Logo Mojo

A logo is only as good as the messaging behind it.

Since the 1980s, Nike has been building their brand, always including the Nike "swoosh" as their "face", and now both their name and the symbol are associated with athletic achievement. Nike only paid $35 for this logo. As a matter of fact, no one on the marketing team was particularly happy with the logo. So why'd they use it? They understood the symbol is not the important part of the brand. It was the constant motivational messaging over time, "Just do it" that made the symbol mean something.

Another of the world's biggest and most recognized brands is Coca-Cola. They are King when it comes to positive brand association. What's interesting is that their ads don't really focus on the drink itself. Instead, they depict people drinking or reaching for a Coke during life's happiest moments. This builds a positive association between the brand (the logo is just the reminder) and consumers. It links Coca-Cola with positive feelings and persuades people to enjoy the drink.

So to recap...
A logo without branding means very little. It needs to be tied to an emotional mental image that helps you make a human connection. A logo is merely the identifier that triggers the memory of what the brand is really about and encompasses the promise, experience and feelings you have about that company.

Is your logo reminding customers of something?

Morty Silber, CEO

Mad Strategies Inc.
a Wizard of Ads Partner