Some company logos are very high value properties. You only have to consider the Coca Cola logo and the Apple logo to see how valuable these things can be. Other company logos are “cookie cutter” designs, not distinguishable from thousands of others, and not much use as branding materials. Company logo design is a truly important business asset, and if you’re looking for a logo, you need to put a lot of thought and planning into the concept.

Company logo issues

Company logos involve several fundamental commercial issues:

• Brand identity: The logo needs to be distinct, memorable, and effective as a branding tool in its own right. The McDonalds “Golden Arches” is a good basic example of fundamental branding using a logo. The McDonalds logo is comprised of two primary colours and a single symbol which identifies all its products including the McDonalds restaurants.

• Functionality: A good logo is usable in any environment, on letterheads, on merchandise and on advertising as an identifying icon. Apple’s simple but extremely effective logo is a truly universal symbol, applied to Apple products and information since its inception. It’s one of the two most recognizable logos in history.

• Copyright: The best logos are all unique and unchallengeable as intellectual property. These characteristics are also very much in the interest of the logo owners. In practice unique logos are also the best logos for advertising.

A good logo can advertise its products anywhere and get the message across. It provides valuable content for advertising of all kinds, both in media and at point of sale.

Logo design options- Best practice for companies

Logo design can be complex, even if the designs may seem simple:

Branding: The most basic and most important rule of branding is that a brand must be instantly identifiable. Logo design, naturally, is central to this requirement. The logo is the brand, to the consumer.

Competitive values of logos: Brands also have to compete. A boring or ugly logo design is definitely a disadvantage in competitive marketing. An interesting or creative logo has direct positive values.

Merchandising and materials: A good logo is used everywhere in company business like an advertisement and is effective in these roles as promoting the brand. One of the most basic principles of advertising is to establish a strong brand identity, and the logo is in effect the “flag” of the company.

Intellectual property issues: The design of a logo also needs to be checked to avoid infringement on other logos and designs. This is a contentious issue in business, and major lawsuits are not unusual in disputes.

Commissioning a logo design

Best practice for obtaining a logo design which meets all the criteria outlined above is to engage a graphic design company to create a custom logo design. The professional designers are able to assess the design issues and most importantly to provide industry standard graphic design services to ensure the logo design can meet all commercial requirements for use on merchandising, stationery, etc. Professional designers are also able to assess intellectual property issues and avoid dangerous conflicts with existing designs.

What’s in a company logo? Everything.  Make sure your logo meets all the criteria, and you’ll have a great logo for your company.