Your brand deserves a professionally designed logo, like the ones above, that will reflect your brand purpose, personality and positioning unlike a DIY logo. A DIY logo is one that you can create, download and use straight off the internet. Using a DIY logo might seem like a quick and easy solution, but beware! It might be cheap, but it comes with some serious downsides that can undermine your brand’s credibility and effectiveness. A logo is the cornerstone of a brand’s identity and should instil confidence in consumers; signalling professionalism, reliability and quality. You just can’t get that with a run-of-the-mill logo you designed yourself on the web. If you stop to think about it for a moment, behind every successful brand, there’s a logo that’s been carefully crafted by a professional designer to bring serious value to the business.
So, why should you invest in a professionally designed logo rather than buy or download one for free online?
Think Long-term
While it’s easy to view a logo as a one-time expense, in reality it’s a long-term investment that pays dividends over time. Your logo is a strategic asset that, if designed well, appreciates in value as your brand grows and evolves, providing a solid foundation for future success.
For established brands with highly recognisable logos, like Bunnings or Qantas, their logos are invaluable assets worth millions of dollars. These logos have become synonymous with the brands themselves and play a crucial role in their success, influencing consumer perceptions, driving brand loyalty and contributing to overall brand equity (which basically means the perceived value of a brand).
You also need to consider that many online platforms offer logos that may have been copied or inspired by existing designs. This could potentially put you at risk of legal issues down the line. Think, you’re not the only one to use that particular design, so there may be a similar business that is competing with you using the same one! Protecting your brand’s intellectual property should be a top priority and opting for a custom-designed logo is the safest way to ensure originality and avoid potential legal complications.
Create a Distinctive Identity
A logo encapsulates the company’s personality, ethos and vision, acting as a visual cue that instantly triggers recognition. Think of Apple’s bitten apple or the colourful Google letters; these logos are synonymous with innovation, creativity, and technological prowess.
A well-designed logo sets a brand apart in a crowded marketplace, fostering a sense of familiarity and trust among consumers. But this doesn’t happen when you design a logo in isolation because branding is not just a logo and branding starts with strategy. A branding expert will help you formulate a brand strategy that will guide the design of the logo and ultimately create a unique brand identity.
A brand strategy includes:
- Purpose statement – the reason the brand exists
- Vision statement – what the brands aims to achieve
- Mission statement – what the brand is committed to
- Values – how the brand does business
- Customer persona – what is the ideal customer and their buying journey
- Competitor analysis – the strengths and weaknesses of other brands
- Position statement – how the brand differs from the rest
- Brand personality – what personality archetype does the brand align with
- Brand core message – what drives all brand communications
- Brand story –where the customer is the hero on their journey with your brand
Once you have navigated down this long list, your designer is ready to start creating a visual identity that truly reflects the brand. This comes from experience, creativity and an understanding of design and psychology. You simply can’t compare this process to choosing a logo yourself from a list of customisable logo templates online – the same logo templates that the entire world has access to. How many hairdressers do you know that have a pair of scissors in their logo? Can you honestly remember any one of these specifically?
In contrast, logos we have designed for our clients have a point of difference that captures the brand’s essence. For instance, Show Technology, now celebrating 30 years, came to us to update their logo a number of years ago. The resultant branding was elevated with a new circular device within the logo that has been cleverly implemented across all advertising and marketing as a looking glass into the illumination effects achieved with their lighting solutions. We recently created this 30 years version.
Get Instant Recognition
In a fast-paced world where attention spans are fleeting, a compelling logo has the power to cut through the noise and leave a lasting impression. It serves as a beacon amidst a sea of competing messages, guiding consumers to make informed choices. With an internet logo, you’re constrained by pre-set templates and limited design elements, making it difficult to create a logo that truly stands out. To stand out, your logo needs to be unique and eye-catching. But a logo doesn’t exist in isolation. A custom-designed logo allows you to incorporate branding elements, like colour and typography, that reinforce your brand message and values, creating consistent branding across all touchpoints. Branding needs to be different enough to be noticed and clever enough to be remembered.
The logo we created for HS Fresh Foods reflects connectedness, working together within B2B partnerships. The image of expansive farm fields was the main source of inspiration for the use of parallel lines. The elements come together to form a leaf, returning to the idea of freshness. Eye-catching and clever!
Be Adaptable
Digital transformation and evolving consumer preferences means your brand needs to be adaptable. The adaptability of your logo is paramount. It must seamlessly transition across various mediums and platforms, from websites and social media to packaging and signage. The Nike swoosh, for instance, remains instantly recognisable whether it’s embroidered on a sneaker or emblazoned on a billboard. A versatile logo ensures consistency in brand messaging, reinforcing brand recall and strengthening brand identity.
The Sandhurst logo we designed works on packaging and online reversed out of their strong red brand colour. The smiling sun-face has become synonymous with delicious food and is instantly recognisable.
Make an Emotional Connection
Perhaps the most profound impact of a logo lies in its ability to evoke emotions and forge meaningful connections with consumers. Beyond pixels and Pantone colours, a logo embodies the values and aspirations of a brand. People will connect emotionally with a brand personality that speaks to a particular basic human desire just by the way it looks – even if they don’t realise it. With a DIY logo, you miss out on the opportunity to create a strong, memorable brand presence that resonates with your target audience on a deeper level.
We designed the Hermetica logo and branding for this new brand of premium spirits inspired from elements of the ancient theories of Hermeticism. The geometric logo and icon infuses three hermetic ideas – “as above, is below” symmetry, the alchemical symbol for water (downward-pointing triangle) and the hourglass to symbolise time because these spirits are meant to be enjoyed whilst spending time with the people we love.
Conclusion
A logo is far more than just a design; it’s a valuable asset that encapsulates the essence of your brand and communicates your values to the world. Your logo is often the first point of contact between your brand and potential customers, so investing in a high-quality, professionally designed logo is essential for making a positive first impression. Your logo plays a crucial role in shaping consumer perceptions and driving business success by building trust and credibility and by driving brand recognition and differentiation. Don’t leave your brand’s reputation to a logo from the internet.
Looking for a new logo design to launch your brand?
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