Logo Specifications

My last entry is not about a logo. In this entry I’m going to give some specifications that a logo should contain in my point of view. There are many ways to create a successful logo and therefore showing the corporate identity. I will give some specifications that from my perspective should be in a logo.

A major element of a successful business is having a memorable logo. Your goal as a business owner is to create a memorable and recognizable brand, an identity that can only be developed by designing a high-quality logo and build a solid reputation that your customers with identify and come back to for repeat business again and again in the future. 

The best logos that are most successful are the ones that jump out at you when you see them. You must ensure that you are using a logo that stands out from the audience and put  in the minds of people. Once your logo design is a perfect fit for your business, you should take the time to test it out on the public to get feedback, so you will know if your logo has the right corporate identity.

A logo should contain:

-          - The company’s name/brand

-          - A distinguishable design

-          - Simplicity

-          - Reflection of the business (identity)

-          - Recognizability

With this I’ll end my blog and hope to have given you enough descriptions about why companies have chosen the logo they contribute. I’ll hope to see some reactions and opinions about the discussed logos.

Logo IBM

For my last logo I’m going to describe and give my opinion about the logo of IBM. IBM is a company that was one of the first to retail computerized machines for individual usage. BM has one of the world’s most recognizable logos. It is simple yet very appealing and a prefect visual representation of the brand/multinational. The 8-bar blue IBM logo is more than just a signature to the Company’s ads or an image to embrace its products and service packs. For customers, the IBM logo is a promise that symbolizes trust, value, quality and advanced technology.

Throughout the history IBM had to change the logo constantly because of the response of the audience. This isn’t common for a company that has become this big, they really had to struggle making the company successful. The main designer of all the logos was Paul Rand. The first logos he designed weren’t as good as the logo is now. In the beginning he made logos that were too bureaucratic and cold, because he didn’t worked out the specifications a logo should require. In 1972, a new version of IBM logo was introduced, again designed by Paul Rand. The solid letters were replaced by horizontal stripes, suggesting speed and dynamism. He finally managed to create a logo that felt right in the perspective of the audience. The 8-bar blue IBM logo was everything except cold and bureaucratic. The new logo finally gave the company its true identity, in my opinion, because the product were and still are better than many of the competitors.

Nevertheless, the company became successful and is showing its true identity through the logo. I really admire the way they had to work very hard for the company’s success and for creating a logo that is distinctive and highly recognizable and reflect the corporate identity in the right way.

Logo Coca-Cola

In this entry I'm going to describe and give my opinion about the biggest brand logo in the world: Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola logo, like the product itself, is rated among the most recognized logo design and brands in the world. 

The first Coca-Cola logo was created by John Pemberton's partner and bookkeeper, Frank Mason Robinson, in 1885. It was this man who’d think two Cs in advertising would be a great idea and so he came up with the name Coca-Cola and the typing design. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid 19th century and was the dominant form of formal handwriting in the United States during that period. The red and white colored scheme in the Coca-Cola logo was kept simple and distinctive so that it would be more recognizable. In my opinion this man not only knew how to create a logo but also could place it in context and time. It isn’t a standard to do this for a logo but by doing this Coca-Cola is well known throughout the world. This is what made the logo so distinguishable and gave the company its highly appreciated identity. Because the logo carries the design from that time it is has become a statement. And when your logo is becoming a statement the company will to and vice versa, in my perspective.

I can conclude that by the hand of Robinson the company turned out to be one of the greatest and most successful businesses in the world, the way I see it. Because the logo was made in context and captured in that time it is very good. 

Logo Starbucks

For this entry I’m going to describe and give by opinion about the logo of Starbucks. Starbucks is one of the biggest coffee sellers in the world and have become very popular in the United States of America. The company started in Seattle, which is on the North West coast of America.

The Starbucks logo shows a green band with two stars and a crowned Siren in the center of the logo. It is haunting yet attractive and recognized throughout the world, and provides an excellent lesson in logo design.  The first logo design was made by Terry Heckler of Heckler Associates. The logo contains many specifications for a logo. I’m mean by this that they read the marketing book very well. It contains the company’s name in the iconic cigar band line and in the center the face of a mermaid that give a warm and inviting feeling. The corporate identity of Starbucks is well shown in the logo. In my point of view, the designer Terry Heckler, wasn’t really a man that thought out of the box but wanted to get the best out of the box. The specifications he worked out into the logo were more than successful as we know today.  I  very much like the way Terry Heckler had put almost all the requiring aspects of a logo into the company’s logo. Because of doing this it turned out to be one of the most recognizable logo’s in America and also throughout the globe.

