The importance of logo in business

My bricks and mortar business is changing, it has too. I’m moving from solely children’s shoes and adding a sprinkling of women’s’.  Why I’m doing that is another post. But now I’m worried about the importance of logo in business. Is my cutesy shoe lace logo going to distract from the image that I hope to portray in the future. Do I have to change it?

Do I need to change my logo?

This is a huge question which I’m sure any marketing consulting company could answer with thousands of words and thousands of dollars. But there could be free option, I could get a student to do an honours paper on the subject, actually I’ll contact the local university and suggest it as a possibility. But really that is not helping me now!

So I did a bit of search and came across a fascinating article by Michael Port called YOUR LOGO DOESN’T MATTER. What an interesting headline, does it matter what my logo is? This goes against all of what I have read previously, is it true? Here’s a portion of what he wrote:

When you’re a service business owner, people are buying you and the results you can deliver.

If you can design a logo that is truly remarkable and gets people talking about you, then by all means, do so. But, if you’d rather spend your time selling your services, don’t waste your time on logos. I’d rather see you create a video that is remarkable or a teleclass that gets people talking or an always have something to invite people to event that is the hottest thing in town.

On the other hand, if you’re building a business that you plan on franchising or if you’re trying to start the next big clothing brand, music label, computer company, or charitable organization, then it might be a different story. Your logo might does really matter.

You decide how to best use your time, however.

 

So it looks like he is talking about the use of time here, don’t waste time on this logo issue, the rest of your business is more important.

What is remarkable about this post is the number and quality of the comments received. As of today, 46 people have taken the time to write in and voice their opinions. And the comments are a fantastic, a cross section of opinions including  those coming from design and marketing backgrounds.

If you are interested in the topic of the importance of logo in business  and have been having trouble with were to head, this is a must read. Where else could you get such a variety of quality

free  advice.

Click here to read the article & comments, you won’t be disappointed

Here is one comment by Cathy Davis

 Good Design is Good Business. A professional design makes a small business stand out from the crowd and offers a memorable, recognizable impression. But a good design, no matter how simple or elaborate, does NO GOOD if it does not express the essence of the company it represents. Whether you choose to use a logo, or simply choose to identify your self/business with a clean, uncluttered style — perhaps branding yourself with your photo — make sure it is consistent and “speaks” for your company. Good design makes us all feel good — both when we use it, and when we buy from a company using it.

 

So while I haven’t found out if I should change my logo, I have  come to the conclusion that I have permission not to rush in and change it for changes sake. I should work on other areas of the business  like merchandising and providing excellent service to the customers who walk in the door.