Logos and symbols

What flags are to countries and heraldic shields and banners are to families, logos are the founders of the companies; they are badge for identification and membership. For example, the giant Swiss Food Company Nestle has a name and logo with a symbolic meaning. Nestle means ‘little nest’ in the Swiss-Germany dialect and the logo depicts a bird feeding its young in a nest (which seems appropriate for a food company).

The logo is a graphic representation of the firm to a variety of publics, which at the same time, fulfills regulatory, operational and marketing needs. It is applied to the entire package of print materials used by the firm or the company.

Logos are a very important part of the company. It may not be wrong to say that for a company, the face is the fortune. The design attributes i.e. the name, logo color, and the graphic devices are physical embodiments of this promise. By authenticating the product or the service, design offers a pledge of satisfaction and quality. Over time, strong companies build strong bonds by consistently keeping their promise.

In today’s competitive world where product differentiation is limited, a strong brand identity forged by the logos and symbols is what helps the consumer in differentiating between competing products and services. Thus colors, symbols and names and combination of these are the most important aspect in establishing brand equity.

A logo is no longer just a logo; it is an integral and highly important part of corporate identity, as marketable as any product from the company. Something that conveys what the company has to offer, almost a kind of assurance that spills across all products that come under its umbrella. Corporate identity treats logos as company’s signature on its materials.

The awareness of logos importance is driven by the realization that it can add strength to the entire business portfolio/ products under the company’s umbrella, in the process adding importance to the company itself.

One does not have to spell out Mercedes –Benz in so many words. Indicating the tri-star in circle is enough. That is the power of a logo.

Logos are often used to signal the consistency of the product or the service. The logo is most often the distinctive point of eye contact that the customers and the employees have with a company’s visual identity symbols. Most logos are however are remarkable for their anonymity. Wally Olins suggest that one reason for this is that at least boring, anonymous logos are safe. They are unlikely to cause too much impact inside or outside the company.

A successful logo will be distinctive, memorable, pleasing to the eye, and if possible, have a direct relationship to the company or its activities. A good logo is amenable to be used in many different sizes and in different circumstances with a very good effect. Internationally, the two most recognized logos are the Red Cross and the Apple.