“Just make the logo bigger”

Bigger isn’t always better.

How your logo size fits into the big picture of your branding.

When creating content for their brand, clients just want to make sure that their business stands out and that their marketing will be memorable. But when trying to create stronger branding, enlarging the logo seems to have become the go-to edit — but is it creating the desired effect? I say no. Here’s why:

Great branding is a like a person.

A person can be defined by a lot of things — how they look, speak, their interests and more — and what makes that person unique and relatable is the combination of these elements.

When creating branding for your business, your ultimate goal should be more than just creating a stellar logo. It should be to create a well-rounded “person” that will resonate with your target demographic on an emotional level and enables you to develop deeper loyalty with your customers. By only considering a logo and its size as your branding, you’re only addressing one facet of this “person”.

To craft well-rounded branding, you’ll need to choose colours, backgrounds, and fonts that visually represent your business with your logo along with a consistent tone of voice appropriate to your customer base. It also includes producing relevant content that educates, entertains or excites your customers. If you’re not talking about stuff they want to know, your customers are going to tune you out, no matter the quality or size of your logo.

So, how big should my logo be then?

Here are 5 rules of thumb to help you decipher the best sizing for your brand:

  • Your logo should always be readable.
    • This one is self-explanatory. Whatever you’re working on, you should always be able to read your logo with the naked eye. If you can’t read it, neither can a viewer.
  • Ensure ALL your branding is strong.
    • If the logo was removed from your content, would a viewer be able to tell what brand it’s for? If your branding is unclear without your logo, it’s evident that your design needs finessing. Once your other branding elements are strongly presented, add your logo back in and go from there.
  • Consistency, consistency, consistency.
    • Never underestimate the value in consistency with your branding. By being consistent with your logo size and placement, you can help increase brand awareness amongst viewers simply by giving them something they can recognize from piece to piece. Being predictable when it comes to your logo isn’t such a bad thing.
  • Is the purpose of your content clear?
    • Every piece of content you create has a job to do. Whether it’s for brand awareness, product sales, event promotions or otherwise, you should always have a clear idea of how to prioritize the information within your marketing. For example, if you’re working on a brand awareness piece, your logo will be the most important piece of information to feature, whereas if you’re working on a sales piece, your product will be the most important. Size your graphics or text according to your list of priorities.
  • Consider your attention ratio.
    • Do you need to drive conversions or inspire a specific action with your content? If so, seek to simplify your content as much as possible. The more information, graphics, or flashing lights you pack into your content, the more it dilutes a viewer’s attention thus reducing the probability that they’ll take the desired action. While it’s important to include your logo, make sure it complements, not detracts, from your messaging.
  • Create branding that works for your business.
    • Ultimately, every company will have their own approach to branding and how they choose to implement it in their marketing. While the rules above can help, creating your own set of branding guidelines can be an effective strategy to strengthen your brand and market awareness.

Need some help getting started? Contact Lindsay Hayes today to start building your branding strategy and guidelines.