In conclusion I can say that you don’t necessarily need to think outside of the box to come up with a good logo. Terry understood what a logo should contain and therefore the logo gives a good representation of the identity of the company. 

Logo McDonalds

For this entry I'm going to describe and give my opinion about the logo of McDonald, because in my point of view it has the most recognizable logo for corporate identity. The famous Golden Arches in McDonalds logo represent style, significance and a strong corporate identity. It was created by Jim Schindler in 1962 and the idea was first introduced by Dick and Mac McDonald as arch shaped signs on the sides of their then ‘walk-up hamburger stand’.

Nowadays the logos arches are well known throughout the world. Whether you're on the highway or on vacation in India the arches are seen around the world and the logo represents the corporate identity out of proportions. This was a big factor that played a role for the companies massive enhancing. What I like is that the logo of McDonalds exactly  does what it supposed to do. It gives a response to the people and gives them the urgent desire of eating something simple in a limited time.  This is what McDonalds sets as one of their goals. What I also really admire is the logo just being one letter. There are not many to none companies that can do this and get a response from customers like the way McDonalds does. Therefore it is one of the most powerful and successful logos in my opinion.

In conclusion I can say, that McDonalds came up with a logo that can’t be called recognizable any more. It has become a standard in society. The way they have a logo just including one letter and get the desirable response from customers, makes it one of the best logos in the world.  

Logo Adidas

For this entry I’m going to describe and ging my opinion, in marketing perspective, about the logo of Adidas. The 3 striped Adidas logo was created by Adi Dassler, founder of Adidas. Adidas Logo was first used in 1967. Beginning with the production of training and sports foot wear, Adidas later expanded its production operations in leisure and apparel sector with the logo of Adidas appearing on each product.

The shape of 3 stripes on the Adidas Logo represents mountain, pointing out towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. I think this is a good move, especially for a sports company. They need to make their brand exciting and challenging for customers, just like Nike did. The logo is very easy to recognize and is highly distinguishable in my point of view. The typeface used for the brand, underneath the logo, is modern sans serif. In the time when Adidas started to uses this logo, it was more common to use older typefaces. This was a good way for the company to distinguish themselves more and with success. By designing a logo that is new in every way the corporate identity became more refreshing. This resulted in, that Adidas gained a greater amount of market share in the time being. This provided Adidas being a sponsor in many sport organisations.  

Nowadays, Adidas is one of the biggest sport brands in the world and is still refreshing because of the logo. In my opinion it isn’t the greatest looking logo but for the time that it was designed, it was and still is one of the most distinguishable logos in the world.

Logo FedEx

For this entry I will describe and give my opinion about the international shipping company’s logo; FedEx Express. The original Federal Express logo was designed by Richard Runyon in 1973. It consists of the name ‘Federal Express’ in a diagonal position with blue and white background. Just like Shell, FedEx maintained a color pattern to distinguish themselves from the competition. As you can see the “Fed” of federal is in blue and the “Ex” of express is in orange. These colors combined gives the logo more strength and therefore also given strength to the company.

The logo itself is one of the most easy recognizable images I’ve seen, though it isn’t very abundant in my opinion. Most companies, just like FedEx, make a logo from the company’s name. For customers it is easier to relate the company’s work through a logo that gives the company its identity. What I mean by this, is that customers will recognize the company, with its corporate identity, much better when they turn the company’s name into a logo. This is exactly what FedEx wanted to reach. I think this was a good move from FedEx and should be admired even though the strategy of the color pattern and the simplicity of the logo weren’t from their own.

In my opinion FedEx hasn’t got the greatest looking logo, but it sure is consistent in every way with a great level of recognizability. Though the strategy wasn’t from their own, they established a good logo that is highly distinguishable.

Logo Google Chrome

This entry I am going to describe the logo of Google chrome and give my opinion about it. Google browser (chrome) is not that old in existence. In order to compete with their rivals, Firefox and Internet Explorer(Microsoft), they had to come up with a strong and recognizable logo. For the design of the logo they took, not like most company logos, elements from other logos and combined them into a new one. Just like Apple did late seventies, they throw oneself upon the multi-couloring. Nowadays, this is still a good way to distinguish yourself from competitive company’s and is one of the features you have to think about while coming up with a logo. The four colors represent the primary colors. With these colors you can make any color to your liking. This is exactly the way Google chrome want to position itself, namely they want to position a browser that can do everything and is adjustable in every way.

In my opinion they have done a good job on the logo. It reflects the company’s vision and it’s wanted position in the market. The logo is rather simple jet more complex than other logos, because you don’t have a relation to the company’s brand (Chrome), like Apple has it’s apple and Shell it’s shell. Overall, the logo is a very well over thought design which put them close to their rivals, in my opinion.

