A defining aspect of your company’s identity, a representation of its values and the very signature of your business, logos carry considerable weight. The fact of the matter is when you consult a logo maker, you are quite literally creating the first impression many people will have of your company.
But this is just the beginning of why logos matter.
Establishes Expectations
Studies have shown children as young as three years old are capable of recognizing logos and associating them with brands—even the ones that aren’t actively marketed toward children. In other words, these symbols condition us from an early age in terms of what to expect them to represent.
If you’re in China and you see McDonald’s golden arches you know you’ll find food there with which you are familiar. This is because you know you can go to a McDonald’s restaurant anywhere in the world and expect to have the same hamburger as you would in your hometown. And, as long as you always get what you expect, you will continue to trust the logo.
Influences Decisions
Sticking with our food rubric for a bit; let’s say you’re driving through an unfamiliar town—one too small to support national fast-food brands—trying to find a quick meal. You’ll drive past all sorts of cafes and restaurants looking for something you recognize, or at least some indication of what you can expect to find.
All of them have signs, but one has a logo on their sign that gives you cause to believe you’ll be satisfied with what you’ll find there. Studies show you’re going to be more likely to eat at the one with the logo. It’s human nature.
This is important to keep in mind as you work with a logo maker to develop the symbol of your business.
Communication of Brand Values
Consider the Nike “swoosh” for a moment. Yes, all on its own, without all of the marketing dollars the corporation has poured into making its values known and including that logo on all of its communications, it would just be a graphic design. However, because it has been present in every instance of a Nike marketing effort, the swoosh has come to symbolize the values the company projects.
Another such example is the arrow connecting the “A” and “Z” in the Amazon trademark. The design element has become so universally recognized, it can now be used in a variety of different instances, lending the brand values Amazon has come to project to all of the other offerings by the company, even when it doesn’t connect an A and Z, such as in the case of Amazon Prime.
Affects First Impressions
If you can incite a positive emotion in a potential customer before they shop your site, you’re in a much better position to convert that shopper into a buyer. The look of your logo has a strong influence over whether people will trust your business. After all, the symbol you choose to represent your enterprise does say a lot about what you deem important to it.
If you’re running a childcare center and your logo is a rendering of an adult holding a baby upside down by an ankle, you probably won’t get a lot of takers. This is a crucial consideration to bear in mind as you’re developing the symbol of your business.
Logos are far more than just cool pictures to place beside the name of your business to attract attention (although they do serve that function as well). Your choice of a logo will influence the way customers perceive your business, influence their decision making about shopping with you and ultimately establish their expectations of the way you conduct yourself.
And, this is why logos matter so much.