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The Discount Logo Designer Versus the Brand Developer

Saturday, February 9th, 2008, by Daniel V.

In the past, potential clients have asked me why they shouldn’t just pay a discount logo designer $300 for a logo—a fair question. My answer: “Business is tough enough. Why challenge yourself with a cheap-looking identity?” Think about it this way: If you are going to spend a significant portion of your waking life building your business, why be held hostage by a weak logo?

Traits of a great logo

The old saying goes, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” More often than not, your logo will often be that first impression. Impressions happen at the speed of light—actually, at the speed of thought—and no matter what industry you’re in, your branding needs to immediately (and positively) express your business’s quality:

• You need to be perceived as trustworthy so people will spend time and money with you.
• You need to look different so you can stand out from your competition (in a manner that is relevant to your industry and target audience).
• You want your business to be memorable so people remember your business over the competition.

A great identity addresses all of these concerns.

Not Good Enough for Them

Some folks are happy with a $300 logo that looks “OK.” But, consider this: if discount branding were truly good enough, then the biggest and best companies in the world wouldn’t be spending billions of dollars on successful identity and brand development services.

Don’t be fooled: like the rest of us mere mortals, multi-national corporations like to save money. If hiring discount designers was viable, you can be sure these corporations would do just that. However, it’s clearly not an option for them and you should ask yourself whether it’s a smart choice for you.

So, is a Discount Logo Designer Good Enough for You?

A discount logo designer is a great choice for many businesses that never intend to be anything more than a small operation. (i.e. Joe’s Plumbing, Martha’s Landscaping, Reggie’s Bird Houses etc.) For them, a $300 logo is a fine fit that provides a solid identity relative to their business goals.

For anyone serious about building a successful larger-scale business, then no. Skimping on a logo will not benefit you at all. In fact, it may prove to be a disservice.

Differences between a Logo Dude and a Brand Developer

Most discount logo designers will not perform any real market research, nor industry and competitor analysis. Neither will they perform color analysis, balance, justification or contextualization. On the other hand, a brand developer will perform these processes in order to strategically position your company relevant to your competition, your market, and your target audience.

For example, you wake up a billionaire one day and decide to start a car rental company. In consultation with your brand developer, you see that Avis already “owns” red; National “owns” green; Hertz “owns” Yellow and so on. Great! Armed with this information, you can differentiate yourself and evoke positive recognition for your company by building a brand that utilizes a color that is different than your competitors’.

Discount designer dudes generally don’t care. Why would they? They’re simply trying to get your logo completed as fast as possible so they can move onto cranking out the next one.

Summary

Brand marks and identities, when designed intelligently, allow you to …

• Look professional
• Instill trust
• Look relevant and attract your target audience
• Look different and stand out from your competitors
• Look memorable and be remembered

Consider whether these issues are important to you and hire accordingly.