Sometimes we get metaphorical here. Sometimes we get allegorical. Sometimes we do case studies and sometimes we talk about whatever book I'm reading right now.
This post isn't that. This post is to the point, actually immediately helpful advice to ensure that you aren't being hindered by something that is supposed to be the face of your business.
Because an old, out-of-date, unprofessional logo that doesn't hit the mark can really hinder what people see when you present yourself to them. It can make you look unserious, amateur or behind the times. And sometimes people know their branding isn't up to snuff. I have had people apologise to me when giving out their business card because they thought their logo was sub-par.
But more often than not, people don't know. People don't realise usually because they DIY'ed their brand as they built their business and they just don't recognize the mistake they're making. But people on the outside do. Even if they're not branding experts, they can tell something isn't right. They won't know why or exactly what is wrong, but they'll look at your brand in comparison to your competitors and be able to see the difference.
So what are some tell-tale signs that your logo might be holding you back? Nice little quickfire list, let's go:
As mentioned, if you DIY'ed your brand, using logo template tools like Canva, Vistaprint or Moo.com. These not only will give you troubles if you ever try to trademark your logo in future, but give off an unmistakeable air of "not taking this seriously". People can recognise these template tools, even subconsciously (especially if you're using that "circle that's drawn multiple times" template on Canva)
It doesn't scale well, losing detail when you shrink it down for profile pictures or social media posts. This is a sign you haven't given your logo enough thought. Your logo should look amazing everywhere, not just in your design software.
It's for the old you. You made this logo 6 years ago, and since then you've evolved, your business has evolved and they way you do things has evolved. Your logo should evolve too.
You're an apologiser. Did that sentence about apologising when giving business cards out ring a little too true? Come on, there's a better way than this.
It just doesn't stand out among the crowd. Sometimes it's not a single, glaring issue. Sometimes you just line your logo up against the competition and think "Oh, that's just not good enough, is it?"
If you fell into any of these traps, then your branding is holding you back. You logo is supposed to be the face of your business, and right now your face is screaming "I am not good enough!" I have no reason to believe that you're not the greatest in the world at what you do, so shouldn't your branding reflect that?
Yes. The answer is yes. But how do we fix that?
Well, I've gone over my process in other articles, but to quickly summarise again:
The Plan. We sit down, have a look at where you are, have a look at what you want to be perceived as, and then start building a route on how to get there
The Values. A logo is nothing if it isn't underpinned by values. It is the face of a brand, it needs to reflect the brand. We sit down with the people in charge and get to know the business and it's people better
The Research. We can't stand out from the crowd unless we know what the crowd is doing. Can't zag if you don't know what zigging is, you dig?
The Suite. A good designer doesn't just make one single logo, but an entire suite of different lockups and variants, so regardless of the situation, your logo looks amazing.
The Kit. And then we have to make everything else fall in line. The colours, the fonts, the voice, the headers, the banners. The whole kit-and-kaboodle needs to be on-point, not just the logo.
The Sign-Off. I'm not happy until you are
Basically, I want to give you a full makeover and take you from a wallflower to a superstar.
Because it's time you stopped settling for just okay, and got something that puts your best foot forward.
If any of this resonated with you, then we need to talk. E-mail me, and we'll get you sorted.
