Corporate logo design and its strategic significance

The origin of corporate logo design can be traced to the necessity of companies to differentiate their products from similar products of their competitors. For this purpose the companies chose to have symbols, signs or emblems, so that even illiterate buyers could recognize their products. With time number of products and companies grew to such an extent that companies realised that for people to readily identify and remember the logo, it should also contain the name, emphasizing the name with unique typeface, colour and artistic effects.

Today utmost importance is given to logo design and is considered not merely a graphical image but as the face of the company – company image and its brand.

Corporate logo or logotype symbolises and communicates subtle characteristics of a company and evokes well intended and directed emotions. Corporate logo reflects the company’s values and beliefs and is instrumental in creating and establishing its corporate identity and brand image.

Following is a brief study of some of the companies’ logotypes and their success in conveying companies’ intents and beliefs:

The Nike corporate logo design (swoosh) is an abstract wing designed by Caroline Davidson for just $35 (she was compensated again) for what is today one of the most well known logo designs in the world. The wing was not only an appropriate symbol for a sport shoe manufacturer but along with the slogan “just do it” the logo design communicated the strong spirit of competitiveness for the people within and outside and defined a way of life for the entire generation. This is an illustrative example of a corporate logo design communicating the company’s unarticulated mission (crush the competition) to its people and also the essence of sports to its buyers.

Similarly IBM, during 1972, introduced subtle changes in their corporate logo design (IBM had suitably modified its logo quite some times though basic design has remained unchanged) when letters with horizontal stripes replaced the solid letters with background remaining blue. The new corporate logo design symbolised “speed and dynamism”, so relevant to a company operating and leading an industry fraught with rapid change in technology which in turn hugely influencing customer preferences – an example illustrating alteration of corporate logo design to communicate the competitive urge facing the industry.

The corporate logo of Apple computers (apple with a bite taken out) refers to the apple representing the fruit of Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of the Eden. The logo design aptly conveys the values and belief of a company which has time and again leveraged its knowledge by innovatively developing new products, which have significantly changed the basis of the very competition in the industry.

Since a logo is a distinct identity of a company, the uniqueness of logo is of prime importance to eliminate any confusion in the marketplace. There are a few guidelines a company should follow while designing corporate logo:

• Take professional service
• Insist for simple yet memorable design
• Colours have universal appeal and have distinct expressions associated with each of them and so choice of colours depends to great extent on personality intended to be conveyed through the logo. But minimise the variety of colours, if possible to one. Aspects such as visibility on stationery items in the office and appearance in black and white (for it may appear in this form on photocopies and fax copies) is not to be overlooked.
• Trademark the logo to ensure its uniqueness

And finally give the logo maximum exposure not only by printing it on letterheads, business cards, packages, products, pens, uniforms, desktop calendars, helmets, uniform, company presentation slides etc. but also by communicating the subtle message it delivers to build an emotional attachment with logo.