.....................................................................................................................................
Q: Logo, brandmark or brand or what?
A: Logo is the traditional term used to describe a symbol such as a pictograph forming the centrepiece of a corporation or organisation’s corporate identity. It could also be called a logotype in the absence of a symbol and if made up of a group of type characters. A brandmark is not just another word for a logo, but stands for a group of essential elements, which could include the brand symbol, the brandname, descriptor and slogan all appearing in a single distinctive and dominant colour in the correct visual format.
However, in time and with mass exposure, superbrands such as Shell, Nike and Apple use the brand symbol as the only element of their brandmark. The term brand is used to describe all aspects associated with a brand and its positioning in terms of price, product offering and market share. In this context, logo is the traditional term used to describe only the symbol of a brandmark.
.....................................................................................................................................
Q: Should I change my brandmark (logo) or should I start fresh with a new one?
A: That depends on a range of factors and you could be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Use the free unique paradigm available on this website to conduct your own brandmark audit, to pinpoint and understand the flaws of your brandmark, thereby helping you to create a successful visual brand.
As a bonus, you can apply this powerful brandmark audit to evaluate your competitors’ brandmark strengths and weaknesses, thereby enabling you to take advantage of the positioning or repositioning of your entire brand.
.....................................................................................................................................
Q: Clients, employees and even some of my family have commented that my company logo is behind the times and not truly projecting what my business stands for. With the increasing competition on the Web and the recession, is it the right time to change my logo (or brandmark as you call it)?
A: Re-engineer or reinvent your visual brand and start beating your competition the Internet has greatly intensified in local and international marketplaces. Inject new life into a tired brand, make your brand visually fit now and emerge from the worst recession since the 1930s stronger than ever. I can help you turn a weak or inconsequential visual brand that could lead to possible bankruptcy into an endearing successful brand no matter the size or nature of your enterprise.
.....................................................................................................................................
A: For the budget-conscious small entrepreneur who cannot afford a designer, but wants to have the right foundation, my book Face your brand! The visual language of branding explained offers amazing value for money. The price of this book is less than half-an-hour of a professional designer’s time. Face your brand! demonstrates how to build your brandmark through my seven essential elements of successful visual branding. Once you have worked through this you will be able to create the right foundation for your own brandmark. Then, if necessary, let a design professional refine and polish your brandmark at a minimal cost.
.....................................................................................................................................
Q: I have seen logo competitions, out-of-the-box logos, stock logos, online logo design on the Web? How are you different from them?
A: The fact that the term logo is used should be an immediate clue of what is on offer. “Logo” is the traditional term to describe a symbol, such as a pictograph, which forms the centrepiece of a corporation or organisation’s corporate brandmark identity. A brandmark is made up of the sevensentials™ (seven essential elements) with the logo (or symbol) only one element. What about the other elements such as your colour strategy and slogan? These online sites take a stab at designing the symbol part of a brandmark only, but be warned most of the time their efforts land up as a collection of ideas, which need to be refined or, at worst, an assembly of useless premature design abortions with your money down the drain, time wasted and still no brandmark. If you insist on using one of read my book Face your brand! so you are aware of the risks. You will at least be able to put a proper brief together that will prevent most of their usual mistakes.
.....................................................................................................................................
FAQ
