Why Your Business Needs Multiple Logos
If you've spent any time around brand designs in the online space, then you've likely heard someone say that "your brand is more than just your logo". In recent years, many designers have transitioned from offering one-off logo design packages to a strategy-infused brand identity that equips clients with all the brand deliverables they might need to promote their business in all sorts of places.
Part of a designer's brand identity package is logo variations – typically including things like a primary logo, secondary logo, submarks, and brand icons. But is this just designer jargon or are there really so many different types of logos that you really do need?
A professional designer will tell you that it's completely true that most businesses need all the types of logos mentioned above. Let's break down each one in more detail, then talk about why each one is so essential to building a professional visual identity!
Primary Logo
What is it?
Your primary logo is the face of your brand – it might be the first thing people see on your website, the front of your business cards, or what comes to mind when someone hears your business name. Your primary logo should attract your target audience, set you apart from competitors, and give people an idea of what you do. It sets the tone for the rest of your brand's look and feel. Your primary logo also typically includes one or more of your brand colors that help bring its personality to life.
Let’s use this Five Ocean primary logo as an example. This logo tells the viewer immediately the business name, what they do – two essential things every potential customer needs to know. It also sets the tone for the brand through a clean, modern, and coastal design.
Why do you need it?
Your primary logo is the identifying mark of your business. You need a logo for your website, to brand your social media presence, and for special occasions like guest features, letterheads, signage, and any print or packaging.
Secondary Logo
What Is It?
This is typically very similar to your main logo and but serves as a simplified version. It's typically used in situations when you have a smaller amount of space and can't use a super long or tall logo. A secondary logo has the same characteristics as your main logo and should be easily recognizable as part of your brand. This allows your brand to be a bit more flexible so you can still create a branded experience in different circumstances. It's usually a text-based logo without any icons or color variations to keep things simple.
You'll see in the examples above, you can see a clear resemblance between the main logo and the secondary logos, but things are more compact. These logo variations don’t not include the wave icon that tha main logo has.
Why do you need it?
As I've mentioned, secondary logos help make your logo more versatile. If you only have one version of your logo, it's going to be hard to use it in all kinds of situations. But when you have a second variation available becomes much easier to increase brand awareness and utilize your brand consistently and cohesively across various different platforms. You can use your secondary logo as a watermark, on business cards, or on digital downloads without a lot of space (like invoices, contracts, and so on).
Your Submarks
What is it?
Submarks allow your brand a bit more creative freedom. They allows you to maintain a professional yet branded presence in a smaller space. They're good for things like the corner of your Instagram post or your profile picture on social media. These designs are typically stamp-like circle designs, monograms, or illustrations.
You can see two different submarks used in the example above. These two submark variations help this client to continue using their branding consistently, allowing those who look at their business card and Instagram profile to easily figure out which business it belongs to – no matter which they see first.
Why do you need it?
Submarks can be scaled down to a smaller size that often cause the primary or secondary logo to be illegible. Some smaller locations that you might find a submark in a brand's online presence are their website footer, email signature, business card, social media profile, or as some sort of watermark.
Brand Icons
What is it?
Icons are slightly different from submarks. These designs don't typically include your business name, tagline, or even initials. They usually focus on an element completely unique to your business that balances the brand’s personality with simplicity.
In the brand we've been considering, the wave at the center of the submark or in the primary logo would be considered a brand icon when used by itself.
Why do you need it?
Brand icons are used in more informal settings as a decorative element and are also essential to create a branded experience. For example, the beachfront seafood restaurant we've been considering could use the brand icon on their menu as a watermark or to represent their menu categories - cocktails, seafood, and desserts.
It's time to expand your brand
I could go on and on about all the different ways that multiple logo variations can assist your brand. But the bottom line is that each element of your primary logo can be broken down and expanded upon to become its own variation, allowing your brand for more flexibility. This leads to increased brand recognition since your designs can be used in a variety of ways!
Are you ready to elevate your brand and catch the eyes of potential customers everywhere you go? Click here to learn more about how we can work together to create the perfect custom brand identity for your business!