| You have just opened your business and are | | | | local business, with customers located within |
| about to place your first ad in the newspaper | | | | your city, having a logo probably serves no |
| or Yellow Pages. The rep asks you if you have | | | | real purpose, other than giving you a unique |
| a logo. Gulp. A logo? You panic and realize | | | | identity. If you do a lot of mixed-media |
| you have to have one and fast. After all, | | | | advertising, such as TV, radio, and |
| every business has a logo and look how | | | | newspapers, the logo can help tie your |
| successful they have become. Check out Coke, | | | | promotions together and create a branding |
| Microsoft, Honda, Wal-Mart, and the list goes | | | | awareness. For example, if a business called, |
| on and on. So you grab the local directory | | | | "Party Heaven," uses a red balloon with angel |
| and pick a graphic designer or ad agency and | | | | wings on it's signage, it's smart to carry |
| get moving. Thousands of dollars later, you | | | | that logo through all it's advertising. Also, |
| present the new logo to your ad rep and are | | | | a company with a national scope that has |
| well on your way to success, fame and | | | | multiple locations or a country-wide |
| fortune. After all, now you have a logo.Let's | | | | franchise, needs to have a consistent theme |
| back up. Take a look at the process where a | | | | that's aided by a well-conceived logo and |
| business is born and think about the | | | | color scheme.But the local plumber or air |
| timeline. When Bill Gates began tooling with | | | | conditioner repair service mostly likely |
| operating systems for Microsoft, did he begin | | | | doesn't require a cute or complicated logo, |
| by designing a logo? If you look at the first | | | | to satisfy their customers. They can simply |
| Coca-Cola logos, you wouldn't even recognize | | | | market and offer good service to build their |
| them today. Other companies simply resorted | | | | client base. Especially when there are |
| to their initials such as RCA, IBM, or UPS in | | | | hundreds of plumbers, all using a wrench or |
| a slightly distinctive typeface. You see, | | | | pipe as a logo in the Yellow Pages. There |
| their focus was actually on the business, | | | | obviously must have been a run on clip art |
| rather than the public's perception. Later, | | | | that day. I knew one that actually used a |
| they would hire advertising agencies to do | | | | toilet with something dark floating in the |
| the promotion and, if warranted, promote | | | | bowl in their ads. Ergo, a lousy logo can |
| their logo.Can a logo build a brand and make | | | | actually hurt a business's image.So, to |
| the company more money? Of course it can. | | | | summarize, a logo is something that derives a |
| Branding is a huge business in itself. It's | | | | well-implemented business plan. It can |
| been proven in surveys that people remember | | | | enhance and establish the company's image. |
| certain logos better than past Presidents or | | | | But it shouldn't be relied upon for |
| world capitals. But these international | | | | attracting customers or making up for a weak |
| symbols took time to be established and the | | | | product or service. After all, when all is |
| company became successful on its on merits | | | | said and done, it's still a miniature piece |
| first. They built a following and customer | | | | of artwork. You can look at one of my |
| base before marketing the logo as their | | | | creations by going to and check out their |
| representative. If Nike had begun with their | | | | logo. It's the lamp of knowledge and well |
| stylized 'V' followed by their slogan, 'Just | | | | known to most nurses. In the meantime, |
| Do It,' how would anyone know what they were | | | | consider your business and what a logo can do |
| selling?I have been an advertising consultant | | | | for you. And if you're a plumber, pipe |
| to thousands of businesses and designed | | | | down.Jeffrey Hauser's latest book is, "Inside |
| hundreds of logos. I've never seen an awful | | | | the Yellow Pages," which can be viewed at |
| business made better with an award-winning | | | | was a sales consultant for the Bell System |
| logo. Conversely, I've seen many successful | | | | Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He |
| businesses that thrived for decades without | | | | graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in |
| any logo at all. Most of them used their | | | | Advertising and has a Master's Degree in |
| name in a variety of type styles that were | | | | teaching. He had his own advertising agency |
| easily read and, instead, communicated the | | | | in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting |
| nature of the company. "Fred's Fine Custom | | | | and design firm, ABC Advertising. Currently, |
| Homes," or "XYZ Creative Web Design," still | | | | he is the Marketing Director for |
| gets the message across.It all depends on | | | | thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and |
| your market and purpose. If you are a small, | | | | Doctor Referral site. |