Ask for Black!

I have a very simple philosophy about what makes a successful LOGO: A Logo MUST be AS Powerful on the side of a pencil as it is on a billboard!

Most logo designers draw illustrations that are intended to be and NEED to be reproduced on a larger format. Their “logos” are flashy and can dazzle the viewer, but it requires enormous detail (lines, shading and color) for the logo to give the illusion that they are creating. However, due to the need for that detail, it will be impossible for that logo to be reduced down to a small size and still be as effective. When a logo is created, the owner surely is going to want to use that logo in every marketing effort that they imagine – WITHOUT costing extra money.

Use this mental exercise as a test. Imagine how the Mona Lisa painting would look on the side of a pencil. Is as impressive? Not hardly. Now imagine the Nike swoosh logo on the side of a pencil. Is it as impressive? You bet it is! Regardless of whether that logo is on a billboard, pencil, embroidered on a garment or in a phone book, it is just as effective every time.

So how can you insure that the logo you are buying is going to work in every application? Ask your designer to show you that logo in Black ink only and no shades of gray. Furthermore, ask them to show you a copy of it in an extremely small size...like the side of a pencil. If it is not as good as it was when you first saw it (Large and in color), you had better pass. And maybe even look for a new designer!

The $99 Logo...Is it a Value?

The word value is defined as “the worth of something compared to the price paid or asked for it”. In other words, “value” is not just an inexpensive price. So often, “inexpensive” products – those that have an appearance of great value – have associated with them hidden costs that, if known at the time of purchase, may be avoided. Those hidden costs often bring a frustration far greater than the higher initial cost of the superior product.

Let’s look at it this way. Imagine you find your “dream” car for only $1,000. The paint is spotless. The interior is impeccable. You get giddy with excitement because you have found the “steal” of the century. But shortly after the purchase, you discover that it needs a new engine, new transmission, new rear end, a new set of tires, and a new suspension system. How great of a value is that dream car for $1,000 now? Superficially it looked impressive – But no REAL Value!

How does this apply to logos? There are many folks selling logos on line for $99. Are they a great value? About as good as that $1,000 car! Beware!...Because you will have similar hidden costs. So often those clipart creators will do a quick little drawing (it has to be quick for them to stay in business) that are flooded with lots of detail and coloring. But when you try to apply this to all of your uses the hidden costs are extreme. Many of these logos have to be reproduced with four-color process printing. That will be more than twice as expensive than a standard 2-color spot logo, because the process and press for reproducing it is different. Now what if you want to place a simple ad in a telephone book? Complicated color logos don’t translate into black only very well, so now a single color ad again has been translated into a 4/C process ad – again, the cost has skyrocketed.

Let’s say now you want to embroider that logo on some apparel. You can put it in color for the same cost, but that logo now may have to be simplified to make it work. Now your apparel logo is different than the other uses. Try putting that logo on the side of a pen to hand out to customers and prospects. Often it just cannot be done, because it is just too complicated.

When designing a logo, make sure that the designer that you use has all of these scenarios in mind and you will get one that will be universal in its application. You may have to spend a little bit more, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Are All Logos Created Equal?

Some folks really go to the extreme to get a “cheap” logo. The owner of Cabin Creek Baits let me know, that when he first started his business, “cheap” was one of his highest priorities in obtaining a logo. So much so, that he “borrowed” his original logo from a company that went out of business. And from the looks of it, he paid way too much!

The original Cabin Creek logo made one of the classic philosophical mistakes: More Detail Is Better. Maybe for a painting that is true, but for a logo, simplistic is ALWAYS better. The original logo showed a cabin with details showing each log, with trees in the background and even a bird flying over head. While I agree wholeheartedly with the essence he was trying to portray, I believe that the revised logo accomplishes it in a much more powerful way.

If you want your logo to be effective...Less Is more!