Your logo is key to your branding efforts. Every logo sends out a silent message. Here's a simple test to find out if your logo is really sending the message you want.
It's quick, kind of fun, and it can reveal a lot.

1. List three adjectives that describe your company.

2. If your company were an animal, what would it be?

3. If you could choose one person from history or literature to represent your company,
who would it be?

Write your answers down and then read on.

These three questions are really three different ways of helping you think about the
personality, brand/image you want your company to project.



What do they say about your company? Is it:
* smart, young, aggressive?
* steady, reliable, experienced?
* Innovative, creative, daring?



Now for that animal. Is your company
* a strong lion?
* a nimble monkey?
* a likeable dolphin?
* a fleet cheetah?



* Did you choose a man or a woman (yin or yang)?
* Is your person friendly and approachable (Will Rogers)?
* Strong and authoritative (Abe Lincoln)?
* a dynamic trailblazer (Amelia Earhart)?
* A quiet altruist (Ghandi)?





1. First, compare your adjectives, animal and celebrity. Do they all convey a similar--or
at least a compatible--image? Do they describe your company as it is...or as you'd like
it to be? Big difference.

2. Now compare your logo to the image that the adjectives, animal and celebrity bring to
mind. Everything about a logo tells the world who you are...the typeface, the graphic, the
colors, even the size. Does your logo really project your image?

3. Are your logo, stationery, advertising and collateral materials all coordinated to send
one overriding message? Or are they fighting each other and confusing your audience. If
so, you're sending out mixed messages and wasting time, money and opportunities in the
process.

4. Is your logo easy to use? Some logos look nice but are difficult to use in various
applications. Some disappear when faxed or photocopied.

If your answer to any of these questions is "no," we can help you assess your corporate
identity. Because we're experienced marketers as well as creative folks, we look at
design issues through the lens of your marketing objectives as well as aesthetic issues.
The changes may not have to be major but their impact on your brand could be.

Here are two logos we created for two completely different types of businesses:

                                 

A furniture manufacturer wanted their logo to be as friendly and
inviting as their French Provincial-style products. This is the result.

                                 

This tech company needed to have a solid, professional look to their logo.

To see how we've helped other companies solve their identity crises, go to
www.tnlmarketing.com/graphicdesign. Or call us at 310-477-2119.

We'll help take you from who you are now to who you want to be.

There's more in the Fresh Ideas Archive