I’ll ask my brother-in-law – he’s an artist. My kid was pretty good at drawing in high school. My colorblind husband thinks it should be red.

Ok, just kidding here, but having been in the design business for well over 25 years, I’ve heard many well-meaning business owners give direction as to what their logo should look like. Add suggestions from friends and relatives to the mix, and you have a recipe for an unmemorable brand mark – resulting in little improvement in a company’s bottom line.

So where to start? I found 212,000,000 pages when searching “logo design” on Google. Wow. A smarter option? Start local. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Review local ad agencies and graphic designers in your area.
   There’s nothing like being able to speak face to face with an experienced designer. By doing so, you can explain your business and strategy, discuss your goals, review your personal preferences, point out popular brands that appeal to you, and talk over your budget. More importantly, discuss the short- and long-term benefits of strengthening your brand through an investment in a powerful, appropriate logo design. After all, your logo is a concrete sign of your community–your brand.

2. Develop a good relationship with your designer. 
   Through in-depth conversations, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of the principles of logo design such as color, typography, personality and contrast. And your designer will gain a better understanding of your logo preferences. You never know what tidbit of irrelevant information may turn out to be the key to unlocking the perfect logo.

3. Be open to different points of view and new, unfamiliar designs.
   After all, part of what you’re paying for are “ideas.” Fresh, innovative, unique concepts that go way beyond what non-designers could come up with. By setting aside personal preferences, good designers can develop a logo that’s not just compatible with your particular needs, but enhances your brand.

4. Take your time when evaluating logo design options.
   Print them out and examine them through the lens of the design criteria you defined at the outset. Share them with your colleagues and others whose opinions you value. The handicap in this step is that they have not been privy to all the discussions – plus, they will have very strong personal design biases developed over a lifetime of being exposed to brands. They will not be shy about voicing their opinions. After thinking and taking in all the feedback, are there any clear winners? Or should you give your designer a little more direction and ask for additional options?

The process is a little messy sometimes, but if done right, it inevitably results in a strong logo, a satisfied client and a long-term business relationship.

Take a look at this sampling of  EVR Advertising-designed brand identities.

We’d be happy to have a conversation with you about EVR Advertising’s brand mark design capabilities and discuss the steps involved  in launching a successful brand  identity for your company. Call today. 603-647-8606.

For an excellent resource for discovering trends in logo design visit http://www.logolounge.com/

“In almost any gift-giving situation, there is some expectation of return, whether it is a tax deduction, a named building, or an enhanced reputation…

For a gift to be genuinely altruistic in nature, that is, for it to demonstrate other-centered love, it must have benefit to the recipient as its primary motive and purpose, but not necessarily its only motivation or purpose. Therefore, strategic or “smart” giving may be regarded as ethical.”– Excerpted from Media Ethics: Cases and Moral Reasoning. Christians, Clifford. 2001.

Especially at this time of year, corporate giving is scrutinized. As outlined in the above quote, it is possible to give in a way that benefits the recipient – and the donor. In giving, a company should strive to foster business, brand equity, and stakeholder relations. not simply publicity.

However, a company should also invest in its community because it is the right thing to do. The days of judging a company by what it “gives” philanthropically are gone. The public now looks at what a company fundamentally “does.” And when it comes to community support, people want businesses to provide more than charity – they want them to be active partners that leverage their corporate capabilities to address pressing needs. By doing so, everyone benefits.

Photo: National Geographic, Paul Nicklen