The online ad screams “$29 Professional Logo Design.” So that would be a good deal?
You’ve heard the old saying “Buyer Beware”: this is certainly a great example. You wouldn’t advise your patients to choose their surgeon by the cheapest price. Most people have horror quality stories about the time they chose the cheapest solution available. Regardless of what you’re purchasing, there’s another often-quoted saying: “You get what you pay for.”
There are, of course, exceptions. Nike’s famous logo cost $35 back in 1971. That’s less than $400 in today’s money. However, Nike also gave the designer 500 shares which today are worth over $600,000. Twitter’s logo is another classic, designed in 2009 for just $15.
There are also famous examples which were designed in-house and cost nothing: Coca Cola and Google, for instance. At the other end of the scale are logos such as British Petroleum, whose logo redesign in 2008 is said to have cost $211 million. Enron’s play on its initial ‘E’ was designed by the famous designer Paul Rand in the 1990’s for a cool $33,000. Closer to home, the City of Melbourne commissioned a new logo in 2009 for $625,000.
So, why can’t you have a successful logo for little cost? The truth is that you may very ‘luck out’ and achieve a great logo very cheaply. You could also fail spectacularly, and your business could suffer serious damage as a result. Major companies such as Gap, Pepsi and Xerox have been roundly criticised for their rebranding and logo failures, in spite of the hefty fees they paid. High cost is not the guarantee of a great logo design outcome.
LOGO DESIGN
Small Item, Big Deal
Your logo is your brand personality—the public’s introduction to you and your service. Your logo should intrigue and attract, and being the process of convincing the viewers they should consider your services.. It sends subliminal messages in a way that pages of words or minutes of talking can never do. It is you “in a nutshell.” Sure, the reality of your service will bring repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals. But that’s not usually enough to sustain a business in these days of online advertising and competition. You need to attract people who wouldn’t otherwise hear about your service. You need presence. Thinking about your logo in those terms, can you afford to get it wrong?
Consider this real-world example.
You’re shopping for a new pair of sunglasses, and have narrowed down your choice to the two most comfortable and stylish options, both of which are in your price range.
Now, how to make the final choice? The decision becomes easier as you inspect the logos. One is confusing, difficult to read and unexciting. The other is simple, clear and has a cool vibe. It’s not difficult to guess which you’re most likely to choose, all other things being equal.
Marketing researchers tell us that it takes the average person 10 seconds to form a first impression of a brand’s logo. That’s all the time you have to impress a potential client! It’s why major companies pay so much attention to their logo, and why they’re prepared to allocate significant cost to getting it right. The other important fact you need to know is that 77% of consumers make buying decisions based on brand names. If you’re a smaller business, or a service business such as a medical clinic, your logo is even more important, because you’re competing with organisations with recognisable logos and immense marketing clout.
The Bottom Line
If you would like variations for different purposes, the cost will escalate. At DSD, we consult first, then quote to reflect your brief.
Your Decision
Ultimately, your logo is the face of your business. Like everything in life, your decision will be based on your personal risk/reward appetite. Are you prepared to risk vital first impressions to manage your business economies? Do you believe you have all the skills necessary to encapsulate your service in a self-designed logo? Are you confident enough of an online advertisement to trust this work to a faceless off-shore entity of whom you can know very little? Are you prepared for the possibility of failure with no recourse to anyone but yourself?
“What’s in a name?” asked Juliet of Romeo. And, likewise, what value is there in a logo? How much does your business depend on those first memorable impressions that can attract or repel a client, or leave them indifferent?
Your logo is the foundation of your business identity and your marketing material (online and physical). We encourage you to work collaboratively with us to achieve a result that excites you and truly represents why you do what you do. For this reason, we offer consultation, options and revisions in our logo design packages. Achieving the best result can magically occur with the first draft, but usually, it’s an iterative process, involving drafting, consultation, review and refinement.