Logo Design – Branding yourself

Businesses put a LOT of effort into what they do (how they serve their customers), and I would say that all businesses began with a vision of what the Business should look like.

I believe that when it comes to marketing, the LOOK and FEEL of the businesses (as a first impression) is almost as important as the quality of the services it provides.

This look and feel begins (IMHO) with the NAME of the company. think of some of the brands you see every day – Coke, Nike, Chevy, Ford . . . Odds are good that as you read those, you visualized the look of their logo.

But . . . What do those words mean, and how does that meaning relate to the product (if at all)? Do they need to?

I considered this when naming Pareto Realty. I could have called it “Barry Owen and Associates Real Estate services” . . . too long . . . Boring . . . and loses a lot of the meaning if/when Barry Owen dies.

I’d like to think that Pareto Realty will outlive me. It IS a Corporation and certainly CAN survive my passing, so should the name.

Therefore, the “Brand” is Pareto – the Vital Few. there’s not a person who has heard this name and PAUSED and asked: Why “Pareto”? That sure gives me a great opportunity to tell the story of the origin of the company.

People love to do business with companies that have interesting stories 🙂

What about the actual image of the brand – the logo?

Consistency: Companies build their following with consistency. Once the logo and COLORS of the company are decided, they should NEVER change. I saw a BEAUTIFULLY restored Limo at the Greek Festival this past weekend . . . Had a crowd of people around it . . . EVERYONE there knew it was a Cadillac. Why? Because of the Emblem on the hub caps and the Hood ornament – It was a 1962 Model – Cadillac still has that same logo 48 years later.

Simplicity – Just like a billboard . . . the less clutter, the more effective . . . the average person has @ 6 seconds to take in what it says/means . . . and a person has to see it at least 3 times before they remember (so says my wife Debbie whose background is full of marketing)

Inspire curiosity – The logo must have meaning beyond the surface. Perhaps it says something about the origin or roots of the concept of the company (Pareto – 20/80 Principle – The vital few) . . . or something as simple as the name of the founding family’s dog . . . or a mascot (Titan). When people see your logo, the best thing that could happen is that they ask . . .

POPs from 1/4 mile away – Recognizable and READABLE . . . consistent LOOK and it should POP 3 dimensionally such that anyone who sees it anywhere knows what it is and what it stands for.

Uniform Colors – I’ve seen some local real estate firms who have uniform color guidelines but very little consistency of signage out there . . . Some are Black, some red, a few green . . . and the only consistent look of it is a scripted logo that’s sometimes difficult to read within 25 feet . . . but it’s a very pretty script. Pareto Realty’s colors are Green and Blue . . . and very specific shades of green and blue.

Our logo is still in design stages. We are already open for business and don’t feel like we have the perfect logo yet, so here’s what we’re doing . . . We begin with this:

 

and are playing around in the sand box. Our Son tyler did this last night

a bit blurry – I stretched it

Deb has done several . . . and yes, we have hired a professional.

Bottom line for me . . . Every business has a unique look and feel and story . . . and the logo is your first opportunity to tell that story. This is ONE thing that merits doing RIGHT on the front end.

OBTW – If you’re an independent contractor, this also applies to YOUR business . . . Just be sure that whatever you do is acceptable to your firm.

I’m just sayin’

Best,

b