Picking the right corporate logo can take your company to the pinnacle of success while a wrong selection can put you in real trouble. However, there are some definite elements which contribute in making successful corporate logos… so if your logo is comprised of those aspects, your business will never fail.

Always remember that a company logo is unbeaten if it rightly conveys your business nature and builds a strong corporate identity. Let’s have a look at the features of a corporate logo which can help your business flourish and get potential customers to your doorstep.

1. Memorable:

A logo which imprints in the mind of a customer proves to be the best corporate logo. Your logo should be so recognizable that your customer remembers it for years. If you look around you will see so many logos which instantly remind you of the brand it is promoting.  

2. Distinctiveness:

Do you know that all the famous logos of the world are similar in one way…distinctiveness. Have you ever thought how we are able to differenciate betwwen different brands? Their unique logos concepts make them stand apart from their competitors.

3. Long-term style:

So many logo design trends come and go but always remember to follow the long-term style. Corporate logos which are very trendy start looking outdated after some time. A logo should be designed in such a way so that it holds the image of a company forever.   

4. Readability:

An effective and attractive logo is useless if it fails to say anything to its customers. Your company name and tagline on your logo explains a lot about your business. Therefore, try using clean and simple fonts, so your targeted audience easily gets to you.

5. Attractive and Catchy:

A logo must be appealing and catchy for everyone, including general and targeted audience. If your logo fails to attract every human eye then it won’t be able to win any customers for your business.  

6. Simply Elegant:

Many of us think lots of graphical elements and funky colors contribute in making a logo design attractive and catchy. However, we don’t realise that nothing excessive is good. This idea can make your logo too cluttered and take away its elegance. Try to choose simple logo design concepts as they are more professional and effective.

Tools of corporate branding:

A corporate identity is very much established by the marketing and communication strategies of the company. When people get acquainted about your services, they come to you to experience them, thus making your company a better success. You can communicate your brand with following branding tools:

• Corporate Logos
• Business Cards
• Brochures
• Letterheads
• Stationery and Gift Items

Corporate brochures are very influential in communicating your brand as you get to dispense them to a wide variety of people residing in your area of business. Brochures help in describing your company, its specialties and services to the masses, therefore creating awareness of your presence.

Influence of Corporate Logos in brand communication:

When laying out a promotion strategy, you have to make sure that all marketing communication materials have your corporate logo on it. This enhances your credibility as a professional enterprise. You hand out business cards for potential clients for them to remember you and your company, there will be incidents wherein you have to send letters to different companies.

• One reason that small businesses fail is they lack consistency in their communication strategy. Corporate logos are a mark of your Identity and the values that you hold as a corporate entity.
• When you use your corporate logos across all mediums like TV and print media, it gives consistency to the communication plan.
• It aids in generating recognition and recall of your business identity in the minds of the customers.

It gives credibility to your business, as people perceive you as a whole organization even though you might be a single small business owner. Before designing corporate logos, the entire communication mix must be developed so that there is consistency and clarity in the promotion of your business.   ]]> http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/brand-and-corporate-logos/feed http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/corporate-origami-logos http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/corporate-origami-logos#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 11:49:01 +0000 Michael J. Taylor http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/?p=1878

Origami is the conventional Japanese folk art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century. It takes its roots from ori meaning "folding", and kami meaning "paper". The idea behind this creative skill is to carve out a refined figure out of a plain paper sheet by folding it. At first, this art was restricted to the hand-made side of art and designing. But now, this technique has also taken precedence in the world of corporate logos.

Origami logos, is an interesting addition to the logo design variety. An essential factor for the effective business logos is that the designs must be up-to-date with the latest trends prevailing. Applying the origami art in corporate logos is an entertaining but difficult practice.

Following are 20 creative origami inspired logos that are a source of inspiration and motivation for making fresh corporate logos.     ]]> http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/corporate-origami-logos/feed http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/comparing-us-france-logos http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/comparing-us-france-logos#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 10:53:12 +0000 Michael J. Taylor http://blog.corporatelogos.ws/?p=1576

The term “company logo” has no identity of its own, but if it is used in a particular country, it adopts the colors of the nation. Evidently, company logos vary from one country to another because designers’ creative styles are divergent in every nation. Although, creative minds think alike but not all logo designers think in the same manner. Each logo designer possesses a unique style of his own. That is why the logo designs within the same industry are diverse across nations.

To analyze this premise, I have compared the company logos of two distinct countries…US and French company logos. Below are 20 counterpart logos of the two nations from 10 different industries.

Airline Logos

Access Air		Air Méditerranée

Automobile Logos

Tesla Motors		Citroen

Bank Logos

Bank of America		BNP Paribas

Footwear Logos

Crocs		Airness

Beer Logos

Miller Lite		Kronenbourg Brewery

Cosmetic Logos

Aveda		Peggy Sage

Confectionary Logos

Great American Bagel Bakery		Délifrance

Insurance Logos

Bouchard_Insurance		Generali L’Equité

Software Developer Logos

Acclaim		Adeline Software International

Real Estate Logos

RE/MAX		Neufetancien

A logo is very critical for the image of a company. It is also very important that an appropriate corporate logo is chosen for a specific company depending on the niche area it operates in. Few corporate logo designers are capable of designing logos which could speak about the product of the company. Nowadays, mostly designers are opting for 2D and 3D logos to build the corporate identity of a brand. 

