In a competitive marketplace, there's always another business around the corner striving to create a better brand than you. To reach consumers and make an impact, you have to be more effective, more visual and more appealing. It's imperative to connect with consumers if you want to create a distinct brand. Not only do they need to love your product, they must associate it with the identity of your business—an identity that is branded and maintained by creating a unique logo. Why do people love Hallmark cards? There's an emotional connection, a rich history of tradition and a beloved crown symbol that's known for its unspoken meaning of sending the very best. The Hallmark logo sends a powerful message without any words at all.
Smart branding comes with knowing exactly who you are. If you don't know your business, customers never will. To build recognition, it's important for customers to have something to instantly know you by. Your logo is the face of your brand. It's a symbol that represents your business' image and stands for what you do, helping solidify your reputation. It's essential to have a professional, credible reputation and great logo design. Without it, you won't have a solid foundation to build your business on.
Your logo will be around for years, so make sure you love it! Changing it after customers become familiar with your brand identity can be very unpopular, yielding lost sales. Customers often become loyal followers of a brand and will memorize their symbol. Once your business has an established logo, consumers will notice a change. Take the example of Gap—the clothing manufacturer unsuccessfully tried to change their classic logo in 2010. Within days of initiating the change, consumers loudly voiced their displeasure online through Facebook and Twitter.
What's the best way to create a logo that will win over consumers and promote your brand? Study your business, product and competitors! Creating a logo isn't just about creating the design, it's also about doing your homework. Quality work can only come from time spent customizing a design that reflects your business' best—creativity is KEY! Study what your competitors have done wrong and what they have done right—just make sure you never copy their ideas. Take inspiration from the good ideas, but keep it original.