A while back I visited a Facebook group where the big question of the day revolved around the members’ brands. One woman wrote:
my brand is all about mermaids and the sea. So teal is really important to my brand.”
Ummm…..what???
I had a really hard time with that. I don’t
“I really need to get my brand sorted out” is one of the comments I hear most often from business owners.
And there’s just so many things I have to say about that, specially when said business owner is standing next to me, looking confused, overwhelmed and and sometimes just frustrated.
As a graphic designer I’ve developed a few odd habits-or hobbies if you will. Over the past few years, it’s become a habit to check how many dental offices use a molar as their “logo” or as part of their signage. And they never disappoint. Think about it: how many “molar” logos do you drive by on your way home? I regret to say some well-travelled roads in Ottawa have an abundance of them (that would be Innes Rd.)
And while I love to pick on the molar, don’t get me wrong: dentists are by no means the only perpetrators. To be honest, in the world of visual imagery there are greater offences. But as a business and marketing strategy, choosing a well-worn cliché as your logo just doesn’t make sense.
Consider this: if your logo is “quite similar” to 10 others in a 5 kilometre radius, what are the chances your logo–and your business– will stick out and make an impression with a potential client?
UK designer David Airey (Logo Design Love) has some great thoughts on the topics of logo design and branding. Here’s what he says about visual cliches:
Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better using a design that doesn’t depict the product or service your client provides.”
And I have to agree. There’s a vast number of logos out there that depict the product or service they represent.