<p>Over the years, a niggling source of post-project head scratching for me has always been the occasional client who invests in a nice, new logo to dress up his brand and then does everything possible to neutralize the value of his investment. <br /><br />No matter how much I emphasize to logo clients the need for proper usage and handling of such artwork, some small business owners will never consistently apply recommendations for getting the most from the art we've created together. Despite springing for the work, they seem unable to understand its across-the-board importance to their company.<br /><br />The most basic concept of branding is to use one's logo &ndash; the public face of your company &ndash; on everything possible. It should consistently appear, exactly as it was designed, on every bit of your company's marketing, advertising, promotional, and identifying materials. Simple, right?<br /><br />Like any responsible designer, I make this easy to carry out by supplying the variety of final art formats to cover the gamut of graphic needs a customer may encounter for printed materials, internet usage, signage, etc. I then present multiple disks to the customer, instructing that at least one "for-your-eyes-only" copy (and preferably more) should never be given out to anyone but instead, like the family jewels, be safely stored as the definitive versions of the original art.<br /><br />So let's say that a company signs on as a sponsor of an event and the organizers ask for a copy of his logo artwork for their marketing materials. The first question the business person needs to ask is " What type of file is needed?" And the answer to that is what should be supplied. <br /><br />If, for whatever reason, the appropriate digital file is not available, I strongly recommend contacting the original designer for a new copy &ndash; NOT letting the sponsor or anyone else create new art using what's on your business card, envelope or another non-digital source. This includes having them scan your logo from printed material because scans need to be responsibly cleaned up and tweaked for such usage and a poor job can make your brand look seedy.<br /><br />Rather than being the ultimate guardians of their brands some company heads, perhaps too busy to pause, seem not to give a glance to the logo uses and abuses right under their noses. One firm's private printer didn't have a digital logo file to work with, so he carelessly created a distorted approximation of the design for envelopes the company now uses every day. Oddly, I could see it was made using some form of the original for reference to even be that "close," but the effort or ability for a dead-ringer wasn't there and even a casual observer &ndash; like the clientele receiving such mail &ndash; could easily see something was off-kilter. <br /><br />I see that another business still uses a prior logo design on his web site years after applying a new one to everything else. Such disarray does nothing to create the image of a well-run company and, when picked up by potential customers, it may well provide the impressions that keep them shopping.<br /><br />To help prevent such nightmare branding scenarios, I offer you three simple rules for getting the most from your investment in a new logo.<br /><br /><strong>Three Simple Rules</strong><br /><br />1. Keep a set of your original logo art disks in the safest places possible and NEVER give them out. Keep extra copies of those disks and files handy (on your office computers and on disk) for needy vendors, event organizers, printers, etc. Protect your personal stash of the original files at all costs. Be aware that CDs and DVDs do not last forever, so copying and storing multiple copies from your original files may cover you for that rainy day when a disk could be suddenly corrupted.<br /><br />2. Always supply the specified types of files when logo art is requested for reproduction. Don't assume that outside vendors will automatically do a good, responsible job reproducing your logo. Ask for a proof or URL that will allow you to check the quality of the image being used.<br /><br />3. Use your new logo &ndash; and ONLY that new one &ndash; to death! Put it on everything possible and when you find yourself getting sick of it, remember that the rest of the world may just be catching on to it as your brand identifier. Stay with it.<br /><br />Show such care for your logo and your logo will take care of you, as the publicly perceived symbol of a well-run company worthy of another's business. Simple.<em><br /></em></p> 2009-02-06T00:33:36Z 2009-02-06T20:53:23Z -11.9091 443 3087 true 15 22447 show-your-logo-love-to-bring-love-to-your-business 5 2009-02-06T20:53:19Z 2009-02-06T20:53:19Z

Bring on the bang for your logo bucks by using your images right: A guide to proper handling.

0 2009-02-24T09:49:09Z