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Add You - Logos: Price, Process and Pitfalls
Carve out a market position to maximize your marketing investmentIn the marketing world, positioning is a relatively new concept. Introduced in 1982 by marketing gurus, Al Ries and Jack Trout, the idea behind positioning is to clearly define what your practice represents to the patient. Through this unique position, a level of mindshare is devoted to your practice. These positioning efforts should clearly communicate what your practice offers.Prior to the 1980's, Madison Avenue advertising executives allocated as much money as they could to mass marketing and it worked pretty well. At that time, media venues included newspaper, billboards, radio and three major TV channels. Whoever purchased the most ad space won the battle for the consumer's dollar. Today cable television and the Internet have fragmented the market and our attention into niches, irrevocably changing the face of marketing. Marketers now had to be smarter; shouting louder than everyone else was no longer effective. Positioning was born to define a product and service to a marketplace
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because
Marketing research can be used to meet nearly all the marketing information needs of the small businessperson. Every area from developing a business plan to designing an effective advertising program can benefit from the use of carefully planned and executed research. How Is Marketing Research Used? Let's take the example of developing a business plan. When you first sit down with that blank piece of paper and dream of owning your own business, you should be asking yourself questions such as: What am I going to sell? Will people buy what I sell? How much should I charge? Where should I locate? How much competition is there and who are they? Questions such as these should be at the heart of any effective business plan, and marketing research can help you answer them. Let's say, for example, you've decided to turn your passion for fishing into your livelihood, and you open your own tackle and equipment store. You feel there is a need for such a service and are ready, willing and able to jump
If you want a great logo, versus a mediocre one, you need to acquire a general understanding of what's involved in the process of designing one. You also need to know a thing or two about whom you're trying to sell to. Finally, you need to be able to trust your designer's instincts.
First, some basic terminology:
Icon: a symbol or brandmark. Think Nike's "swoosh."
Wordmark: graphic representation of the name of a brand. i.e. letters only (e.g. GAP, Coca Cola)
Brand Slogan/Tagline: phrase that supports the identity of a service/product over a lengthy period.
Logo: A combination of any/all of the above.
Trademark: a logo that has been registered to protect against imitation. (e.g. Coca Cola)
Brand Identity: a combination of all of the above, plus additional integrating graphical (and sometimes multi-sensory) elements arranged in a variety of flexible systems for use across multiple media.
How long will it take?
Most logos take 4 to 8 weeks from initial consult to final delivery. Some happen quickly, some don't. Since there’s no way of predicting at the outset, it's best to plan on 8 weeks. A longer lead time allows for more time to mull it over and the results are generally better. The best time of year to call a designer is mid-winter, from December 15 and March 15, when business is seasonally slow. The worst time is mid-summer to late Fall.
How much will it cost?
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because
To succeed in today’s crowded marketplace where most of the products and advertising look exactly the same, a small business owner must stand out, shouting above the din with a message so clear and compelling that prospects stop and take notice. It’s a matter of business survival. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs quickly retreat to the supposed security of sameness, soon to be lost in a sea of anonymity and a tidal wave of frustration. In effect, albeit at a subconscious level, they are saying , “I don’t want to be different”.In back room offices and store fronts everywhere, salespeople are telling business owners they should do this or that kind of ad because it worked so great for their competitor. The owners nod and sign on. It’s already proven to be a winner, right? WRONG! Change the name, background color and a font style and you’ve got sameness. Put those ads in the yellow pages, a coupon magazine or a TV commercial cluster and you’ve got advertising death. Want proof? Get the latest statistics on small business failures.To make your
Wordmark: graphic representation of the name of a brand. i.e. letters only (e.g. GAP, Coca Cola) Brand Slogan/Tagline: phrase that supports the identity of a service/product over a lengthy period.
Logo: A combination of any/all of the above.
Trademark: a logo that has been registered to protect against imitation. (e.g. Coca Cola)
Brand Identity: a combination of all of the above, plus additional integrating graphical (and sometimes multi-sensory) elements arranged in a variety of flexible systems for use across multiple media.
How long will it take?
Most logos take 4 to 8 weeks from initial consult to final delivery. Some happen quickly, some don't. Since there’s no way of predicting at the outset, it's best to plan on 8 weeks. A longer lead time allows for more time to mull it over and the results are generally better. The best time of year to call a designer is mid-winter, from December 15 and March 15, when business is seasonally slow. The worst time is mid-summer to late Fall.
