How does a logo help your brand? Simply put, It doesn’t. Not by itself, at least.
A logo without a strong purpose or meaning behind it is completely useless. It’s nothing but an admirable work of art that requires an explanation to be fully understood.
A company doesn’t need the presence of a logo to be a brand. A company becomes united through its purpose. It can inspire people through it’s words. It creates community with a firm stance and builds trust by taking actions on those beliefs. When a company looks, sounds, and acts the part, the people around the organization (inside and outside) start to develop feelings toward the company.
These feelings equal “The Brand”
Psychologically the brain needs to file these emotions as to quickly reference them in the future – a mental book mark. Biologically, the most common sensory cues are smells and visuals. This is where the logo comes in.
Have you ever smelled a scent that instantly transported you to your childhood or a specific period in your past? For example, the smell of fresh baked cookies takes you back to Grandma’s kitchen or a specific perfume brings back memories, good or bad, of a ex.
This is same process happens subconsciously in the brain when looking at a brand’s logo. When you have an interaction with a company those experiences then become tied to brand’s visual elements. Like magic, each time you see those images your feelings instantly emerge.
This is why the logo and visual identity should be the last piece in your brand’s development, not the very first thing you do. A well executed identity embodies your brand’s essence while creating a memorable symbol for the brain to reference. A memorable logo is simple enough to understand quickly but complex enough to communicate why your company is different. Developing a logo capable of such importance takes proper research, strategy, and execution.
Human beings yearn for meaning and purpose. Brands that run on purpose achieve the greatest level of success. A computer company didn’t build a cult like following because it put an apple on its products. A coffee company didn’t change the way people gather around a hot beverage because of a green siren. Nor did a swoosh inspire the world to achieve extraordinary physically accomplishments. They brand did it by having purpose and walking the talk.
You have the power to chose how important your logo is to your brand. Will it inspire a movement, change the way people feel about your product, or will it be some meaningless graphic that you spent $200 on from some crowdsourcing website?
Someone will be in touch very soon.