Logo Apple

This entry I'm going to give my opinion about the logo of Apple. The logo of Apple is much more recent than the logos I described in the past entry's. Apple's logo was launched for the first time in 1977 by Rob Janhoff with a rainbow theme. This was because none of the competitive company's used such brite colours in that time. It was a  good way to distinguish themselves from competitive company's, in my point of view. The logo itself is a symbolic representation for the company's values and vision. It is obvious that the name Apple was transformed into a logo of an Apple. The logo is admired for it's simplicity and many meanings that people attach to it.


I think Rob Janhoff understood the weight that a logo carries in relation to the company. He made a simple design that is very recognizable and adjusted the colour pattern which was very smart in that time, because most of the logos from other company's were one or two coloured. In marketing perspective of a logo there couldn't be a better way to do this, from my perspective. What I really like, throughout the the history of the logo, is that it never changed in design. Sure it had quite a few polishes, like the aqua theme and glass theme, but the basic idea of the logo never disappeared. I think this is one of the reasons that Apple could turn into a large successful company. Nevertheless, Apple managed to gain on the competition with this logo as it’s trump, that in my point of view is very inspiring.

Logo Nike

My third entry is about the Nike logo. The name of the company is named after the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The logo, also known as “Swoosh”, that is used by the company is hardly not recognized by many people. The Nike "Swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. The company's first logo appeared in 1971, when the word "Nike," the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a checkmark, the sign of a positive mark. 

In my opinion this was a very good move the company made in marketing perspective. The checkmark is defined as a positive gesture. It creates an image of the way the company wants to position itself to the customer. Nike wanted to market, in the first place, running shoes. By giving the shoe this logo it turned into a huge success, because of the simple beam and the representation of the logo. The "JUST DO IT" slogan and logo design campaign communicated such a strong point of view to their target market that the meaning for the logo design symbol evolved into a battle cry and the way of life for an entire generation. Nike had done two very important things in what a logo should have, namely that it should be easy to recognize and that it shows the vision and statement the company, from my view of marketing strategy. Through my eyes Nike is one of the most easy recognizable logos in the world.

Logo Volkswagen

This entry is about the logo of Volkswagen. I will give my opinion about it and will relate it with some marketing theory.

It is quite obvious for anyone to see the logo is a V above a W surrounded by a circle. The company who started this brand was at first no company at all. In 1930(Nazi-Germany) Hitler had the desire that almost anybody should be able to afford a car, fitted with a proposal by car designer Ferdinand Porsche.

The logo unfolds in a office competition in 1935. The maker of the logo was an engineer named Franz Reimspiess

Nowadays the logo is well known throughout the world. In my opinion the logo represents the company’s visibility and credibility. These are two important specifications for a successful running business. The logo represents the company’s vision, videlicet a fabricated car for the common civilian. This is why I think the logo fits with the company. They still want to continue the vision that Hitler had in fact.

Nevertheless, the logo is simple, recognizable and reflects the company’s purpose of their products. This is a well over thought promotion strategy, despite that it came up in an office competition.

The company never came up with a different logo, since 1935. Yes, they polished it quite a bit, but the basic idea never disappeared. This was simply the best way the company handled through my eyes, because the logo became an icon and a life-brand in marketing terms.

I think Volkswagen did a good job to find the right logo for their company. At last I can say that it represents the visibility and credibility of the company in a good way and will always do through my eyes.

Logo Shell

My first entry is about the logo of Shell.

As most of you know, Shell is a company that exists for more than a century.

The logo they have represents the oil winning from the sea. In the past before shell started in the oil business, they were in the antique circuit, with the primary goods eastern shells.  

In my opinion it is a powerful logo that everyone recognizes or will remember. The logo for a company is very important. This is because of the graphic representation of the company. The consumer will relate the logo to the brand and activities of the company. Shell has a simple logo with bright colors, which stand for professional and valued business activities and the quality that Shell want to deliver. The logo of Shell is a symbol for the brand of the company, like I mentioned earlier in my entry. The strategy that Shell uses is also found back in the logo. They want to pump oil with corporate social responsibility nowadays. This is good publicity for the company, what consumers will relate when they see the company’s symbol.

In the present time, Shell has one of the most successful logos that a company can have. It is easy to recognize and easy to remember. These are easy specifications, but hard to realize for marketers. The choice of the logo, that the company made, had a great level of importance. They outsmarted the competition with a powerful brand. Nevertheless, the Shell logo stands forward in the line of world’s most recognizable logo designs.