The logo is the first thing people see and therefore it’s essential to take time when making a logo. Aristoteles said once „the soul cannot think without an image“. A logo expresses the company’s values.
Not only the design of the logo has a big impact, but also the name of the brand itself. It should be recognizable for people. Esch differentiates between meaningless and meaningful brand names. They can have either no connection to the product, an associative or a direct connection to the product. Replaceable brand names should be avoided, because it makes it hard to differentiate the brand from the competitors.
Typography helps to position the brand. According to Esch, typography is useful in three different aspects. The font can improve the readability and the intake of information. Esch suggests using fonts without any serifs and not all in capital letters, because they are not easily readable. Background and contrast are also factors to consider. The brand name should not be positioned where it is hard to read for example if it’s placed vertically or diagonally. The font can evoke suitable associations to the brand name and the position, for example traditional, modern, technical, female or male. An outstanding font can help to differentiate the brand from the competitor brands.
The logo is the key to the image of a brand. There is a trend towards the abstraction of logos and Esch speaks of an „abstraction virus“ marketing managers are infected with. The abstraction of logos will be the topic of another blog post.
There are two different types of logos: image logos and font logos. The image logos can be divided into abstract signs and specific image logos that can either have a connection to the brand or not. If they have a connection to the brand, it can be either to the brand name (Apple), the product category (Lufthansa) or the positioning (Frosch).
Esch points out that there is often a lack of professionality when it comes to logos. It happens that the names of brands or the logos are too abstract and don’t transfer enough association. When logos are abstract, the communication around the brand becomes much more important, because it needs to give meaning to the brand.
Sources:
Branding-Agent (o.J.): Integrativer Markenaufbau. Name, Logo und Verpackung ganzheitlich betrachten. SWV: Short Web Version. Online unter: https://docplayer.org/5408715-Branding-agent-integrativer-markenaufbau-name-logo-und-verpackung-ganzheitlich-betrachten-swv-short-web-version.html (18.11.19).
Esch (2008): Strategie und Technik der Markenführung. 5. Aufl. München: Verlag Franz Vahlen GmbH.