3D corporate logos:

3D corporate logos are fast becoming popular as they offer a realistic touch to the brand. Owing to the increased popularity of the 3D corporate logos, the 3D industry has become very famous and is growing at a very fast pace. With the help of an experienced corporate logo designer, a regular vector 2D logo can be easily converted to a 3D logo.

Creating 3D corporate logo design:

Many well-known websites are offering easy accessibility to 3D logo makers through which a 2D logo can be converted to 3D. Through these websites, organizations or individuals can create their corporate logo and provide it with 3D effect with the help of 3D logo maker. It can also help in articulating the existing logo by incorporating special effects to it.

How to choose an effective 3D corporate logo?

In the current competitive market, it is critical that an initial impression is created to retain the attention of the potential customers. Creativity in 3D logos helps in making them unique. However, when designing the 3D logo it is important to keep in mind the simplicity of the logo. This will help in engaging the potential clients and give them an idea about the company more effectively. A 3D logo also needs to have longevity so that there are no frequent, significant changes to it. Type-based 3D logos are proven effective logos.

The 3D logo should be created to speak about the products and services instead of just the aesthetic value. Also, vectorized logos are more effective as they have crisp lines and simple 3D effects instead of elaborate drawings and visuals. Contrast and balance also enhance the effectiveness of the logo design. The latest graphic software helps designers to integrate all functionality so that the 3D logos have a complete professional look. To add to all these, 3D designs seem real instead of just being illustrations as in 2D logos.

Enjoy this collection of 3D logos and share any of your personal favorite as well.

ADF.ly

Grey and Saurian

Side Winder

Loop

Webics

Haver Project

Three Sixty

Town Hall

Flutter Fly

Metro

CGZOO

Kalipoto Room

Furniture Box

Gonzalez Design Studio

DataFoco

Urban Lights

Iconik

Paradox

Altasin

Correct use of fonts is a very significant part of logo design that many of us overlook. The job of a logo designer is to make the message in the corporate logo design appropriate for the targeted customers. In order to do this, the font used in the logo design should be functional and meaningful. Several famous corporate logos are identified only because of their specific typography. Think of valuable corporate fonts like Coca-Cola and Walt Disney for instance. These corporate giants have logos with stylish and elegant fonts. Only their typography has made it a successful corporate brand.

Building a brand image is undoubtedly a crucial part of the marketing mix. Alas! Finding and using the right corporate logo is often misconstrued and even executed weakly or inaccurately. Seeing your own marketing strategies over and over again may be boring for you, but your clients don’t see them nearly as often as you do. In fact, the more you repeat your message and your company logos, the more effective it becomes in the market.

Always remember that a corporate logo should communicate four key elements of a business to its potential customers:

• what is the business about
• who are the targeted clients
• what image you want to build in industry
• what are the objectives of the business.

Today I wish to share some of the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” that you should consider when you design your corporate or business logos. The "Do’s" for company logos

1 ) Research your competitor:

If you are ready with your company name then look at the logos of your competitors, this will give you an idea of what is present in the market. Then you may be able to adopt a similar pattern and develop your own company logo that suits your corporate identity.

2 ) KISS (Keep it Straight Simple):

Simplicity is the key to designing your business logo. Having a single focus is critical. You must be clear on what your identity is first, develop a concise company logo that clearly states your company’s identity.

3 ) Examine other famous logos:

You can check some of the famous company logos. This will give you an inspiration you need to design your company logo accordingly. Much effective would be to check out your competitor’s logos so that you may avoid any plagiarism while designing you own corporate logo.

4 ) Color Scheme

Think about the colors that you feel will represent your business; your logo must reflect what your business is about as well as your corporate culture. Try to stick to a two color logo if you intend to print business cards and stationary as this will reduce your printing cost considerably.

5 ) The professional logo touch:

As a beginner you can opt for free logo design sites or if your budget permits you then I would recommend hiring a professional logo designer. Even if you have your own logo design skills, you should still consult with a design professional.

6 ) Analyze target market:

Do make sure that the logo is designed with the target market in mind. An effectively designed logo is compatible with the consumers of the product or services that you provide. Therefore your logo could be designed to appeal to the interests of the customers.

7 ) Compatibility:

Make sure that your designer gives you your CMYK, Pantone, and RGB color codes as color displays and prints differently on paper variations and other surfaces, this will ensure that your logo displays correctly across all mediums (print, digital etc) making it professional and consistent.

8 ) Corporate Identity manual:

It will be a good idea to get a basic corporate identity manual from your designer, this may cost extra but you can give this document to your printer or collateral manufacturer to ensure color consistency. A corporate identity manual is also the first step in developing your brand.

