Disney. IKEA. Coca-Cola. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of these brands? That’s right. The logo.
How a brand comes across to customers has always been a vital part of any business, whether it’s in hospitality, retail or something as specific as baked beans. So what better way of showing off your brand personality than with a strong logo and branding? It’s the first thing any potential client sees in a business, and as we all know, first impressions really do count.
Using logo psychology
It’s not all about only creating something that’s aesthetically pleasing – it has to fit your brand. Big businesses cleverly use fonts, shapes and colours to cater to their specific market. Coca-Cola, Nescafe and Red Bull are all examples of large drink companies, but they’re all very different from each other to target very different markets.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola uses a font that is very circular, sending a positive message of community, friendship and love. A font that flows like this can even hint a smile, strengthening the ties with friendship and love. Red is the universal colour of passion and excitement. Coca-Cola is energetic, playful and loud, and it’s something that the logo shows off impeccably.
Nescafe
Nescafe goes for something more straight and boxy, giving the brand a professional, strong and stable feel. Black is slick and modern, and compared with a clean white background, it gets the point across very well. Nescafe is telling you that it’s a trustworthy brand worth investing in.
Red Bull
Red Bull has two bulls forming a triangle. Triangles are associated with power, religion and law. As these tend to be viewed as more ‘masculine’ attributes, it’s no surprise that triangles tend to feature more heavily in brands such as Red Bull, where it is seen as a more typically masculine customer base. The yellow reflects the energetic qualities of the triangle, whilst the blue symbolises that they are a trustworthy brand.
This logo psychology isn’t just limited to when trying to sell products. Hotels, restaurants, theatres, castle, gardens, these are all examples of places that can use branding to make sure they are picked over the competition.
Another example of a business using strong logo psychology is Jesmond Dene House.
Opting for a classic yet elegant font, you can tell at first glance without even seeing the building itself that Jesmond Dene House is somewhere that exudes class, elegance and luxury.
Like Creative Bloq says, shapes have built-in associations that can have a significant impact on logo designs. If you’re interested in learning more about how to use shape psychology in logo design, click here.
Final thoughts
It may not be something that you deem as important as say a storefront or a website, but your logo is not something that should be pushed aside. Customers will often opt for the well known branded option over a non branded option even if the products are exactly the same. This is something that only brand loyalty can get you, and how do you start building that? With a recognisable and trusted logo, of course. It’s the first thing your potential customers see, and it’s important to make sure that it makes a lasting impression so you can begin to build that rapport and relationship you need so your business can thrive.
Here at Sleeky, not only do we specialise in web design, but we also do logo design and branding. If this is something that you would be interested in to help your business grow, get in contact with us today.
