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What Does Your Logo Tell Your Audience?

Logos should be an identifier for your audience, telling them who your brand is and what it can provide. A consumer may assume characteristics such as how innovative a company is, how approachable a business is to work with, or how safe a product is. It’s the first chance to develop positive and personal associations with the brand. Since those assumptions may not necessarily be accurate, it’s important to seriously consider the symbolism and implications that your logo convey. It’s the best chance of controlling your brand’s first impression from the get-go. 
 

Trending Design and Consumer Preferences

Trends can easily sway the visual direction of a company’s logo, in order to appeal to changing consumer tastes. But the strongest logos remain unchanged, as they invoke strong recognition while also being easy to place in new environments, sizes, and materials. To help your logo stand the test of time, make sure your it truly reflects your brand’s purpose over a current stylish aesthetic.
 
While a rebrand like Cracker Barrel’s was technically sound, their consumers felt it took away the heart of the business, leading to an expensive reversal. What looks modern doesn’t necessarily mean it’s best for your audience.

How Logos Affect Brand Positioning

A competitive analysis of your market can help distinguish your brand from the rest. For example, because the healthcare industry is oversaturated with blue logos (which include big players like Emory and Northside), we recommended Aylo Health use orange as their main logo color to differentiate from other primary care practices. To reinforce the welcoming and friendly brand voice, the wordmark was designed with lowercase type.
Questions that can help inform a logo design:
 
  • What are your brand values?
  • What is the brand’s mission statement?
  • How does your brand want to be perceived in comparison to competitors?
  • What are attributes your audience should think of when looking at your branding?
If these questions are difficult to answer, we can help you in a discovery session through our Story Framework workshop. 

What Type of Logo is Best for You?

Most brands will need multiple logo lockups to accommodate various use-cases. These should all be cohesive under one flexible design system, with the ability to adjust to future brand needs. It’s good to know what you don’t need, in order to focus on the ones that you do.
 
Types of Logo Designs: 
Wordmarks
Also known as ‘logotypes;’ they depict the brand only through its name. This can be pieced together with logo marks in a primary logo lockup. 

Kellog’s

Vans

Subway

Letterforms
One letter (character, or glyph) from the brand’s name is used as an icon. 

Pinterest

Honda

Venmo

Pictorial Marks
The primary identifier of the brand is a meaningful icon, vs. the brand name itself. 

Apple

Shell

Target

Abstract Marks
These are very similar to Pictorial Marks, but are non-tangible imagery. This relies more on arbitrary meaning than the subject matter itself. 

Claude

Nike

Microsoft

Monograms
Two or more initials of the brand are used as primary indicators. Monograms originated on city coins and for monarch’s family insignias. Today, they are used in some industries more than others, such as fashion. 

Louis Vuitton

Warner Bros.

H&M

Types of Logo Lockups
Specific layouts dependent on usage, such as outdoor signage. 
 
Primary Logo 

Vertical Variant

Horizontal Variant

Tagline Inclusion

Icon / Mark 

Vertical Variant

Horizontal Variant

A strong logo system will also use pieces of the logo to create patterns as design identity elements. The more buildable visual pieces your brand has, the easier it is to make new but cohesive designs for marketing campaigns. 

What Makes a Good Logo?

Readability 
Legibility is important in all sizes and distances, and especially small ones. The need to get your logo embroidered might not be thought of initially, nor small digital formats like social icons and website favicons.
 
Color Harmony 
Color contrast should be up to accessibility standards, and will aid in legibility. All black and all white versions are needed for when placements involve a restricted color palette. Multiple color options allow for distinction of sub-brands or products.
 
File Types
Vector files are needed to show your brand in high resolution. These include .svg, .eps, and .ai (Adobe Illustrator) files. Without these, you could end up with a blurry and grainy graphic or print display. Make sure your brand is being presented in the best way possible.
 
Meaning and Purpose
A good logo’s aesthetic will match the brand’s messaging, and simultaneously won’t feel outdated as trends move on. You don’t need overly direct symbols (like a coffee cup for a coffee shop), but symbolic logomarks help your audience resonate with your brand. Make sure the typography helps balance the tone.
 

Examples of Good Rebrands

Good recognition, representation, and technique. This was successful because of solid audience research:  “In focus groups, the company found the redesign reduced product search time by nearly half.”
 
Sure Power rebranded for audience inclusion and proper representation. To do this, we implemented a meter mark in their new logo – a symbol of data measurements and scaling success. The new look reinforces their brand values: visible gridlines show discipline and structure, and warm gradients express an approachable invitation to partnership.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how your audience feels about your logo involves getting informative user feedback, ideally at the beginning of your logo design or redesign process. Research from focus groups, market analyses, and SWOTs can set the foundation for a durable brand that will last. Between Pixels can help you rethink your logo for your brand’s best path forward.