9 ) Proxemics:

Use Proper Spacing between the words that you use in your logo because spacing is important in all aspects of life. Successful relationships require space, as do successful sentences. Improper spacing can be the difference between Kids Exchange and Kidsexchange:

10 ) Protect your corporate logo:

It isn’t all about logo designing only. You also need to guard your business logo from infringement and plagiarism. You apparently do not want somebody else to copy your logo and use it on their brands. It will surely stain your reputation in the market. That is why you need to protect your logo by using the copyright laws.

11) Corporate Loyalty:

Start building the loyalty toward your corporate identity by communicating with your employees. Integrate your brand in your company’s offices and on everything that is used as a resource internally. This will deliver a consistent and repetitive message and hence give every employee ownership and familiarity with your company logo.

1 ) Too much Special Effects:

Avoid using gradients, patterns, and drop shadows to reduce your printing cost considerably

2 ) Too much details:

Be careful of too much detail as it will not display correctly when your logo is used in a smaller format e.g. on business cards and footers. When such corporate logo is printed on a business card, it loses its clarity.

3 ) Avoid common symbols:

While designing your corporate logo you must not use the common graphics and symbols which everyone seems to be using. Try to apply unique graphics and symbols to make your logo different. If you use overly unique typeface in your logo then you won’t be able to use trademark to protect your logo.  

4 ) No room for controversy:

Based on the second point, do not leave room for controversies to develop over your company logo. Designing a complex logo may let imaginations run wild and possibly open up issues pertaining to various taboo subjects.  

5 ) Haste makes waste:

Do not design the symbol in a hurry. Take sufficient time to build up a good logo concept. Your logo should clearly symbolize the products and image of your company.  

6 ) Think Big:

The meaning of your company’s logo must not be underestimated. Think ahead at least 10 years from now and decide what your company’s ambitions may be then. It is imperative to choose the design that will still be able to meet not just what your business stands for today but what it will likely be in the future years.  

7 ) Avoid trendy looks:

If you’re redesigning your old logo, you run the risk of confusing customers-or worse, alienating them. One option is to make gradual logo changes. But don’t plan to make multiple logo changes. Instead, choose a logo that will stay current for 10 to 20 years, perhaps longer. That’s the mark of a good logo design.  

Although, blogging has become prominent part of marketing strategies nowadays but at the same time several corporate companies are unaware of its myths and facts. Today, this post of mine will surely help you know all about corporate blogs…let’s get started.

1) Advantages of Corporate Blogging:

Firstly, let’s analyze how corporate blogging can help a company reach its organizational goals. So, here are the reasons for which corporate blogging has become a success tip:

• It helps a company have a strong bond with its customers
• A company can communicate with its own employees
• Blogging can be used as a promotional tool to reach new target markets
• Blog is a platform to have open dialogue between executives, staff, and customers
• Blogs builds a strong company image by branding your product in the market
• It helps a customer know more about company’s products and services.
• It helps you to have an update of your competitors proceedings
• Being a direct communication channel, blogs helps you improve your customer service on global basis.
• Allows the company employees to display their expertise on a particular topic.
• You stay updated about the worldwide conferences/meetings related to your industry.
• Lastly, as compare to other communication strategies, blogging is relatively much cheaper.

2) Disadvantages of Corporate Blogging:

Although I don’t think blogging can harm any company in any way but still it is important that we see consider negative and positive aspect of every topic. However, my list of disadvantages is really short, if you have any to add, please do add.

• Your competitors can easily exploit any aspect of your company, which can lead to bad publicity.
• Many workers have been fired by their bosses for putting such content on the blog which took the company in negative direction.
• Many companies have invested big money in customizing their blogs but unfortunately they did not receive expected results.
• Blogs revealing multiple tones and opinions of a company can also leave a confusing image of the organization.
• A badly worded blog or factually incorrect blogs can spell disaster for the company. 

3) Facts about Corporate Blogging:

Undoubtedly, blogs are considered to be traffic magnets and a powerful communication tool but it does not mean that it works for everyone. Yes my friends, surveys have proved that many corporate blogs have failed and only few succeeded. There are few facts you should know be aware of Corporate Blogging:

• Many companies overly rate the blogs and expect tons of traffic driving in overnight.
• It can take you months to build in long-term and authentic readership.
• Blogging is not only about talking about yourself and your organization. Give enough space to your readers and customers to share their views.
• When writing a blog post always try to come up with useful content and detailed facts for the readers otherwise you won’t be able to win trustworthy visitors.
• Blogs allow users and your competitors to publicly criticize you on your own blog. Be patient and cleverly respond to the negative comments of your readers.
• People do not always want to know about your organization and its goals. They will enjoy if you introduce them to the team members of the venture.

According to latest researches/polls 55% of corporations are blogging but I would say that don’t follow this trend only because they are fast, cheap and easy to use. I would suggest, just don’t jump for the blog world as everyone is doing it. Study your target audience, niche market and company goals, irrespective of your company size. The longer you take to recognize its importance, the longer you delay your success.