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Do you need a logo?
Can you get by without, or is a new logo imperative?
 New to the business world? Starting out on your own for the first time? Or perhaps you've been toiling away with moderate success, and are now considering expansion of your business. You're thinking of branching out into marketing and advertising, and it's come down to the question - "Do I need a logo for my company?" The short answer is Maybe. Maybe not. Truth to tell, not everyone needs a logo for the business goals they've set. In other cases, an effective company identity is absolutely imperative. Do you need a logo? Answering this simple question is the first step before investing your time, and money, in the development of a logo for your new company, product or service. And how can you tell if you need a logo? That requires asking yourself a few more questions about you and the company you're thinking about 'branding' -
1) What are the short term, mid range and long-term goals of your company or the product or service you are developing?
2) Are you going to be competing for the attention of prospective clients and customers in a crowded marketplace?
3) Will you be entering an already thriving industry and – let’s not be coy – fighting to ‘steal’ business away from other, more established companies?
4) Do you need to get people’s attention – the “here I am, and here’s what I do” kind of attention?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you’ll probably need a logo and all that this process entails. Conversely, if you answered 'no' to the questions, and if your long term plans involve working for ‘the man’ during the day, and moonlighting to a few friends at night – say, accounting services come tax time - then you probably don’t need a logo right now. Word of mouth, family contacts and casual referrals are likely to keep you more than busy enough.
Do it yourself.
Sure, you may need something ‘nifty’ to doll up your invoices, but you can probably manage that on your own - using standard business publishing software and the supplied templates. You may even be able to crank out your own rudimentary logo, letterhead and business cards (Avery and other paper suppliers offer pre-cut material that can be printed on your personal printer) using the tools at your disposal. As much as our studio (and any other graphic designer) would love to work with you on your new logo, it’s probably more ‘bang’ than what you need for the expectations you have, and the goals you have set for the immediate future. If, on the other hand, your business aspirations are to develop your business further, more investigation is probably in order.
Planning to advertise? You'll need a logo.
One of the litmus tests we can employ at this juncture would be the following - if you’re planning to design some brochures, maybe even an advertisement in the local paper - you might need a logo to make that investment pay off. You’ll notice that’s still a ‘might’. Bulletin boards at the local grocery store are full of hand-posted ‘flyers’ – you recognize them by the multitude of tiny ‘pull off strips with hand-written phone numbers, and while these advertisements might be more noticeable with a decent logo, they probably perform to the level that can be expected – a trickle of inquires and one or two solid leads. And a sale once in a while. If that’s all that you’re after, then a logo is still more than what you need. However, if you’re planning to drop a few hundred dollars on an advertisement that is to be featured on a newspaper page with a load of other ads, then yours had better stand out (for the most part, classified ads still enjoy the ‘no logo needed’ status). If you're thinking about spending a few thousand dollars on a Yellow Pages ad, then you'll want to present the best image possible. And a logo will certainly help. Yes, your deals may be better. Yes, your service is faster than your competition. You’re even a nice person. But if people don’t notice your ad, who really cares? A version of the ‘if a tree falls in the forest’ and ‘the sound of one hand clapping’ arguments.
Planning a website? A logo will help.
The same arguments apply for your new website. Think of this – you’ve been looking for a product or service on the Internet. You’ve run into sites that sell what you’re looking for, but for one reason or another, you’ve chose to look elsewhere. Oh sure, it may have been price. But haven’t there been times when you’ve backed out of a web site because the website wasn’t ‘right’? It didn’t ‘look’ as professional as the site that finally earned your business. Perhaps it ‘felt’ a little shady. Bad graphics. Spelling mistakes. And yes, it probably featured a hideous logo. Pretty nebulous stuff the you probably couldn’t put your finger on it at the time. Trouble is, if your fledgling company or service is poorly presented, your potential clients won't be able to define that 'bad vibe' either. They’ll just ‘feel’ that something’s not quite right about your business. And you’ll lose the sale.
Family members & word-of-mouth; good enough for some.
If you’re simply filing tax returns on behalf of friends and family for a few bucks on the side, none of this is an issue and you probably don't require a great new accounting logo. Building a few wood cabinets on the weekend and showcasing them at the local Flea Market. Your smiling face is probably the only 'branding' you'll require - for the meantime anyway. If, however, you’re trying to sell you services to strangers – and have but a few seconds to convince them that you are exactly what they’re looking for - you need to seriously think about branding your company. Because that’s what a good logo (and related branding) is all about. Convincing strangers that you are the best (or at least very good) at what you do. Strangers you ask? Sure – let’s take another example. Let’s say your homemade chili or barbeque sauce was such a hit at family picnics you decided to sell it at the local farmer’s market for a few bucks a jar. You could probably still get by without a logo on the jar and your booth. Captive audience, word of mouth, returning customers and a limited production capacity (how big is that crock-pot really?) combine to render a logo less than critical. To be sure, if the chili is good, a good logo will help move it through attention grabbing branding. I could also point out that if your chili is, in reality, simply mediocre – family members can be very forgiving - a good logo is practically a prerequisite. You’ll have few return clients and you’ll always be looking for new customers. It might also behoove you to have a flyer through which your word-of-mouth referrals can find you. I am, however, trying to avoid nuance here, so I’ll stick to my original black and white point.
Which applies to you?
So, while it’s true that not every company or business needs a logo, it can similarly be argued that in some instances a professional logo is absolutely critical to the longevity and growth of others. And only by taking a long, hard look at what you want to accomplish with your entrepreneurial aspirations, can you decide which applies to you. And if you decide that you do, in fact, need a corporate identity work-up, we should next take a look at the type of logo you'll ultimately want to brandish on your business card.
Next Page: What makes a great logo?
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Deciding if you need a logo
What makes a great logo
How do I design a logo
Do it yourself logo design
Clip art logos
Free logos
Logo Templates
Logo design contests
Online logo design
Selecting a designer
What's a logo worth?
Cheap logo design
Unlimited revisions
Working with our studio
How long does it take?
Getting started step-by-step
Logo design pointers
Logo design guidelines
Logo aspect ratios
Logo footprints
Common logo design mistakes
Logo design types
Illustration based logos
Text only logos
Icon driven logos
Cartoon logo design
Colors & your logo
RGB colors
Spot colors
CMYK colors
Pantone Matching System
Black & white logos
File formats
EPS file formats
JPG file formats
PNG file formats
GIF file formats
Your logo in a .PDF
Logo copyright
Poor man's copyright
Logo trademark
Stationery design basics
Business card design tips
Letterhead design tips
Envelope design tips
Design assets
Managing design assets
Having your logo printed
Print resolution
Gang run printing
Web friendly logos
Logo embroidery
Logos & signs
Uses for your new logo
Updating your logo
Logo repair or design
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