Regularly, I receive emails from entrepreneurs starting up their new companies. They’ve checked every bullet point; registration with the Chamber of Commerce, VAT number, a domain name registered, and sometimes even a rented office place. Once the name for the new company has been chosen and the domain name-checked, the next item on the agenda is a logo and a website.
Nowadays, logos are so easily pooped out by free apps like Canva or other cheap options on websites like Fiverr.com or 99desigs.com. These websites might be a good idea if you are on a tight budget and quality is not that important but if you want to take your business seriously, I advise you to read the rest of the article.
Logo, corporate identity, branding
Corporate identity, logo, logo, branding, visual brand identity…. All these phases make your head spin. You just want a logo, maybe a business card, and a website. Should it all be so complicated? No, absolutely not. A professional designer will help you step by step get what you need.
The difference
I totally understand the terms make you dizzy, but it’s not that difficult at all. Just as vanilla ice cream used to be called a vanilla ice cream, at some point in history it was called a sundae. The base is still the same, it just has a different name.
A logo can consist of a company name or it can be a company name and a brand image. The brand image is the ‘picture’ that can be part of the logo, but a logo can also be only a brand image.
Corporate identity is all the visual elements that represent the overall face of an organization, such as logo stationery, business cards, envelopes, packaging, brochures, and online visibility.
Branding is not only the face of a company but also the voice. Branding is corporate identity + brand value of the company. When you set a certain brand for your company, you make sure all communication with your target audience is the same. If you want to reflect your company as a cozy and friendly company, it will be shown in the logo, the use of photos or images, and in the way, the content is written. For example, an advertisement for Macdonald’s has a completely different tone of voice than an advertisement for a law firm. The brand identity is shown in every communication with the customer, from picking up the phone to postings on social media.
But I still want a logo
Now you understand better why a quick fix on Fiverr is not a smart choice when you’re serious about your business. There is much more to it than making a pretty picture. Of course, I understand, as a starting entrepreneur, you don’t have an infinite budget. But there are a lot of options between a 5-dollar clipart logo or 500.000 dollar branding.
One of the bullet points in my brand book is clarity. After I receive your message, I never immediately send a quote for a logo. I want to know everything about you and your company first; what kind of company, why do you want to become an entrepreneur, who is your target audience, what do you want to achieve, how do you want to reach your target audience, have you thought about the style of your company (chic, cheap, technical, cozy, classic, etc), certain colors, fonts.
I like to discuss all of this in a free consult. After that meeting, I will make a suitable offer, especially for you, so you can decide whether this offer fits your budget.
Want to know more?
Let me know if you found this article useful. Do you still have questions or are you the one who was looking for a new logo? Send me a message with your question or schedule an appointment directly via my Calendly agenda.
