How do Successful Brand’s Logos Differ from Yours

Logos are critical when branding products and become the image most thought of when the company is considered.  A well designed logo is integral to a successful marketing strategy as it allows you to convey your complex brand message with few or no words. Where better to get inspiration for your business logo design than looking at Forbes Most Valuable Brand List 2015? This article will look into some of the most powerful logos of 2015 to gain insight to their success.

Apple’s signature design is extremely simple, and this is why it’s successful. Today, we are busier than ever and don’t have time to dissect an image in order to understand the message it’s trying to convey. What could be clearer than a picture of an apple? This imagery gets straight to the core (excuse the terrible pun!) of Apple’s brand identity. This simple, one colour, design is successful as it can be scaled to an size without compromising its effect.  Black evokes luxury, sophistication and authority and can be seen in other successful logos such as BBC and Chanel. The Apple logo is instantly recognisable and allows it to stand out in the once crowded market to become the most powerful brand of 2015, with a market capital of $741.8bn

In 2012 Microsoft moved away from their original italic logo in favour of a more modern design. The grey text connotes a neutral feel as it’s unemotional. In this increasingly hectic world, a technology company needs to be seen as trustworthy and a place of control and stability. The four coloured squares are neatly positioned and mirrors the original Windows version, but in a straighter, smarter way. The blue represents the trust of Windows features, red characterises  the action Microsoft Office and the green square represents the fun and freedom of Xbox. The Yellow square seems to have no exact purpose linking to Microsoft features unfortunately, but connotes optimism and warmth. This simple logo ties Microsoft’s features with the colours subconsciously reminding users of their products.

Google’s logo is recongised the world over, with such brand success their company name has even become a verb. If that’s not success I don’t know what is. Their playful logo is a bright yellow O encased on either side by primary colours. The burst of yellow evokes warmth, fun and optimism hinting that Google doesn’t take itself too seriously. In 2015 Google went further and created a sans-serif version of their logo making them seem even more playful. This logo speaks to the users in an instant and can be recognised even with the letters removed.

The Coca-Cola logo is distinctive and recognised in almost every household the world over, 94% to be exact. The characteristic red creates urgency; it’s the colour of love, action and passion. When consumers see red, they’re compelled to action and often impulse buy. In Coca-Cola’s case the impulse action is to purchase and share their product in order to “Choose Happiness”. The white swirling font contrasts brilliantly against the deep red and makes the eye-catching logo pop on any shelf. The branding of Coca-Cola has cemented their logo in our hearts and minds, with images of Santa Clause and family orientated ad campaigns creating a loyal customer base who seek out the red and white logo when thirsty. When considering to your logo, ask yourself; what you want your customers to do? If an action is required, such as a purchase, red could be the ideal colour for your company.

The colours in IBM’s logo have been expertly chosen to instil trust in their customers. Blue evokes trust and strength, which is extremely important for a technology organisation. Consider other companies who use these colours, many are other technological and financial services. The corporate world aims to project intellect and blue delivers, it also happens to be the majority of people’s favourite colour. Not only does IBM use blue to inspire trust, but this is balanced with white evokes emotions of simplicity.

Logos are hugely important to your brands success and a well thought out corporate logo design can mean the difference between your brand taking off, and it floundering next to its successor. By investing in professional logo design and taking inspiration from those who are succeeding in business around your logo will have what it takes to speak to your customers effectively.