Article published in the SMPS Marketer
A national publication of the Society of Marketing Professionals Services

Does Your Logo Have a Soul?
by Carolyn Bligh

A logo with meaning and purpose makes a positive impression on your clients, prospects, colleagues, and community, and is a vehicle to bring your employees together. Its design and positioning are an accurate expression of your brand – the sum total of the unique elements and characteristics that differentiate your professional services firm from its competitors.

What Does Your Logo Mean?
Every logo is communicating something, whether it can be understood or not. Have you ever looked at a logo and said "What does that mean?" The name wasn't clear and you couldn't connect with the image. Inspiring the title of this article, we had the same experience. Engaged in a brochure project for a professional service firm, we had reservations about using their current identity. So, we asked the question, "What does your logo mean?" The owner was speechless. He didn't know, but would ask the person who created it. The answer he found out was, "It doesn't mean anything." With that answer, he felt like he had no identity, or as he put it, his logo had no soul.

A meaningful logo should represent and reflect the spirit of the firm. Many principals and marketing directors are challenged with the task of identifying who they are in the marketplace and what makes their company special. They hone in on the key factors that get them selected for projects. The qualities they find should be present in their logo, connecting meaning to identity and differentiating them from their competitors.

Does It Serve Its Purpose?
What exactly is the purpose of a logo? An effective identity is not rated by how it looks, but by what it does. As the public face of your company, it stands before your clients and prospects when you can't be there. It is also a focal point within your organization that helps to get your employees to understand their mission and get everyone to pull in the same direction, fostering professionalism, pride, and growth. Your identity is a promise and a commitment, as well as a belief and an aspiration. Properly designed, a logo can be a powerful tool, not only to distinguish your firm from competitors, but also to prequalify it in your clients' minds.

In order to fulfill its purpose, both form and function must be considered. Does the logo have the right balance of visual impact, ease of use, and cost effectiveness for your particular needs? There are different issues, for example, when a logo is used in print or electronic media, is used in color or in black and white, and when it is photocopied or faxed. The ways you communicate with your audience should influence the logo design, since its important to encourage extensive use of it.

The Elements of a Logo
Various design elements can be found in logo solutions, ranging from the company name as type, to an acronym, to a graphic icon, to any combination of the three. Each can be equally valid and serve its purpose. Creative use of type can make a powerful statement. A logo can be made out of a single letter. It's what is done with the letter, how its essence is described. Acronyms are particularly common amongst professional service firms, both for start-ups and established firms passing on to the next generation of leaders. Graphic icons are useful for visual recognition and can often identity a company without the name even being present.

How much detail do you need in a logo? Logos that are too literal and pictorial, such as hard hats and hammers for construction companies, are not very effective. The reason is they are too cliche and merely indicate a commodity, not a value. Instead, they should say something unique about the culture and character of the company. At the other extreme, logos that are too abstract or obscure are equally lacking. They should be conveying a clear and confident message. The most appropriate logo solution lies in the middle and is the result of careful research and a creative solution. It is challenging to create a concrete form from subjective and abstract ideas or beliefs. My belief is this: make it simple, unique, meaningful, and memorable.

Color is a big design consideration. A unique color can trigger brand recognition all by itself. In the building industry there are certain colors that have become identified with certain disciplines. For example, blue is used by many construction companies. Green is used by many environmental firms. Another consideration is the number of colors to use. That decision should be based on the design goals and objectives. Some firms don't have a large budget for printing and prefer it to be no more than two colors. Other firms have multiple color logos that are very effective in distinguishing them from competitors. Cost can be relative.

The Life of a Logo
So how do logos get to be the way you see them today? The answers are varied. It is always interesting to ask a professional service firm about the origin of their logo. Usually, someone there knows the story of who created it: the owner's grandfather and founder, a family member, a student, a good or bad designer, or many people who "tweaked" it over time. A new logo should be professionally designed to reflect the people who represent it, and who must own it and be it.

If you have a strong identity or have just given birth to a new one, keep it alive by making it sustainable. It is not unusual to find a professional service firm that has let their guard down and suddenly realized that their logo is being modified in many different ways within various departments and branch offices. It confuses your clients and weakens its effectiveness. All of your employees should be familiar with the standards regarding the logo and educated about its importance. Then, revisit your identity from time to time to make sure it still has your soul. Few logos are so well designed as to be timeless - holding up long-term with meaning and purpose that strongly and accurately representing your evolving company and marketplace.

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