Logo No Go

At least two or three times a year, my team and I are invited to meetings where colleagues walk through their latest program and sub-program results, accompanied by a request for a unique logo. While I appreciate their enthusiasm and the creative energy behind these ideas, my team and I often have to disappoint them. We explain why individual logos for every initiative might not be the best approach for our organization.

Every program within an organization having its own logo might seem like a way to promote individuality and specialization, but it often leads to confusion and dilutes the overall brand identity. As marketing and communications (MarComm) leaders know from experience, a unified branding approach is essential not only to maintain a clear, strong, and recognizable organizational image but also to fuel measurable growth in brand equity and momentum.

As my longtime colleague, Sandra Sullivan , pointed out, teams often think they want a logo, but what they really want are recognition and visibility, professionalism and credibility, and distinctiveness. MarComm can almost always help with that, and you can help yourself—without creating a new logo or an brand-negating sub-identities in your organization.

While a unique logo can help with recognition, consistent use of the organization's brand will achieve the same goal. Programs can gain visibility by featuring prominently within the main brand's marketing and communication efforts.

A unique logo might seem like a way to establish professionalism, but leveraging the established credibility of the main brand can be even more effective. High-quality, branded materials that follow the organization's guidelines convey professionalism and the impact of your program without the need for a new logo. Use these materials to differentiate your program to targeted stakeholders by talking about specific achievements, goals, and outcome stories. Emphasizing unique aspects within the framework of the main brand ensures that the program stands out while still being part of a cohesive identity.

To ensure programs achieve their goals without needing a separate logo, program leads can consider the following steps:

1. Develop a Strong Strategic Plan: Identify your program's unique value to stakeholders and outline how it will grow in number, productivity, or influence. As you begin to action your plan, look for stories that underscore program impact as you reach your audience and goals are met or exceeded.

2. Share Impact Stories: Share stories in the voices of people who fuel the program: program beneficiaries, volunteers, funders, etc. Your marketing and communications team is probably always looking for content for features and mailers, so send impact-oriented stories their way! We're happy to feature programs prominently in the organization's newsletters, social media, and other communication channels where we use consistent branding to reinforce their connection to the main brand.

3. Utilize Branded Templates: If you don't have them at the ready, ask your MarComm colleagues to provide templates for presentations, reports, and other materials that incorporate the program's specific content while adhering to the main brand's design guidelines. This ensures a professional and cohesive look.

Although the desire for a unique logo for each program is understandable, maintaining a unified brand identity offers greater, sustained benefits. Programs can achieve recognition, professionalism, and distinctiveness through consistent use of the main brand's elements, thematic taglines, and highlighting their unique contributions. By doing so, they reinforce the strength and integrity of the overall brand, ensuring a cohesive and powerful organizational image.