Why a free logo is a strict ‘no-no’. Pepsi had once spent a million dollars on designing their logo. This event should be enough to convince you about the importance of having your logo designed by professionals.
While no one minds any free goodies, here’s how a free logo can prove detrimental to your brand:
1. Getting it designed by amateurs
There are no free lunches, but you can be assured that the ones that are free won’t be to your liking. If you are not paying for it, no agency will get your work done from a professionals, because that does cost a lot of money! Your work is surely not going to be done by a doyen of the industry, and good work is not cheap. A logo represents your company’s values and is the first thing that people think of when they hear your name. Getting it done cheap, will never serve your purpose.
A free bad quality logo, will reflect negatively on you. A lot of times, beginners do not understand the importance of a logo and the implications it has. A lot of amateurs are still trying to understand what they want to do in life and designing logos may be just one of the jobs that is paying their bills for the time being. And you certainly don’t want to end up putting your company’s image at stake by depending on such people to design your logo! After all, a logo represents your company.
2. A monogram is not a logo
A lot of companies that provide services insist on using the letters of their names in their logos. There is a delicate way of handling this. A monogram is simply an elegant way of putting the initials of the company, but it is not a logo. A logo will effectively standout and make a statement, but a monogram does not do that.
For instance, the Louis Vuitton logo just has LV, but the way it has been designed exudes luxury, and that’s what the brand is all about. There can be no doubt about this. A monogram, in this case, would actually be something abstract that does not reflect the actual values of the company. A monogram, bluntly put, is just a smart stencil that is used to make your logo look different, without it meaning anything and reflecting the values of your company.
3. You can get copied easily
A free logo is not something anyone would spend a lot of time on. Why should they, right? If it’s not been well thought of, it will surely be very easy for anyone to copy. As a result, any small brand that is desperate to succeed and doesn’t mind using a minor modified version of your logo, could actually put your brand at stake.
These spurious brands could be priced much lower than your brand and sometimes manage to get onto shelves where your products are selling. This disruption could result in a major loss of revenue and market share for you. A well-designed logo would enable your target audience to associate with your brand or product category easily and help you retain your dominant market position. A free logo could do just the opposite!
4. Your logo will not communicate anything
Logos are actually about subtly influencing a consumer’s subconscious mind to ensure that when he thinks about a particular category, your brand is the first one to come to his mind. Logo designing is the art of precisely communicating and connecting with the consumer which ensures that you are embedded in his mind. It is similar to building a relationship which takes a lot of time.
You don’t just need someone who can hastily design something to represent your brand. Instead, you need a person who understands semiotics, cognitive psychology, your consumers, your brand, competition etc. You will not have a good logo without someone understanding these, and whether you will have an expert who knows these when your logo is getting designed for free is anybody’s guess!!
5. You are probably his Guinea Pig
Designing requires professionals to use a variety of software which keeps getting updated quite often. Some of this software are available for free, but some of them have to be purchased. You need to be trained by licensed professionals actually to do justice to your work.
Remember, many designers are self-taught. They do this by learning part time and taking up some freelance projects which they may do for free. So, you could be their ‘lab rat’, and they are just testing their skills on your brand! While the freelancer is not about to lose anything by working for free, he is just gaining experience at your expense.
It is your brand’s reputation that is at stake, and any mistakes may be too expensive for you to rectify at a later stage. When you have a product launch or a promotion that has to hit the market at a specified date, delays are something which no one can afford, especially when all your marketing material has to be printed with the logo.
6. There will be too many similar logos out there
A major challenge that you can face is being too similar to other logos out there. An agency will not worry too much about your logo being too similar to another logo if it’s for free. But, it’ll eventually take a hit on your brand since it may confuse the consumers. They could confuse your company with another. It is a terrible point to be in this kind of confusing situation. You have spent a lot of money in positioning and branding your products and at the end of it all that money, time and effort are wasted if you do not get the desired results.
What’s worse is that some of your consumers may buy the ‘other products’ thinking that they are buying your products and any dissatisfaction in product or service will give you a bad name.
Moreover, if your logo is similar to another company’s, it could even land you in a legal dispute. The company/ competitor could challenge you in a court of law and say that you have knowingly copied their logo to steal their consumers or to cause damage to their reputation. This persecution could damage your goodwill significantly in the market.
7. Logos should last for many years – so do it professionally
Whenever you design a logo, it is something that you would want to use for at least a few years because it is your brand’s/company’s identity. Changing the logo frequently will only confuse your consumers. Without a professional who truly understands your brand, your market and your customers, you will end up with a logo that does not connect with anything or anyone, thus not helping in any way in realizing your business objectives.
No one would be willing to invest that amount of energy to get you the best deal for a free logo. Hence, getting your logo designed professionally is of utmost importance.
8. Disciplined use of fonts, images, icons and colors
Logo designing is not just about using different images, icons, and colors. There is a method to the so-called madness. There is a discipline that has to be followed. A lot of self-taught designers usually ignore this while offering their services for a low cost or free of cost. The result is a hotchpotch of colors and figures that are not what the designer’s brief is about.
A professionally trained designer is well versed with the current market trends, and his logos reflect that. Professional designers understand that it is not just their designing skills but also their shrewd positioning which is hugely valuable for clients. Freelancers can rarely make this transition unless trained properly.
Conclusion
Companies often undermine the importance of getting a logo designed by professionals. Little do they realize that a well-designed logo can work wonders for their business in the long run by driving consumer interest, and therefore, sales. It should, therefore, be considered as an investment in building the brand and not an expense that is eroding their bank balance.
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