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Home » Business And Finance Articles » 9 Keys To An Effective Logo

9 Keys to an Effective Logo

The right logo, with the right characteristics, will boost your visibility, credibility and memorablity ­ which means more business for you!

These characteristics include:

Consistency in use of your logo, tagline, materials. Repetition of similar elements, used in the same or similar ways, helps people to remember who you are and what you do.

Memorability, so that your logo stays at the forefront of your potential clients' minds. That way, they'll think of you next time they have a need.

Meaningfulness, so that your logo can spread the message about the distinguishing characteristics of your business.

Uniqueness, which helps you stand out from the crowd. For example, if everyone in your industry uses a particular symbol (i.e., travel agencies often use globes in their logos), try to use something else ­ that way, your logo doesn't just look like everyone else's.

Professionalism, in the quality of the graphics, the printing and the paper on which your materials are printed.

Timelessness in your logo will ensure that you don't have to redesign your logo in just a few years and that your investment and equity in your design will be lasting.

Differentiation between the colors in your logo ­ and not just in terms of hue, but in terms of value as well, so that it translates well either to black and white or greyscale and colorblind people are able to see it.

Unity among the different elements in the logo. The logo must fit together as a single unit, and not just appear as a jumble of elements pasted together.

Scalability, so that your logo looks equally good on both a business card and on a sign for your business (or a billboard!), and at every size in between. Your business's name should be legible at different logo sizes ­ be sure that your designer chooses a font that is easily readable.

Having a professionally designed logo can really give your business a jumpstart and helps your business get the attention ­and clients­ you need to succeed.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Your IR is Essential to Your Market Position

Often people look for the latest and greatest bells and whistles to market their company. Fact is, one of the most powerful marketing strategies is one that many folks overlook. Something that can make or break a person's reputation and their ability to gain and maintain strong position is their IR or the Integrity Reading. The IR determines their level of integrity. My definition of integrity is simple.

"Integrity is the ability to know we are doing the right thing in all situations. It is about accountability and responsibility. Accountability is when others can count on what we agree to and responsibility is the ability to respond. It has to do with following through on the agreements we make with others, even if following through is not the most convenient or comfortable thing to do. And if we can't follow through, having the willingness to be honest enough to let the other person know the reason why."

A quick read through in the newspaper will make one believe that for many people integrity, accountability and responsibility are viewed as foreign concepts. How many people make purchases on credit with no intention of paying the lender back in the agreed upon timeframe, or worse yet, having no intention whatsoever of paying any of the debt back?

This doesn't just apply to individuals, it also applies to companies who use the services of vendors and, through bad planning, overextend the company resources and write off the vendor's bill to bad debt.

What about the individual who agrees to be at a meeting place at a specific time and due to bad planning shows up late? Have you ever wondered how much money this can cost in lost production time? Figure a staff meeting where there are going to be 10 people in attendance and the meeting is 15 minutes late getting started -- that could literally cost the company thousands of dollars in lost productivity over the period of a year.

Or how often are people trying to get something for nothing? Interestingly, these very people want to get paid for their services and yet, they are constantly looking for ways to get free services from others.

On the other hand, there are so many people who live with the utmost integrity and their life seems to work pretty well. They are people who can honestly look in the mirror and say, "I feel good about the decisions I have made and the actions I have taken."

What is your IR? Take this simple test. Do you follow through on agreements? Do you deliver more than expected in your transactions? Do you honor your creditors need to get paid on time? Does your reputation help you or hinder your position in the market?

Your integrity reading can be one of the most powerful marketing tools you can have. After all, word of mouth marketing is the greatest marketing strategy of all. What is the word around town about you?

Copyright: © 2004 by Kathleen Gage

Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.