Why Doesn’t A Logo Cost $5?

Posted on Mar 3, 2011 in Blog | 2 comments

Given all the incredibly cheap online shops churning out logos for chump change, why shouldn’t you save yourself the time and money it would take to have your logo custom-designed by a team who really knows what they’re doing? It’s a fair question, and it deserves a thorough answer.

The crucial and unrelenting demands on your logo
You know how critical your business image is; your logo and other design assets are out there representing your company every day, all the time. Your design work is out there working hard in the following areas:

• getting the attention of your target market
• conveying the first impression of your company
• communicating information about your product or service
• bringing unity to the many parts, locations, and campaigns of your business
• helping build trust among your clientele
• influencing people to purchase your product or service
• reconnecting former customers to your brand
• making the sale again and again

The many versions of a logo you will need
A top-notch logo is custom created by a design team who works to understand your business, industry, target market, and your specific business goals. Upon delivery, you typically receive many versions of your logo which are suitable and optimised for multiple situations such as:

• website versions in multiple sizes for light, dark, and transparent backgrounds
• print versions from small to large, on various background colors
• color, grayscale, and black and white versions in multiple sizes
• versions with and without additional items such as business name and taglines
• portrait and landscape versions for all of the above
• versions large enough for outdoor signage, van/car wraps, and billboards
• animated versions with sound logos for video products

The process and software/hardware support of the design work
The process that every agency design group works through in order to produce your logo is creatively intense, highly customized, and fairly time-consuming, particularly if your design contract includes more than one revision sessions. The software utilized in the design of business identities is not only expensive, the hardware that can run and support it is expensive as well. In addition, your design team has invested years into becoming expert in the use of the software and all the equipment used to create corporate identity systems, and is very knowledgeable in contracting and managing your related needs — from business cards to van wraps — as well.

You will invest a lot of money into your logo AFTER you get it
No matter how well designed your logo is, it will be fairly meaningless until you invest a good bit of time, effort, and expense into using it. You will be building the website, putting out the press releases, creating the regular stream of branded articles, posts, and videos, building the landing pages, producing your cards, brochures, letterhead, and other print collateral, contracting your signage, trade show booth, and the myriad other pieces that go into creating a successful business brand. You want to invest that kind of continual cash stream into the very best logo and identity system you can possibly have.