The first handshake with a customer launches a relationship. Whether it’s warm and confident, bone-crushingly brutal, or a limp-wristed clammy calamity, you’ve broadcast who you are without speaking a single word. Good conversation might patch up a rough greeting, but first impressions are forever. Your handshake either sets up or sabotages a relationship in three seconds or less. No pressure. (Side note: now might be an ace time to brush up on your handshakes.)
Your brand’s logo is a lot like a handshake. The visual creates a first impression that colors a customer’s perception of your business. It’s your brand’s ambassador when you’re not there in person, it’s the megaphone that speaks volumes about what you have to offer. Actions speak louder than words, so can logos.
And that’s why a “pretty” logo just doesn’t cut it.
When a logo needs a facelift, it’s easy to think it’s because it’s falling behind on the trend. The font or the color scheme isn’t relevant enough, or the design’s so old it coughs up dust when you poke it. Maybe your sales are withering and you think a facelift will catch a couple of eyes. Airbrush it with a blast of “pretty” and it’s good to go, right?
If it’s going to be pretty, it needs to be pretty clear. Pretty strategic. Pretty effective.
A solid logo is your mission statement personified. It communicates company values, goals, and service benefits. A first glance at your logo should set a tone immediately: are you modern? Stable? Energizing? A closer look can reveal the values your company builds on and how they can provide for the customer. The visual differentiates you from your competition and shows what you bring to the table in one easy step.
Before you think design, think strategy.
- What is your business about?
- What message do you want to project?
- When your customer thinks about your brand, what should be the first three words that pop into their heads?
Only once you’ve laid your foundation can you begin to think about how to make it look good.