Logo Design Tips and Branding: The Cost of a Logo

Today's article carries on the same theme as last weeks article, How to Create a Good Logo. We will look at the the potential cost of a great logo, and some tips on how to create that perfect logo while remaining well within budget.  

Cost of the Most Famous Logos

Some of the most recognizable logos in the western world vary wildly in terms of cost. The following are the costs associated with the logos:

• Nike "Swoosh" - $35, created by a college student in a contest (The student was later awarded an undisclosed amount of stock for the logo).
• Google - $0, created by Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
• Coca-Cola - $0, created by the founder's book keeper.
• Twitter - approximately $5, purchased from iStockPhoto.
• Pepsi - $1,000,000, spent in 2008 on a new logo to re-brand the company.
• bp - $211,000,000, spent by outsourcing the logo creation process to an outside firm.

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What Can be Learned From These Logos?

Last week's logo article talked about the five essential properties of a good logo: simple, memorable, timeless, versatile and appropriate. Not all the companies shown above applied all of the properties of a good logo. For example, the million dollars associated with Pepsi's logo was the cost of re-branding themselves in 2008. Their original logo was not timeless. The following are some things we can learn from some of the world's most popular logos:

• Simplicity is key. A simple logo will naturally have most of the other elements of a good logo, such as being memorable, timeless, versatile, and appropriate. A logo must represent a company, nothing more and nothing less.
• A logo does not need to break the bank. It would be easy to assume that since a logo is one of the most important pieces of a companies public image, it would have to be one of the most calculated and planned pieces of marketing. Several of the multi-billion dollar corporations listed had their logo created for $0, or near $0.
• Don't try to do to much at once with a logo. Notice that none of the logos above explicitly show what the company does. If Google wanted their logo to somehow show that they search the internet for information, it would have to be quite a complicated logo.
• A logo does not make/break a business. The most important thing to remember is that it is how a customer interacts and is treated by a business that determines their feelings toward said business. A good logo certainly helps, but that is what it is - a helper.

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Need Help Creating a Logo?

Creating a logo can be a tricky task. If you are out of ideas one of our graphics design experts can help.We also specialize in all areas of digital printing, interior, and exterior signage. Contact us today!

Email: sales@westmountsigns.com Phone: 519-885-1400