Before going a detail on the 7 different types of logos, let’s have a bird’ eye view of why they are important for business? No matter how good your products or how perfect your services are you will always have competition in the market. In business it is all about standing out, giving your business ‘the face’, and giving your brand the representation, it needs in the market for long-term growth. From a fridge to a car, you have every single thing in your house, work, outdoor space, and what you wear has a name or symbol on it. These symbols do not just merely represent the product or service you use or see but the entire business. Now if your business is ready to take off and you do not have an identity how will you set yourself apart in the plethora of other brands? Your solution is logos! Does it ring any bells? Yes, Aristotle was the first few advocates of symbolism to persuade others. He argued that one can sell anything through persuasive storytelling. And the modern interpretation if it is in terms of logos.
A logo is the visual representation of your brand’s identity but it wasn’t always like that, tracing back to 13th-century potters and stone smiths used to put their emblem to mark ownership on their work. Today a logo can be considered the first manifestation of a modern brand. It is an image that symbolizes your business. Commercialization of the logo dates back to over 600 years back with a few of the brands such as shell (1904) and twinning’s tea (1787) still widely recognized globally. If the logo is correctly designed it creates positive associations between your company and target audience. With the right logo your brand would not be just another brand in the market but a part of the life of your customers. A logo influences the emotional and behavioral responses of the audience and either pushes the potential customer away or captivates their heart. A logo is a combination of shapes, symbols, typography, fonts, and colors’ lot of science and study goes behind what you see as a simple figure representing the brand. It is the most critical aspect of your brand you can either ask a noob to make a crooked logo that does not make sense or hire a professional logo design agency to go into the nitty-gritty of the details and design the logo that reflects your brand and resonates with the target audience.
Considering all other business aspects your brand logo is the first thing that the customer sees you sure want to get right! There is a multitude of options available in terms of design, style, typography and each has its own worth in creating the identity.
7 types of logos
The 7 different types of logos are:
- Monogram logo or letter marks
Think of HBO, IBM, CNN, noticing a pattern? How convenient is it to just say NASA instead of National Aeronautical and Space Administration? I’m sure most of us did not even know the full in the first place. This type of logo usually consists of brand initials. Sometimes the brand name is so long that they are difficult to recall, hence, the initialism approach. It is simple, memorable, and timeless and does its job as a symbol of brand identification.
- Wordmarks or logotypes
Similar to letter marks but the focus here is the brand name itself. Think of Google, Facebook, Samsung. This type of logo uses typography that is catchy and memorable. And the focus is entirely on the name itself hence to keep the logo simple yet memorable different fonts and color schemes are used to differentiate it in the market.
- Pictorial marks or logo symbols
A pictorial mark or logo symbol is a graphics-based logo or icon. Think of the Apple logo, Nike swoosh, Twitter bird. It helps the audience instantly identify and creates strong brand recognition.
- Abstract logos
This is a type of pictorial logo but instead uses a combination of abstract art and geometric patterns that represents the business. A few examples are Adidas stripes, Pepsi circle, Audi interlinked circles. This type of logo gives the brand a distinct identity to stand out from similar brands.
- Mascots
Think of Mcdonald’s clown, Wendy by Wendy’s, Mario by Nintendo. All of these are the illustrated, human-like cartoon characters who act as the ambassadors of the brand and give the brand human-like attributes. They are dynamic as they create instant brand recognition, trust, and involvement with the audience as well!
- The combination marks
As the name suggests this type of log is a combination of both typography and graphics; text and pictures. They are either stacked on each other or laid side by side to create an image/ logo. Some famous brands that use combination marks are Burger King, Lacoste, and Doritos. Compared to only pictorial logos the combination marks reinforce the brand identity through text and icons so your customer can recall your brand when either is present right away!
These types of logos play a paramount role in the business. that With many options to choose from, first identify what your brand’s needs are and how you can resonate with your audience. A great logo must be simple, memorable, and distinctive in designs that make you, you.
