Logos Aren't Advertisements

An effective logo will tell existing and potential customers a lot about a company. Questions about price, emphasis, style and quality can all be answered through a company's logo. And customers use logos to help them decide if a company is right for them. But as much as logos tell customers about a company, don't mistake them for ads. Advertisements will include more detailed information, including location, contact information, specialties, and often descriptions that tell customers the company's emphasis. Usually, it is best if this information is reserved for ads, because adding an address or detailed slogan to a logo is distracting and takes away from the intended message, which should be "Our company is professional, and this is what business we're in." Logos' function is to help customers remember a company when they see it. When people see a logo on the side of a construction truck, for example, they will think of the company and their experiences with it. There are few people who, when they see a logo with a phone number on the side of a truck while they're driving on the freeway, will frantically search for a pen and paper to jot down the number. If they need the product or service the company is offering, all they need to do is remember the company name. They can always access the number later. Normally you only have a few seconds to make an impression with your logo, so don't cram the logo with detailed information--leave that to advertisements.