How many of you have been in business for more than 10 years? How about 20? When is the last time you took a good hard look at your company’s logo? Is it out of date? Tired? Could it use an update? Logos can become dated just like fashion trends or hairstyles. Sometimes you just need to go through your closet and clean house….
My logos were certainly dated. I was guilty of every one of those questions for my educational companies. I have four companies that fall under that heading.
- The Paragon School of Pet Grooming
- Melissa Verplank.com
- White Dog Enterprises
- Learn2GroomDogs.com
Not only were my logos dated, but I had an identity crisis as well. Whenever we would register for a trade show booth, I never knew who we were. When we filled out the paperwork for trade shows, the show promoter would always ask. “What company was the booth going to be registered as?” I was always a stumbling block for me… “What company do I choose?” Out of the four educational companies, there is no right or wrong answer but I had to choose one.
On a personal level, I’m very much a creature of habit. I don’t like change. (My husband is rolling his eyes with this one and nodding his head in agreement!) When it was suggested that I hire an outside party to help us re-brand the companies, I was less than enthusiastic. However, I knew it was a necessary process. It was time.
When our graphic designer asked me, “When was the last time I had updated one of the logos, I sheepishly hung my head?” The Paragon School of Pet Grooming logo had not been changed in over 23 years! The White Dog Enterprises logo was over 10 years old and never had a facelift. L2GD was still relatively new but the logo itself was very busy. And Melissa Verplank.com never had a logo.
A nutshell, here are eight key items that you need to think about whether you’re creating a new logo or revising old one.
- Is it easy to identify
- Is the font style easy to read
- Is the design balanced
- What order of the design is your eye drawn to 1st, 2nd and 3rd
- How is the logo going to be utilized
- Is the design versatile for multiple applications
- What is the color palette
- Does it convey in an instant what you represent
Julie, our graphic designer, did a great job leading us through the process — at times it was far from easy! We’ve never worked with her before. She had to gather quite a bit of information before the process was complete. The more information she was able to gather, the closer she got to creating fresh logos that truly represented each company.
To compound our identity issue, Julie had to come up with multiple logo designs that all worked in harmony with one another — or they could stand on their own solo. Not an easy feat.
At the Atlanta Pet Fair 2014, we will be at the show with our new identity — and a new booth! As difficult as the process was, I’m really pleased with the outcome. If you’re at APF, please stop by the booth and check our new look.
Here are samples of the before and after logos. We think Julie hit the nail on the head. The revised logos don’t lose the essence of what they were in the past. Yet they are fresh and bold. And they all play nicely in one sandbox together! Bonus!! What do you think?
Happy Trimming!
~ Melissa
