Why Are Logos Needed?

Logos are identity reminders.

Logos have been used throughout history as a quick means to identify ownership or convey the essence of a concept. They are recognized symbols that immediately telegraph a whole host of overt and covert messages about the owner and the item on which the logo is affixed. Probably the most universally recognized logo, although it is rarely classified as a logo, is the Christian cross. This symbolism evoked by two simple intersecting lines has meaning to millions of people worldwide.

Logos Portray Concepts

We live in a world full of images, objects and artifacts that delight, excite and stimulate our visual senses, sometimes to the point of sensory overload. Logos help encapsulate all that the marketing of an entity has promised in a single visual statement. The "Swish" logo for Nike immediately says "high-quality athletic shoes, professional athletes, energy, achievement, physical exertion" and more. The logo speaks volumes about an entity without needing to say a word.

Logos Brand Products

Being recognized as a "brand" in marketing is one of the key milestones all marketers attempt to attain by the sum total of their marketing efforts over time. A recognized logo is the mark or signature of a product that has reached brand status. Pirates who copy the logos of expensive brands like the luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton on cheap, inferior leather goods steal the brand's image, attributes and sales.

Logos Distinguish Businesses

Logos help distinguish one business from another. Business names get reused in different categories all the time. In order to differentiate a particular business, a logo will be used.
Several businesses share the name "Continental." There is a Continental Carpet Cleaning, Continental Mortgages, Continental Cabinets, Continental Bank and the list goes on. Only one Continental uses a blue globe with meridian lines as its logo, and that, as almost everyone recognizes, is Continental Airlines.

Logos Are Abbreviations

Often the marketer doesn't have the space to put the company's full name on every promotional knickknack used for branding purposes. A logo is a shorter representation of a business. The financial giant Merrill Lynch Fenner Pierce and Smith would face a challenge putting their name on a baseball cap or coffee mug. However, their use of a proud bull as their logo is an easy reminder of who they are and what the company stands for.

Logos are placeholders

Overtime, logos act as stand-ins for the business itself. Everyone knows who owns the "Doughboy" logo: Pillsbury. The peacock is the logo for what broadcast network? NBC. What network uses an "eye" as their logo? CBS.

References

• History of Logo Design

Resources

• Targeted Advertising Group