Logo Failures Are The Worst, But Why Does A Logo Fail?
Why Does a Logo Fail? I know nobody in the capitalist society likes to hear this, but you get what you pay for. When a design company tells you that your logo is going to cost at least in the $300-$500 mark, many small businesses (and they’re not the only ones) start to get scared, and back away as fast as possible. Why are they upset? Frankly, it has to do with sticker shock.
What Is A Logo For?
Your company logo is used often. Some of the best logo designs stand out quickly and easily. Its a single identifying item which is supposed to encapsulate the look and feel, thoughts emotions, and standards of your company— all boiled down into a single mark which is easily readable, easily shrinkable or expandable, and used in all forms of applications under the sun. A well-designed logo will be memorable, helping customers to remember your brand.For something that is used so often, something which is supposed to encapsulate the brand of your company in a form which is recognizable in 1/5th of a second or less, you’d think you’d want a great product which would really last.
Your logo should influence decisions, clearly communicate and represent the values which your company holds dear, and help you get recognized at a distance. It should be a memorable. It should identify you and strike a chord with the viewer. It is a tool— both tactical and strategic— to identify your business and connect your service with the viewer.
If at first blush, a minimum of $300 to $500 seems outside the realm of possibilities, then how is it that so many big businesses talk about the weeks, months, and possibly even years worth of time they take to perfect their marks? And if people feel a small dollar amount is really worth what they get, why are there so many logo failures?
What Causes Logo Failures To Happen?
If we think a company looks too expensive, too stuffy, too lackadaisical, or too cheap we will avoid doing business with them. Similarly, if the logo or brand identity looks like the type of company we want to work with— if their sensibilities match with ours— we will move to work with the company. As small businesses move toward inexpensive and untested designers to build out the logos which represent their business and brand, they destroy the chances for those critical first impressions. In a digitally driven world with the internet and apps at our fingertips, a failure in the first impressions can kill an otherwise successful business relationship.
Sean Adams, a co-author of the series, Masters of Design, said: “If the logo is simple, the context it inhabits can be as complex or minimal as it needs to be. You can combine it with anything and it still holds up.”
Your logo should sell your brand within a fraction of a second. A logo is really the first impressional most people get about your business. If it looks cheap, poorly designed, or conveys the wrong branded message, kiss your new customers goodbye. And if a logo failure is pushing away your paying customers, your business could fail.
Logo Failures Happen For Different Reasons. Lets Examine A Few:
Poverty: Small business owners worry about keeping themselves and their families afloat. They might not have the money for a logo. However, they’re straddling the line of keeping costs low while trying to create a memorable business card or mailer. In this case, the small business creates one themselves or takes whatever is available online for the price that they can afford.
Why Its Bad: Without a memorable mark, business cards are forgotten, advertising falls flat. If you paid for a logo online… well it probably looks like everybody else’s. In the end you pay for that logo and business cards and then later you pay a lot more for somebody to rework it and re-design it. All the work you did building a customer base goes right out the window because they will fail to recognize your material and think you’re a new entity, possibly one they don’t trust.
The Favor: Everybody owes somebody a favor. But, when you ask someone to build you a logo as a “favor,” you usually end up with problems. Because money isn’t changing hands, a question of accountability comes into play. With no accountability on the line, artist often feel like they can give up, or do work that is “good enough”.
Why Its Bad: Would you really want your small business to be represented by something which is “good enough”? In the end, you may use the logo but end up dissatisfied. People tell you that it looks OK, but you can tell they’re just being nice. As your business grows, the logo isn’t really specific to your business and needs to be replaced. Before you know it, you’re right back where you started.
The Untrained Designer: You have a brother, sister, uncle, cousin… neighbor with a beard… someone you know who is a graphic designer or thinks they’re a graphic designer. Why not go with the familiar connection, how bad could they be? As a result, your small business logo is put together by someone who is untrained and working with a wrong set of tools.
Why Its Bad: Perhaps they’re scratching on paper with pens, trying to take a photo with their phone, or working on an outdated or free version of software to build you something which is supposed to be contemporary with the market. In the end, you try very hard to communicate your needs, but end up mumbling to yourself “this is a mistake …”
Pride: You made something yourself, and it’s not that great. But, you made it. Why can’t everyone see how good it is?
Why Its Bad: As time goes by, your logo gets stale and boring, but you find that you’re so attached to it, that you never want to give it up. It looks outdated and you’re left holding the bag. In the end you have to succumb to peer pressure and a chorus of voices telling you that you need to change your logo.
Other ideas out there on the internet cover many of these bases
How Should Your Logo Be Built?
If someone is trying to build a logo for you, ask them these kind of in-depth diagnostic questions. Avoid a logo fail at all costs.
First of all, to get an idea of how to best serve your company. At Generate Design, our graphic design team will sit down with you and really get to know your business. We’ll talk about your company, what your strengths are, who your customers are, what it is that you bring to the market. We’ll discuss what is special, different, and better about you and your business. Once we have a good idea for who you and your business are, we’ll talk about your target audience, who you’re trying to market to, and what is it they want to see.
Then we’ll talk about the personality of your product or service how can we best represent that. We’ll bring up color psychology and talk about fonts that will be able us to showcase your business with a single letter, if needs be. We’ll talk about the logos that you like and why you like them. We’ll talk about the logos you dislike and why you dislike them. We’ll talk about your competition— who they are, what they’re strengths are, and then we’ll do the in-depth research to ensure that your logo will be at least as good as your competition if not better. Without that, you’ll never stand out.
Secondly, once we’ve got a good idea of what makes your business tick, we’ll start by putting our thoughts down on paper. Through our research of all the words associated with what you’ve said about your business and all the things that excite you about your business, we’ll sketch out ideas based on research. Building on how ideas interlock with one another, and how the letters work together in your names and titles, we’ll get as many ideas on the table at one time as we can. Our team will cycle through and critique these ideas until we come up with the design concepts we feel are the best for your business. Building iterations of our best work, we’ll take the best of the best, giving you several ideas to choose from and presenting them to you face-to-face.
Finally, talking about each of the ideas in turn, our designers will find out what you like. We’ll put together and build the perfect logo for you, working through a round of changes based on your feedback, and presenting the final materials.
What Makes Generate Design’s Award Winning Graphic Design Special?
Somewhere else across town, someone who is interested in the cheapest solution for their logo will find that a designer steps forward with one idea – one idea for your project. They’ll be very defensive, declaring it to be perfect. They’ll think that you are critiquing them and their abilities rather than the mark. That designer will start with one idea and they’ll create it directly with the computer. If you don’t like it… well, perhaps you’re just not as design-minded as they are.
At Generate Design we are a successful business that serves clients. While our reputation precedes us, our egos are not on the line with any piece of artwork or design shown to you. In the end our Graphic Designs aren’t about us, it’s all about you. A graphic designer should act as if they are doing you a favor by doing the job that you’re paying them to do. If you feel like your designer is not giving you and your projects the attention you deserve, we’d love to talk with you about how we can assist you to get the best that you need.
Starting up a company and getting the right branding is no easy task. Thankfully we’re here to offer guidance along the way. If your logo isn’t turning heads, and your business isn’t standing out against the competition, we’d love to help your business succeed. Email paul@generatedesign.com today and find out how we can help you create the logo you need.
