Welcome to Ask an Expert Business Series with Misty Lambrecht, the owner of Webfoot Marketing and Design, sharing valuable insights based on her extensive 15 years of experience in business startups and advising in Lincoln County. Recently, I was talking to someone who was in the process of designing their logo, and they had a lot of really great ideas. They even wanted to incorporate an actual photograph into their logo. This raised some questions for me that I believe are worth discussing.
One of the standard questions I like to ask is, "What are you going to use your logo
for?" We talked about using it on business cards, invoices, social media, and various
other places. I began to explain to them that every time you add a color to your logo,
you increase the cost. For instance, if you plan to print your logo on a T-shirt with ten
colors, it will cost you more.
Similarly, if you're printing it on invoices with ten different ink colors, it will also increase the cost. Additionally, having a logo with a large black background can limit where you can use it unless you can include a transparent background option. One issue with my logo is that it includes my lengthy name, making it challenging to use as a thumbnail because it becomes unreadable. So, considering all the potential applications for the logo in brand identification could help in creating something more versatile.
The next thing I asked was for them to tell me more about their business. I think it's an interesting concept to consider when you're starting to brand yourself, such as the
colors associated with your business. What colors represent your business? For
example, if you're in a natural, earth-tone, or organic business, tie-dye colors may not
align well with your brand. I often associate specific colors with certain types of
businesses. For instance, neon colors and lights are more common in bars at night and
the vegas strips, while massage therapists might opt for a more soothing and calming
ambiance.
As you start to think about branding your business, ask yourself whether your brand
truly reflects your entire business culture, including its sensory aspects like smell, color
and sound. Also, consider the practicality of your logo in terms of cost outside of its
development. For example, think of brands like Nike, whose simple "swoosh" logo can
be used in multiple colors and on various backgrounds and is very adaptable as the
business grows, adds new products and without incurring high costs.
If you decide to trademark your logo later on, it might be a wise choice to initially
register it in black and white. This way, you'll have the flexibility to change the colors in
the future. If you trademark it in red or any other color, it will remain fixed in your
trademark record as the color you choose for your logo.
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