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.