What’s the visual that comes to mind when you think of the brands you love? Probably the logo, right? If you can’t exactly recall the logo, you might think of its predominant color, a distinctive shape, a unique symbol or a font style. Rarely do we do business with a company and not have some recollection of their logo. But in those cases where we can’t remember a logo, there’s a pretty good reason. Before I get into that, let’s talk about what makes a logo memorable by diving a little deeper into these four important characteristics:
Color
The main color of a logo is probably the first thing about a particular brand that catches your eye. If I mention Coca-Cola, Target or Netflix and you don’t say “red”, then you probably also don’t know we’ve been in a pandemic for the last year. These brands know that the color red is synonymous with who they are and the benefit of using it consistently. When you walk down the Coke aisle at the grocery store (I live in the south, so all “sodas”, “pops” and “soft drinks” are called “Coke”), you can walk right over to the Coke section and find your favorite variety. A man knows he’s about to lose his wife in Target for awhile when she spots that large red sign from a distance. And, if you’re like me, you’ve binge-watched all of Netflix because you’ve positioned that red logo on the top row of your smart TV apps.
Shapes
Since we were very young, our brains have been trained to remember shapes. Think back to that shape sorter toy you had as a kid. Logos with a circle, square, triangle, star or another geometric shape can subliminally help us make a mental connection to some brands. These shapes can also be simplified versions of recognizable things such as a shield (think UPS), a shell (Shell Oil, duh) and a cross (yes, Red Cross—this is getting too easy).
Symbols
Similar to shapes, symbols are often related to the type of industry or an indication of a brand’s name. Burger King has a more obvious hamburger while McDonald’s has the hard-to-miss “Golden Arches”. Back to the Target example above, the retail store has smartly and plainly connected their name to a universal symbol that doesn’t even need the word. Apple whimsically helps us think of them with their iconic, partially-eaten fruit logo and who in the world doesn’t know the Nike swoosh?
Font Style
The style of a logo’s typeface can also help trigger our memory of a brand. Some logotypes (also called wordmarks) can stand alone without a symbol. Examples of these include Coca-Cola with its scripty, classic lettering, FedEx with its hidden arrow and Google with its recognizable primary colors. Both logotypes and symbol-based logos often have letters that have been created or customized for their specific brand for the purpose of being unique instead of having an “off-the-shelf” look.
So why are some logos just not memorable? Well, it’s pretty simple—they don’t take into consideration these four characteristics and use them consistently. When it comes to color, determine your color palette and stick to it. If your logo contains a shape or symbol, make sure it’s relevant to your name or your industry. And lastly, your logotype should have a style that coordinates with the symbol (if you have one) but also conveys the personality of your brand.
Bonus Tip
Investing in a logo designed by a seasoned expert is the best way to be sure all of these attributes are applied. Branding professionals spend time studying design trends, understand what motivates different audiences and know how to make logos look good on everything from billboards to polo shirts.
Following these guidelines is no guarantee you’ll be as memorable as Nike, but there’s a really good chance your customers will see you coming from a mile away.
