Logo Marketing- A Case of Identity

I have an admission I got into marketing because I loved stories, and to me, each logo represents a story in the making. 

A marketer has a plethora of channels to communicate, and the logo is perhaps the most permanent channel, or at least it was for a very long time.

The logo fixation (as the agency guys call it) has been relevant for decades now, and from cartoon strips to internet memes, almost all have taken a dig over the logo conversation between the brand and the agency. Sitting over the weekend, I began to ponder on how in the digital age, logos have found a new calling.

Before I jump into the specifics, let's first understand the evolution before talking digital. 

Once Upon A Time

It all started in the Victorian era, where mass production of goods became the norm, and so came the urgency of having an identity for business entities. The craftsmanship was being promoted with deep interest, and thus originated the first logo ever. It was the logo of Bass Brewery and was trademarked in 1876.              

It was in the 1800s when Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's introduced "Theory of Colours." He mentioned the red color to be a personification of dignity and gravity. Maybe that's what inspired Bass Brewery to keep the background of their logo in a red shade. And I am sure we all can name several companies which associate their brands with the iconic color red be it a drink, a mobile company, dental brand or my corporate brand.

Mirror Mirror On the Wall

The television screen became a renaissance for marketers, brands and agencies took it like a fish to water.

It was at this time, the concept of psychological inputs, brand identity, and creative illustrations started forming the basis of designing a logo. It wasn't just about craftsmanship anymore, but how well can you stand out in your niche as a brand. There can be documentaries made on what it took to design and present a perfect logo to the world.

Logos weren't just about brand identity, but it instead became a part of human connection with the prospects and customers. The hidden messages and communication which feeds one's subconscious became essential for corporate, and they didn't mind paying millions to get their hands-on desired logos.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that at the time (1970s), when color TV was getting popular is when apple released its iconic Rainbow logo or that IBM went to being blue from black.

Glass Slipper and the Perfect Fit

There is no such thing as a good or bad logo, but it’s about fitment. From persona to audience target to the central narrative, a logo is a symbol of the brand promise, and therefore it has to fit just right! There is enough evidence in behavioral marketing, which suggests the relevance of having impeccable logos is a definitive need.

One of my favorite quotes on the logo is, “Logos are a graphic extension of the internal realities of a company."

There is no one fix or pattern of logos that can work universally for everyone, but different types of logos for different brands do work. Descriptive logos (burger king) and non-descriptive logos (McDonalds) work accordingly as per the nature of your products and services.

Digital Marketing- Time to turn the page

In current times, digital marketing has become more crucial than ever. The analytics which digital marketing provides has finally filled the gaps for a traditional marketer. Now, in real-time, you converse directly to micro-markets in an exclusive manner. You also get to know which of your ad copies are working; you access sales funnels with different variables such as CPC, PPC, etc. Where does logos fit into all this, Do they even matter anymore?

Logo designing has taken an interesting turn since the outbreak of digital mediums. There are certain limitations that digital platforms possess, and they have affected how logos are getting designed today.

 You are no longer in control of the size and shapes of the logo. You have to work around with predetermined dimensions. The logo designers are now told to make the best of the space or dimensions provided.

It's hard to put descriptive logos on digital platforms due to the visibility factor. The freedom of logos not being graphic has constricted the room for creativity. The maximum audience in on mobile phones, so creatives have to be limited to a particular size. The obsession of handmade logos is now a thing of a past. A graphic designer is in much awe of his digital software to do his job. The reaction of the millennial to a logos is a prevalent concern.

All such factors have led to a massive logo designing migration, and it's hard to admit that those logo fixations days might be over. 

Did you notice that the NFL has toned down by removing the stars and has tried to keep it minimalist. The letters NFL has grown in font size. It's a pattern that nearly every company has adopted in contemporary times. If you don't trust me Google it and speaking of Google, they too eliminated the last five letters from their logo. Or one can say they have minimised to the initial letter “G.”

It is not a sector thing; almost all significant segments have had a transition be it MasterCard, Domino's, Absolut, or Starbucks, all have either reduced text or gradient in their logos to evolve in the digital age.

And they lived Happily Ever After?

Every romantic story has a KISS and the marketing philosophy of “KISS” is making its case all over again in the digital era. Call it minimalist or neo-minimalism or any other name but the fact of “less is more” is true when designing logos and it seems almost ironic that consumption economy that drives digital is also responsible for minimalism :)

 Moral of the Story

·        Flat logo designs are the new norm for a brand manager

·        It is best if you keep it less noisy

·        Logos are meant to act as a metaphor in the digital world

·        Modern devices have made logos non-scalable