No one would argue the value of a good logo.
But despite convention, a good looking logo means diddly squat on its own.
And yes, I have read the studies…
I know plenty about the different influences of color choice, how women and men differ in their font preferences, and how different industries inherently have different acceptable design elements etc. etc. etc.
But it would seem to me that all of these studies are missing the point and instead have just collected the surface facts about how things “work.”
The Point
A logo should be a visual representation of what the company truly is and what it offers and that the power of a logo doesn’t come from what it looks like aesthetically (though we certainly don’t dismiss the importance of this), but rather what it inspires those who identify with it to be and do.
Let’s Talk Examples
Consider the Christian cross, or the Jewish Star of David, or even the Starbucks logo as examples.
These are probably some of the most iconic “logos” of all time and in this generation. But the power is not in the logo, the power is in what it means and represents to those who understand what it stands for, what it reminds them of when they see it.
The cross and the Star of David are symbols that means very little to those who don’t believe in what it represents. But to those who do, it is a visual reminder of their identity, of the promises, of their future. It serves as inspiration to walk out and live for the ideals, goals, and person that it represents.
And the Starbucks logo…you don’t like the logo because of how it looks, but because of what it means to you. For most, it means a nice, clean, comfortable, upscale environment to enjoy excellent service and a good latte.
And that is exactly what the Starbucks employees strive to offer and is the reason why they changed to their most recent logo.
It was to visually represent the transformation of the company back to what the CEO knew to be important from the early days — their exceptional service and the romantic cafe-like environment.
The Truth
It makes no difference if the rest of the world likes or dislikes the logo, because something becomes iconic not for its visual appeal, but for its heart appeal…like what does the logo make them feel, make them want, make them think about?
The answers to all of these types of questions are not fulfilled by the logo itself, they are fulfilled by the experience with the company it represents.
And heart appeal starts from the inside out.
What This Means For You
Ultimately, a logo should stand for something that may not mean anything to the rest of the world, but to the employees, it means everything.
It should remind them of what they are working for…what they want to bring to their customers…what problems they are confident they can help solve as a representative of your company.
And what they themselves embody ultimately becomes the character and identity of the company.
So it would seem that those who come in contact with the logo most, i.e. the employees, be the ones who identify with the logo on a heart level, because it is their belief of who you (or your company) are that is going to speak the loudest to the rest of the world that may not know too much about you yet.
What This Also Means for You
If you are looking for just a cool logo design, you’ve come to the wrong place.
We have every intention of getting to know everything about you, your company, your values, your dreams, your employees, and your products, because it is only in knowing this that we can even begin to come up with an amazingly creative visual representation of who you are.
It is our goal to create logos that go past the eyes and into the hearts of man because we create them to represent the heart of the company. And when two hearts connect, it would seem that little can get in their way…and that is the level of customer loyalty that we hope to help bring you.
Photo courtesy of Starbucks.com.
