How Logos Create a Memorable First Impression

Let us explore the critical role logos play in forging a memorable initial impression of your brand. The inclusion of a logo significantly influences a potential customer’s first perception of a company. Research indicates that visitors typically dedicate more than six seconds to examining the logo before engaging with any other content on a website. Given its significant impact, it is essential to delve deeper into the function and influence of logos.

LOGOS DELIVER THE BASICS

Logos effectively communicate the essence of your company to prospective clients through a distinctive and personalised representation of your business identity. This unique emblem sets you apart in a saturated market, offering assurance, reliability, and recognition that enhance customer confidence during their decision-making process.

LOGOS CREATE A MEMORABLE FIRST IMPRESSION

They say that the first impression is the last impression. Therefore, if you want your logo to be well perceived by your customers, you must become the first critic. How do you feel when you look at your logo? Probably your customers will feel the same feelings or very similar to yours.

Therefore, your objective when creating a logo using a logo maker is to create this first impression. My suggestion is to stick to the basics when you concept your logo. We must always remember that before your customers know anything about you, they will probably have seen your logo. So, is your logo communicating who you actually are?

Creating this memorable first impression of your brand is a challenging task. It demands time and understanding. The logo should set a goal in sculpting a visual form of “Here I am! I will help you!” Normally, there is an appeal to basic human desires – in fashion, it is how attractive we will be wearing those clothes; in health care, how care-related that institution looks; in transportation, how comfortable and safe we will be. It is essential that the logos create this identifiable personal image that should be the focus of the customer’s visual solution.

ASPECTS THAT LOGOS MUST INVOKE

• Your brand identity
• Your professional and reputable look
• Clearly communicate your products and services
• Build loyalty

It is a lot for a simple drawing, isn’t it? All inside a little symbol and tagline. That is why it is important to have your logo designed with simplicity and uniqueness. Many companies, after having used their logos for decades, decide to rebrand. The rebranding should freshen up the design and adapt it to digital media while keeping the same simplicity and creativity in the design.

A good example is the company Toys “R” Us, which is coming back to Australia with a new name and new logo. The first logo was good and appropriate to the time when it was done. The innovative design reflects a change in consumer tastes and expands its products to our current market under new strategic marketing. It still connects to the customer, a key to success, but establishes a good identity as it faces the tough toy competition.

CONSUMER TASTES CHANGE, AND LOGOS EVOLVE

There is much more to a logo than just its aesthetic appeal. Some academic studies have shown that people assess companies through their perception of their logos. A bad logo design can doom a brand. They have shown that simple details like circularity, angularity or typographic details are enough to affect the perception of the attributes of a product or company.

When designing a logo, the designer should also have a good look at the evolution of consumer tastes to keep the integration and connection up. Frequently, what was the big hit yesterday has become a fad today. Some important things that would influence would be:

• People, in general, want to stay active and well
• Young children have a voice in purchasing decisions
• People tend to require individual, personalised treatment instead of “one-size-fits-all”
• The shopping experience is online and fast
• The post-purchase process is part of the identity of a company
• Brands must prove their authenticity

These consumer tastes impact the branding process and should always be considered in the visual design of the company identity. Re-branding must revitalise a stagnant brand and make it more relevant to changing tastes. When correctly done, a logo will breathe new life into a brand.  

The logo designer should establish a robust foundation for the company’s brand, allowing for scalability and adaptation as the company expands its activities in the future, without necessitating a complete redesign.

HOW IMPORTANT A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION IS

Let us consider the significance of making a memorable initial impression for an industry that historically has not received much attention but is now becoming increasingly aware of rising competition and expanding consumer options: the healthcare sector.

From medical clinics to alternative medicines, to insurance companies, to generic drugs, to health maintenance organisations there is a multitude of organisations competing for the ageing population and the general health care focus of our population. Those companies are creating an icon that identifies their companies as welcoming, caring, and better than others.

One important thing to consider is that the customers in need of those products or services require compassion, assurance of expertise and comfort. Therefore, the images used for those companies must reflect those needs and care. With honesty and professionalism, we, designers, should provide what customers need in personal and emotional aspects but still maintain good corporate strength and posturing of the company.  

A GREAT EXAMPLE:  CANCER RESEARCH UK

Brian Lischer from Ignyte offers several examples of positives and failures in the re-branding of healthcare companies. Let’s have a look at Cancer Research UK. Their previous logo from 2014 was feeling a little bit pale with the current conditions. They needed another one to project their community teamwork and warm care.

 As we can see through the figure below, they did not reinvent the logo. They used the same colour palette and expanded its meaning using the letter ‘C’, which is a sign for Cancer but also for Care and the Collective of their team-focused approach to help families cope with the disease. Also, the change in the typography makes the letter a bit more circular, offering a softer approach to its competency. And their tagline is an added encouragement, too: “Together we will beat cancer“. In summary, it offers customers essential elements that express happiness, warmth, and strength.

THE POWER OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Considering that most of us think intuitively, the first impression is, as we have seen, crucial. We need to consider that the first impression of your logo as a symbol that can provide consumers with instant and powerful brand recognition will be eventually complemented by the brand strategy that you and your team develop for your business such as a storefront location, a church, a website design, social networks, and other strategic locations. They all need to work together to produce the best memorable impression.

And logos often serve as the primary point of engagement, possessing the capability to foster positive brand recall among customers. They not only aid in recognition at the time of need but also play a crucial role in ensuring repeat business following a customer’s initial experience with your product or service. 

THE IMPACT OF A GREAT LOGO

Every potential customer who sees your logo, in whatever element or media, will receive your message. A logo that clearly communicates your message is the winner. That is the victory: the elements that the customer remembers and trusts. When potential customers glance at those well-designed professional logos, they will see what the organisations do and what they might expect to receive.

That is a memorable first impression of your brand that will last. Just like in the healthcare example, a good logo reflects the consumer’s desires, while still representing the company it stands for – an effective marketing tool.

A rich connection of two words, plain but carefully constructed so that the negative space between E and X forms an arrow indicating “express”. It communicates the correct message of movement and direct action, but in a subtle way, using soft but strong typos.