Recently, I said yes to a side project to help someone out who recently acquired a manufacturing business and needed a logo. I say side project because we typically work with personal brands at HOC but what played out is such a great example as to why you shouldn’t invest in just a logo whether you’re a personal brand OR not.
Here’s what happened…
This client came to me knowing exactly what they wanted, a reference in hand and so I got to work right away. After 3 rounds of revisions– something still wasn’t clicking. He liked what I put together but also made the mistake of asking the people around him for their opinion of the old logo and the new logo– a very common thing!
Here’s the thing– your best friend, parents, spouse, and even other respectable business owners don’t know your brand like you know your brand. Their opinions can be helpful, but the opinions of the people you are selling to matter most.
The thing with this situation is my client didn’t really know his brand. He felt so unsure on what to choose– his old logo or one of his new options. And his decision seemed more focused on what others thought rather than if it’s aligned with his brand and vision.
He was identifying his brand as his logo when the logo is only one piece of his brand.
What a lot of business owners do is look at their logo as a stand alone and then find it extremely difficult to make a decision. Of course it’s difficult to make a decision– you’re putting all this pressure on one element to be the golden ticket, when it’s just one piece of the puzzle. It’s like judging a restaurant for the sign out front instead of going inside, tasting the food, and experiencing the atmosphere.
Your brand is the whole damn experience, your logo is just the first impression– important but not the whole package!
Your logo should align with the experience you’re providing to your customers and clients. How do you do that?
Get clear on these foundational brand questions
What makes your business unique?
What story do you want your brand to tell?
What emotions do you want your customers/clients to associate with your brand?
Who is your target market and what will they resonate with?
Once you have this foundation in place, you’ll find that creating other elements for your brand (including your logo) comes with ease. You know what makes you special, you know what story you want to tell, and you know what your target audience needs– helping to align everything into one clear brand, that you don’t have to second-guess!
Did you know at House of Creatives, we work backwards compared to most creatives? We build the brand first and the logo LAST. The reason for that being– the logo should fit into your brand like your hand fits into a snug glove. It should feel effortless and aligned. Otherwise you spend so much time on just one piece of the puzzle, putting too much pressure on it to make it work only to feel unsure about the right choice.
When you see your brand as a whole, everything comes together, tells the right story, and makes moving forward feel empowering.
Grab our free checklist below before you waste money on just a logo and ensure you’ve got these essential brand items first!
Feeling inspired to take your logo to the next level and create a brand worth talking about? Grab one of our Business Blueprints to get you off on the right foot!
Meet Carly & MichelleYour duo team helping solopreneurs find their sweet spot when it comes to branding, uncover their magic, and share it with the world in a way that feels real, exciting, and unmistakably them.
