What you need is a brand not just a logo.
COVID has changed the game rules. The furlough scheme has enabled people to work on those side projects and convert them into businesses. Through the past year, I have been honoured to get involved in new business branding as well as offering consultancy to businesses that are starting.
Often the conversation starts with: I need a logo.
When I design their logo, I consider the time that will take me to create a brand foundation. I have never just given a logo. It comes with some brand guidelines stipulating the colours and fonts that the business should be using. I usually add a page with a look and feel, with an asset designed and mocked up.
Everything comes packaged in a ZIP file with all logo formats and guidelines.
Why do I spend that time if they only want a logo?
Because branding is about building a consistent language that will make your brand strong, recognisable and loved.
๐ด๐ป I’m going to be a grandpa and tell you a story to illustrate what I mean.
I run three or four times a week around the same ground, sharing the space with many other runners from my area. I think a face as a logo. I see many logos throughout every run. Sometimes there is one or two that ring a bell, from other days seeing them, maybe because they were something distinctive.
Whenever I run, I always sign a Hi ๐๐ผ to other runners, and for many years I wore these shoes ๐๐ผ
After a few months doing so I have noticed that people started to say Hi ๐๐ผ even before I did.
What I want you to take from this story is that without realising, I branded myself. I had a logo (face), but I had a language, and a touch point (Hi ๐๐ผ)and my colour shoes helped to be recognised.