When you create a logo, you are branding your business or service with a personality, something that can be used as a basis for creating all future campaigns and PR. Custom logo designing is a primary way to establish a brand identity, which is imperative because a well known and liked brand can keep customers repeatedly coming back to your product or business. If you want ultimate optimization, proper integration of both the company’s name and logo is required. As most people tend to remember faces better than they do names, consider your logo your company’s face. With that said, don’t just leave the construction quality of your ‘face’ in the hands of strangers; it is wise to research a company’s work and history before hiring them to begin your custom logo design.

The importance of a logo has many layers of value that hold a unique meaning specific to each individual company. For example, if the name of your business is difficult to pronounce, remember or relate to your service, a custom logo design can catch the eye of your potential clients. Ultimately, the innovative and interesting graphics and colors of your logo may be the reason for a client to inquire about your services. A successful logo can deliver visual clues to the meaning of the company it represents.

Another layer of value would be one that demonstrates your company’s uniqueness in its own field. As mentioned, we no longer exist in a world with one business for each line of work. A creative logo can set you apart from your competitors if it is constructed with subtle meanings that are cohesive with the character of your company and your business marketing plan.

In many lines of work a custom logo design is standard and without a doubt, necessary. For others, one powerful image can be the distinguishing item that sets your company apart from the competition. You are visually describing how committed you are to the appearance of your business.

Finding your creative firm is similar to finding “that special someone.” There is more than just outer appearance involved in the decision making process, however, it is typically the first impression that draws you to them. It is more important to find out how knowledgeable and experienced your contacts are. Make sure to find companies who specialize in branding, not just offer it as one of the “extra” things they do. Here is where the homework comes in; research the firms who created the brands you most admire and those who have similar qualities and interests to those of your business. If you are a pharmaceutical company, using a firm who is notorious for branding alcoholic beverages, fast food, or retail would not be helpful. Finding companies who are experienced within a multi-lateral range of brands is a good place to start. In addition, make sure they are reputable for their originality and creative style. If your company is very conservative or traditional, this doesn’t apply to you; find more traditional waters to call home.

Once you’ve found your niche, make some phone calls and start testing their business etiquette. Are they timely, motivated, excited to help, preoccupied…? When you receive your inquiry callback, is it from a sales rep, or from a partner…? This is the very instinctual part of the starting-up-the-relationship process. Meet with a few “potentials,” listen to your heart and trust the chemistry. The laws of physics will not fail you. If its not the right match, keep looking.

Be aware of your own etiquette as a potential client. Make sure to ask each company about their process; however, make sure you are targeting your questions to the work you are inquiring about. For example, if you are having a custom logo designed, you want to ask about number of revisions, cost per revision, time frames, and to see a portfolio of some of the recent work they have produced.

When your homework and meetings are over and done, put out your sensors. Monitor the facts the agency gave you against their actual implementing of them. Did they respond in the amount of time quoted, or are they not calling you back until a week later..? If the habits are bad to begin with, you can bet that they will only get worse. See how similar this is to “dating” in the real world? Just follow your intuition.

Firstly, don’t panic. Many businesses are actually afraid of too much business and lose sight that this is an OPPORTUNITY.

Second, re-group. Analyze the data and test it to see what you really have. If it is a direct response campaign, then you already have the info you need in the palm of yoru hands. If the client’s website or cusotmer service department are being inundated, put together a simple, quick response, greeting all the new traffic with a positive spin.

Third, take advantage of your new opporunity. Strategize new ways to market to your new client-customers and implement tactics to effectively communicate with them as your new target market.

Lastly, have fun and brag. Don’t let this anomaly pass you by. Build a case study for your client and your market, These do not happen all the time but they do occur and you should know how to handle it when you hit a home run!   

I still come to work excited every day. Ready for the next creative project, media plan or new business opportunity. I geuss you could say that I am addicted to this business. I never mind working late or on the weekends, I love chasing and landing new client accounts and I look forward to the symbolic pat on the back just as much as a check in the hand. Of course getting paid is always nice too. Don’t get me wrong…

Now that 760 Media is 10 years old, we will take all of our marketing, advertising, public relations and guerrilla marketing knowledge and build a set of streamlined tools and systems which will enable our clients to see exaclty how we maximize their budgets for optimal results and returns on their investment with 760 Media. Look out world, here we go again! 

Sep 01, 2007
Back to Basics: Marketing 101

Oct 01, 2007
Create an effective and meaningful marketing campaign

Nov 01, 2007
The art of interviewing advertising, marketing agency candidates