How much will it cost?
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because
The water may be your element. You may find the sea quite stirring yet in here you find your own serenity. Yes, the mere sight of the vast sea may stir in you quite a number of various emotional responses. Not a few of people from all walks of life are motivated to build their dream houses near the beach where an overlooking view of the sea is possible. Of course, there are also those who truly enjoy riding on a boat. Some would even resort to buying and owning their own craft such as a yacht or motor boat. These sea vessels are not only bought and owned for the sole purpose of joyride or sea adventures but they are also employed for business reasons.1. Boat Insurance - Just Like Car InsuranceIt is wise to secure boat insurance for security reasons. You may never know what may happen to you and your boat’s occupants when it fares out into the vast sea. Cases of theft, salvage, and natural disasters are some of the problems you may be faced with and they can be truly irritating on one’s part. It may be a real challenge to be looking for the best boat
Brand Identity: a combination of all of the above, plus additional integrating graphical (and sometimes multi-sensory) elements arranged in a variety of flexible systems for use across multiple media.
How long will it take?
Most logos take 4 to 8 weeks from initial consult to final delivery. Some happen quickly, some don't. Since there’s no way of predicting at the outset, it's best to plan on 8 weeks. A longer lead time allows for more time to mull it over and the results are generally better. The best time of year to call a designer is mid-winter, from December 15 and March 15, when business is seasonally slow. The worst time is mid-summer to late Fall.
How much will it cost?
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because
When I mention business systems to you, what comes to mind? Do you think of an IBM mainframe computer sitting in a big room in the middle of your building? Do you think of expensive, highly specialized software? That’s what many small business owners imagine. And they think it’s not for them. If that’s what you think, you’re only half right.Half right because expensive, highly specialized software is probably not for you. Half wrong because good business systems most definitely are. A business system isn’t hardware or software. It’s the way that you do any part of your business. It’s how you do things. You are using systems all the time, you just may not be using them efficiently.I regularly urge business owners to get everything they know about their business out of their head and onto paper. I’m urging you now to do the same with your systems. Start writing out how you do things in your business. At a minimum, write out how you treat your customers or clients, how your paperwork for each sale flows, how your production systems work, h
How much will it cost?
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because
Do you know you have money at home?That's right, whether you own your own home or rent, you have valuable dollar bills just laying around. All you have to do is start your own business and you can squeeze it out.Start your own business resources are available everywhere. More than any other time in history, the average person can search and find money-at-home opportunities. They exist right at your fingertips.Online, people all over the world are searching for money-making opportunities all day long. Chances are, if you've spent much time on the Internet, you've done a little searching for the money pot yourself. Well, you don't have to look far.Money-at-home businesses exist in every city in America and in many of them around the world. In fact, you see the news. Countries that once were closed to outside influences are opening up. One of the most powerful ways these countries are opening their doors is through business.Citizens in many countries are getting in on the money-at-home bandwagon, running businesses right from their
That depends on 1) the designer's hourly rate, 2) how quickly they are able to grasp your needs, 3) how quickly they work and 4) how many versions you require before you are satisfied.
It also depends on whether you want a logo, or a complete brand identity. Most ethical designers will not agree to "just a logo" because they know very well that you’ll need more than that. You'll need colors and fonts and layouts that integrate seamlessly with the look of the logo, so that the website, the business cards, the packaging, the storefront, the advertising, the uniforms, etc all meld into one seamless entity. Otherwise you’ll look like an amateur, and a cheap one, at that. Would you hire a chef to cook the food for a dinner party, but not pay for him to arrange the food on the plates?
Most designers will give you a minimum price, and an accurate estimate after an initial consult. You will quickly find there is a broad spectrum of prices, ranging from $500.00 to $50,000.00+ (for major corporations who require a lot of hand-holding, meetings, big presentations, etc). To complicate matters, you are shopping for something that doesn't yet exist. So there's no way to know in advance who will do the best job for you. You just have to do your research and then go with your gut.
Section 2: The Process
Designers have different methods of creating logos and brand identities. Most start with a free initial consultation. This usually lasts about an hour. The more information you can provide, the more help they can give you, and the more accurate your estimate will be.
A day or so later, both parties sign a contract which outlines inclusions, costs and copyright agreements. This prevents many a misunderstanding down the road.
Then
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