What makes a logo standout?  What determines if a business has been successfully branded?  To most business owners, a logo should encompass everything about what they do or sell.  Curiously, some of the best and most recognized logos ever created do not hit this mark.  Many business owners confuse creating a logo with creating a brand.  To be sure, the logo is where your brand should start, but this is just the start.

Let’s say you need a new pair of running shoes.  What comes to mind?  If you thought about Nike, you are not alone.  Nike is commonly associated with running and every major sport through the use of effective branding.  The swoosh symbol and its tag line, Just do it are easy to read, attractive, and memorable.   The name and logo are ingenious in its creativity and simplicity.  Nike was taken from the mythological Greek goddess of victory and the “swoosh” symbol is intended to represent her “wings”.  I can just imagine what the Nike logo would look like if it had been designed by Phil Knight (Nike's founder) instead of a graphic designer.  (The graphic designer was reportedly paid just $35 for the design work, but in the early 1980’s received an undisclosed amount of Nike stock shares.)

So what is the purpose of a logo?  Paul Rand, (who created logos for UPS, IBM, Westinghouse, and many others) defines a logo in the following way.

• A logo is a flag, a signature.
• A logo doesn’t sell (directly), it identifies.
• A logo is rarely a description of a business.
• A logo derives its meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.

A logo is less important than the product is signifies; what it means is more important than what it looks like.  The role of a logo is to be the signature of a product or business.  Branding is the method of getting your company’s name associated with your logo.  This is a process that requires time, and yes, money.  It also requires a great tag line.  This is the descriptor.   It qualifies what your company or product does or is.  A strong brand is invaluable especially in slow economic times.  Essentially, branding is understanding and connecting with customers and prospects by integrating a consistent marketing strategy at every point of public contact.  This includes business cards, brochures, advertisements, even promotional items and letterhead. 

A good logo and marketing campaign can also re-shape a company’s image.  This was the case with ValuJet and more recently, GMAC.  On May 11, 1996 ValuJet Flight 592 en route from Miami to Atlanta, crashed into the swampy marshlands of the Florida Everglades.  All aboard were killed and the company received bad press for many years following the crash.  The company changed its name to AirTran and is doing a booming business.  Phillip Morris was dragged the PR mud during the tobacco trials of the 90’s and today is unblemished as Altria.  Recently, GMAC changed to Ally Bank in an effort to re-brand itself.

Your company’s logo is the centerpiece from which all other marketing efforts start.  So, what are the characteristics of a good logo?  Well, first of all it should be as simple as possible and memorable.  It should be legible when reduced to a very small size.   Also,you should be able to reproduce it in a single color and on all types of media.  Some of the most recognizable brands are represented by logos that don’t even bear the company’s name. Apple has arguably one of the best logos ever created.   It is simple and has absolutely nothing to do with computers, phones, or portable music players.  Yet, it is a great symbol recognized the world over for computers, phones, and portable music players.

A great logo can help you build a great brand, but it is not the end of your marketing – it’s just the beginning.