ensure that your logo says exactly what you want it to!