The Value of a Logo

Can you sum up your brand in one iconic image? If your current logo isn't performing this admittedly tall task, it may be time to go back to the drawing board and work until you come up with something serviceable. Introducing a brand through a bold and recognizable logo is one of the most prominent ways of catching customers' attention, and without such a feature, your product labels aren't living up to their potential.

You can refresh your packaging strategy by either revamping a current logo into a more visually pleasing form or introducing a new one. Then, you can work with a reliable labeling partner to ensure the shiny new brand mark is printed in great resolution on sturdy and colorful labels that won't fade or smudge on the shelves. This combination of a solid design and well-made labels can help your whole range of items stand out on shelves.

Logo Lessons from Unlikely Sources

Forbes contributor AJ Arawal recent explained a surprising place to take influence from when designing your brand's next logo: Warning signs and safety labels. He explained that these two very separate kinds of branding share important traits, and you can learn graphic design lessons from studying caution signs.

For instance, warning labels tend to use "hot" colors such as red or yellow when they are giving must-see information. "Cool" colors such as blue or green are fine for notices or more detailed instructions. When you pick the colors for your re-brand, you should keep these same color principles in mind. Do you want to trigger an urgent need, such as hunger? Bright red may be good. If calm is what you're after, consider blues and greens.

Arawal also pointed out that your particular industry may determine whether you take after safety labels and use consistent, easy-to-understand symbols in your logo, or go in a more abstract direction. He noted that when a spontaneous choice is called for, brands often fall back on well-known images that will support snap decisions. Just as a "do not touch" warning sticker tells people to be careful immediately, these logos say "buy now." On the other hand, industries that deal with longer decision-making processes should feel free to embellish their chosen imagery.

Unorthodox but Successful

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and your logo design process may deviate considerably from the logical approach named above. Bon Appetit magazine recently gave an example of this phenomenon in action, profiling the La Croix seltzer can. This is a brand that has become popular and borderline iconic using a logo font and graphic design that professionals find unclear or ugly. This is proof that memorable brand logos sometimes arise from forces other than the clear-cut laws of design, and if something catches on, there's no need to steer away from it.

Designer Lyle Zimmerman told the news provider that his logo treatment is meant as a marked contrast to the rest of the fizzy beverage market. Where others used clean, blocky lines, this was a brand that leaned into a flowing look, with layers of color underneath that could be changed for different flavors and made distinctive but recognizable. Out of this counter-programming approach, the brand found its winning logo.

Strive for New Labels

Once you've made the decision to refresh your brand's logo, it's time to get the new look out into the world via custom product labels. Not all labeling partners are the same, and if you work with the wrong company, your bright new label design may come out looking faded or otherwise wrong. Lightning Labels, with a dual focus on speed and quality, is a partner you can trust to get your products' look just the way you envision it.

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