Your logo is an extremely important aspect of your business. Not only does it visually represent your brand and your products, but it can tell a story and portray a vision as well. There has been a lot of focus on things like content creation, SEO, and other marketing strategies, but your logo is still as important as ever. It represents your drive for innovation and creates a deeper connection with your audience.
Your Logo
When I look at a logo, I don’t just expect to see a company name in nice colors. I expect to understand what that brand does—what their goals are, what their products are for, and how I fit into the whole picture. Sure, that’s a lot to expect from a simple logo, but it can definitely be done.
Some of the tops brands, like Nike, are prime examples. Nike is all about movement and getting out there and working your body. The swish in their logo says movement to me—it represents the purpose of their brand. You don’t have to be a big-name brand like Nike for your logo to make a statement, though. There are a lot of different brands that understand just how much a logo matters, and they’ve used theirs to tell a story and really connect with their audiences.
Today's Branding
Today, companies have so many touchpoints with customers across screens and social media platforms, that it might be tempting to skimp on effort when it comes to designing a logo that communicates your mission and story, while also working across multiple screen environments. So many brands, startups especially, don’t want to spend all of their seed funding on devising a logo when they know that they’ll have to churn out multiple images and graphics every day.
But a logo (especially a well-designed one) still reigns supreme. And it is possible to create an impactful logo without going broke. Platforms like Deluxe’s logo-maker are built with small business owners in mind, because the program allows users to add customized elements to tried-and-true designs.
If you’re still tempted to bypass the logo process, take a look at some brands who manage to effectively tell their stories and resonate with audiences through their logo designs; in turn, their logos have become the cornerstones of their companies.
Brands Whose Logos Really Work
Young Living Essential Oils
Young Living Essential Oils is a direct sales company producing essential oils and essential oil-based products. The company was established by a couple who started their own herb farming and distillation operation in the 90s in an effort harness the incredible power of essential oils and make them available to others.
Today, it is a multi-million-dollar company with farms all around the world, and they even allow visitors to come and watch the entire “seed to seal” process. Their logo reflects that process and represents their oils’ purity in the form of an essential oil drop falling from a leaf.
San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo is a place where families can go and enjoy an entire vacation without ever having to leave the park. They have numerous exhibits where children can see exotic animals in real life, great restaurants, and shopping options where families can take a break and relax. They even offer experiences, like “Animals in Action,” “Early Morning with Pandas,” hosting children’s birthday parties, and more.
Their logo shows just how important a custom font can be to your overall design. The San Diego Zoo’s playful, hand-drawn font is reminiscent of an animal paw print and showcases the zoo’s “wild” vibe.
FedEx
Everybody is familiar with FedEx. They deliver thousands of packages every day and make sure that shipments arrive at their destination promptly and safely.
Their logo may not seem like much more than their name, but if you look closely, you’ll notice a right-pointing arrow formed between the E and the X in their logo. Like the San Diego Zoo, there is a lot of nuance to this carefully executed font.
The Guild of Food Writers
The Guild of Food Writers is an association established in the United Kingdom in 1984 and made up of food writers and broadcasters in the area. It now has over 400 authors, broadcasters, journalists, and other communications professionals among its members.
The benefits of joining The Guild of Food Writers include access to the online food forum for lively debate, a listing in the Annual Directory of Members, invitations to captivating food workshops, and much more. Their logo cleverly represents both the food and writing aspects of the organization by portraying an ink pen with a spoon inside.
Goodwill
You’re probably familiar with Goodwill, an incredible organization that has made it possible for people to donate gently used (or unused) items to stores where people in need (or who just want a great deal on thrift store trends) can shop and save. The organization is also a major employer of individuals with disabilities, giving back to the community in a variety of ways.
The logo displays their name and appears to have a smiling face up above it. If you look closely, though, you’ll notice the smiling face is actually the same lowercase “g” in the Goodwill font. This brings a human element to the logo and represents the countless people the organization has served through its 115 years.
In Conclusion
Your logo still matters -- even more than you might realize. You don’t have to be a big-name brand for your logo to be important, and you don’t have to have some fancy, complex image to tell a story. Looking at some of the examples in this article, you can see that sometimes the simplest ideas can tell the most important stories.