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Corporate Image and Logos.
by Grace Conlon
In the marketing world, a lot of attention is being given to the concept of “Image”, both on an individual product level and for a corporation as a whole. Researchers know the perception of a product or service can be vastly different from actuality. Marketing executives are faced with the difficult task of communicating to their consumers exactly what benefits they will derive from using their product or service vs. the competition’s offering.
How do they do this - how does a company reach the buying public and convince them of the relative worth of their product and the company that markets it? Can a logo communicate a corporate or product image?
A logo does exactly that in a very subtle way. Part of a logo’s impact comes from repetition, the very act of seeing a familiar symbol on a continual basis. Every company, every branded product or service needs a logo for this purpose.
The marketplace is awash with logos, repeated in television commercials, on trucks that pass us by; on packages and signs in the supermarkets; stationery and flyers. The list is endless. It is essential, then, for a logo to have meaning; to present to the subconscious mind of the consumer a message about the corporation and/or the product it represents.
This isn’t an easy task. It’s a very complex equation that marketers must develop. The equation has several image-making factors that must be created and sent out for digestion by consumers.
Of all the factors that comprise corporate image, the most significant one is that of integrity. Integrity, in itself, has components: honesty, loyalty, determination, strength, completeness, dependability.
Another element that is important for a corporate or product image is value; the consumer must perceive that they will be receiving something of worth for their money.
Leadership is another factor; it connotes a knowledge of the marketplace and the ability to conduct business in such a manner that others in the field acknowledge this company’s worth.
Innovation is another important component of image. Image-makers want their company to be seen as creative, knowledgeable and able to meet consumer needs with the newest and best products and services.
To build such an image through logo design requires the use of all of the tools a graphic artist has in his armory: fonts, color, placement, size, pictures and design motifs. Logosmiths know that some images require a sense of movement in the logo design; some need the strength of heavy block lettering; logos for products for infants, for example, would be best served with soft pastels and lines that are rhythmic and flowing rather than having sharp angles.
Any entrepreneur seeking a logo for his company or product should first choose the elements he or she wants to present as a communicator of the corporate image. Take the four key image elements and rank them in importance:
• Integrity
• Value
• Leadership
• Innovation
Knowing the relative weight of each factor, a logo designer can then create a logo that catches the public eye and imagination, sends a subliminal message about your company’s image and indelibly imprints the logo in the consumer’s memory.
Acquiring a logo has all of the commitment of acquiring a mate. Ideally, it is for the long term; it will speak for you; convince people to deal with you and like all good mates, it will have lasting beauty that doesn’t dim for you over the years.
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