What does having an original logo mean?

A lot of clients ask me this question, “what is the difference between a stock logo and an original logo? Why should I pay more for a logo?” It seems absurd to them to have to pay more for a logo that has the same purpose as the other logo that’s cheaper. Well, that’s where they are wrong. There is a huge difference between a stock logo and a custom brand identity. There is an abundance of stock logos out there, which means they all look the same except for the company’s name and a couple of colors here and there. Whereas, having an original brand identity for your business means that its exclusive to your business and no other business can legally rip it off and call it their own.

Here are some miraculous things that an original brand identity can do for your business:

1. Ensure credibility: Having a stock logo that 20 other businesses out there already have or having no logo at all doesn’t have a very positive impression on potential clients. It is very easy to lose credibility if prospective clients have already seen your logo somewhere and might connect your business with the run-down car wash that’s on their way to work, when your business has nothing to do with that car wash place. Having an original brand identity will ensure that no one has ever seen your logo being used anywhere other than on your material and it’s originality is what makes it credible and trustworthy, hence making your company credible and trustworthy.
2. Show professionalism: If you are professional and serious about your business, you would want to be perceived as that. Not having an original logo or not having one at all shows that you may still be unsure of what you’re doing or may not be too serious about it. Believe it or not, potential clients can see the difference between professional and unprofessional behavior from a certain business and the start of that is a logo, which is the visual representative of your entire business.
3. Guarantee uniqueness: All the businesses pitching and advertising on the TV and radio are always trying to say one thing: we are unique and better than that other brand. Well, your logo should say the same. It should proudly be unique rather than timidly being unoriginal. Every business’s logo should have a distinct image that describes what the business is trying to say to its target audience. If your logo looks similar to another company’s logo, they how can you claim that you’re unique or better?
4. Develop a concept/story: Having a story to tell to your audience is very important for any business. Telling a story makes it easier to get people to connect to your brand and hence, to trust the company and what its selling. This can be done easily through a strong, original identity. It is very important that every logo has a concept behind it because without a concept, it has no meaning. Sure, some logos are just pretty to look at but they have to be at least remotely related to the product/business that they are associated with to give them credibility. A logo that has no connection to the brand that its designed for is not a very good logo.
5. Provide power: A stock logo may look good today because only 5 other businesses have the same logo and you or your clients may not have come across those other five businesses’ logos yet but that doesn’t mean that it will always stay that way. A couple of years later that number can grow to 20 and more people may have seen it now. You can’t go to those 20 businesses and say that that logo belongs to you and they need to change their logo, because it doesn’t. Now, if you have an original identity and you see your logo being used by another business, you do have the legal right to send that business a legal notice, because that logo solely belongs to you. This way, you never have to change your logo if you don’t want to and you brand’s image doesn’t have to change simply because someone else decided to steal your logo.

Getting an original brand identity designed by a professional graphic designer is a very wise decision for any business. The time and money that you spend in the process is well worth it and can do wonders for your business.