A logo is one of the most visible faces of your brand. In other words, the logo is most likely to be your most frequent and most visible brand representative. Hence, a logo should clearly state the following:
- Who you are
- What you do
How well the logo is designed and how well the messaging is in the tag line will create the first impressions about the brand’s personality.
Right from the time you exchange business cards, or when you release an ad – in print, TV or online, or when someone visits your site, it is often the name of the company, represented by the logo + tag line that will be noticed for the first time.
For startups it is critical that the logo and the tag line is designed well. This is because when you are new, most people would not know what you do and who you are. Hence, when they interact with your brand for the first time, it is usually the logo unit that will set the first impressions about what you do.
While a badly designed logo may not necessarily send the wrong impression, a well-designed logo will most certainly create a favorable impression.
Similarly, with tag lines. Tag lines should be used to communicate clearly what you do. E.g. “Online fashion store”.
Often entrepreneurs make the mistake of using a tag line which is nothing but a smart set of words with no reference to what you do. This is of little use in brand management. E.g. for a healthcare brand, if the tagline said ‘We care for you”, it really means nothing to anyone and does not establish what the brand does. Instead, if the tagline were to be specific saying “Your neighborhood childcare clinic’, there is specificity in communicating what the promise is.
If your tag line can also communicate your value proposition, it is ideal. E.g. “Affordable cardiac care”
Previously published on my blogThe Hub for Startups
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Recommended reading on the same topic:
Taglines are out. Benefitlines are in by Alok
An essential guide to create your company logo by Nishchal
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asha chaudhry
hi prajakt!
i must admit, i was quite surprised to read this post from you!!!! a pleasant deviation from the essential “startup gyaan” 🙂
i have taken the liberty to add a couple of good reads on the same topic below your post.
being from advtg, and someone who has written hundreds of tags and creative rationales to sell them to the client, i would just like to add one suggestion for startups: KEEP IT SIMPLE.
big fancy words, philosophies are out. simple, efficient, and GENUINE is forever in.
Prajakt Raut
🙂 Thanks Asha
Karan Pandhi
Prajakt Sir,
Happy Guru Purnima , you have been a great guru for my start-up and as always Thank you so much for such wonderful points.
So clear as to what we young guns should be doing right to reach our target. glad to be reading your posts as and when they are out here.
Thank You so much Sir.
Prajakt Raut
Thank you for the kind words Karan.
Haresh Motirale
Hi Prajakt…
Interesting on, Brandniti is aligned to your thoughts…please let us have your inputs on our Logo 🙂
http://www.brandniti.com