The Meaning of Colors in Your Small Business Logo

When designing a logo for a small business one of the first things that needs to be discussed is the color scheme of the logo and the rest of the business’ brand.  Colors are psychologically ingrained in us to mean different things and cause different emotional responses. Colors are powerful elements in any design. Different colors trigger a variety of feelings in those viewing it and it’s important that you understand the natural response that different colors cause in consumers when you’re deciding on what colors you’d like in your business.

Meanings: Alert!, Aggressive, Danger, Love, Passion,  Action/Adventure, Drive, Energy, Excitement, Blood and Strength

Red is an intense color for humans. It causes passionate emotional responses spanning both sides of the spectrum (from alert and danger to passion and love.) It’s an exciting and dangerous color that attracts attention and raises blood pressure and can also cause us to get hungry.

Examples of Use in Logos: Coca-Cola, Red Bull, McDonald’s, Shell Gas Stations

Meanings: Femininity, Appreciation, Gentle, Delicate, Gratitude, Innocence, Floral, Girly, Romantic, Tranquil and Soft.

Pink is a feminine color that triggers feelings of innocence and delicateness. Stirring up thoughts of soft things like cotton candy and bubble gum, pink is commonly used for “girly” or feminine products and services and also is closely related with the cause of breast cancer awareness.

Examples of Use in Logos: Barbie, Victoria Secret

Meanings: Authority, Security, Confidence, Loyalty, Power, Dignity, Established, Calm, Success, and Trust.

Blue creates feelings of security and authority (such as with Police and Security services). Possibly the most popular color in corporate logo design. Blue is used in a number of Fortune 500 companies as well as law enforcement and other Governmental organizations.

Examples of Use in Logos: IBM, ADT Security, Ford, HP, Wal-Mart, GE

Meanings: Affordable, Creative, Youthful, Fun, Jovial, Enthusiastic, Lighthearted, and High-Spirited

Being a mix of red and yellow, Orange can encompass elements of both of those colors. It is not as intense as red but still attracts attention and is commonly found in logos meant to convey playfulness and other happy emotions.

Examples of Use in Logos: Amazon, Nickelodeon, JBL Speakers, ING Banking, Harley Davidson

Meanings: Nature, Renewal, Crisp, Fresh, Environmental, Health, Money,  Harmony, Healing, Inexperience, and Tranquility.

Green is a soothing color that conveys feelings of nature and tranquility. While being a symbol for renewal and life it can also represent inexperience and jealousy. These days green is used quite a bit by companies wishing to show themselves to be eco-friendly.

Examples of Use in Logos: Animal Planet, Starbucks, Whole Foods, John Deere

Meanings: Cheerful, Positivity, Warmth, Sunshine, Cowardice, Curiosity, Happiness, Joy, Caution,  and Playful

This bright and highly visible color can send some conflicting messages. While conveying feelings of warmth and positivity, yellow can also represent cowardice and caution for the viewer. Yellow is most often used to convey playfulness and to draw attention.

Examples of Use in Logos: McDonald’s, Subway, Shell Gasoline, Best Buy

Meanings: Fantasy, Regal, Justice, Royalty, Spirituality, Ceremony, Expensive, Mystery, Nobility and Sophistication

Purple can be found in many logos from companies wishing to convey luxury or mystery. Hotel chains, musicians, and religious products and services often employ the use of purple because of it’s ability to trigger feelings of nobility, sophistication, and ceremony.

Examples of Use in Logos: Yahoo, Hallmark, Cadbury

Meaning: Earth, Nature, Calm, Depth, Woodsy, Rough, Simplicity, Rich, and Serious.

Often used in construction related products, Brown conveys feelings of woodsy roughness. Brown is an earthy and natural toned color that conveys feelings of simplicity and seriousness while being natural and earthy. Any product or company involving wood or nature typically employs the use of brown.

Examples of Use in Logos: UPS, Timbertech Decking, Coach, Louis Vitton

Meaning: Formal, Bold, Authority, Tradition, Classic, Distinctive, Secrecy, Conservative, and Serious.

A lot of companies use black in their logo design for its boldness and simplicity. Black is devoid of color and it conveys feelings of authority and formality but can also imply secrecy . A classic choice that corporations and other traditional companies use possibly more than any other color.

Examples of Use in Logos: Nike, Goodyear, Ferrari, Adidas, Caterpillar, Microsoft

Meaning: Stability, Practicality, Somber, Respect, Corporate Mentality, Dullness, Humility, Authority, and Moody

Grey is used as an element in logos often because it is considered neutral and goes well with most colors. It has a cool element that will accentuate whichever color its used with. Also used for products related to steel, chrome and metal such as automobile companies.

Examples of Use in Logos: Dell, GM, WordPress

Meaning: Purity, Simplicity, Refined, Cleanliness, Truth, Innocence, Peace, and Sterile

White has always represented purity and peace. Another shade found in logos a lot as an element working with other colors. Also can be used as negative space or reversed text.

Examples of Use in Logos: Puma, Volkswagon, Swarovski, Harley Davidson

Additional Note about Logo Design: No matter which color you use in your logo. It should be designed in a way that can be use as an all white or all black vector image. This is important for times when you want to place your logo on material outside your own such as in sponsorship or other branding situations where you are giving your logo to somebody else to use. (See example below)

It’s important to understand the meaning of colors when designing a logo for your small business. Combinations of these colors also can produce different meanings and feelings and thinking about those concepts will help you create a logo that is in-line with your company message, goals, and objectives.

Show Me Your Logos! Did you create your company logo using any of the above color concepts or did you employ your own strategy? Please show me your logo in a comment and share your strategy for the design. Long live the small business owner.

6 Elements of a Killer Logo for Your Small Business

It’s time to create (or upgrade) your company logo. You want something new, fresh, relevant, and you want it to scream:

“I am here, I am new and you should trust me and think I’m cool!”

So what goes into making a killer logo for a small business? One easy part about answering that question is: it’s the same stuff that goes into making a killer logo for a BIG business!  Yes, your logo is an area of your marketing where you can absolutely compete on the level of any business. I’ve seen large corporations spend tens of thousands of dollars coming up with logos that weren’t as impressive as some start-up mom-and-pop logos I’ve seen. And there are plenty of stories of big companies using a logo that was drawn up by the owner on a napkin or something.

Whether you decide to hire a designer to create a logo for you, or you try to make one yourself, if you implement these 6 elements of a Killer Logo, you will increase your odds of making an effective graphic representation for your business that will instill confidence in buyers and hopefully improve your brand awareness and appreciation.

Memorable – A great logo is a symbol that sticks in a person’s mind for some reason. It is typically a combination of shapes and text uniquely positioned to express the company’s message in a simplistic symbol. If you can design a memorable company logo, it will be recognized more easily the next time a consumer sees it, and more easily the next time, and the next time, so on and so forth.

Professional and Clear – Perhaps nothing is more important about your logo than that it be professional looking and clear. The in-house, do-it-yourself design can work if you understand some key elements of graphic design. However, a professionally designed logo that is clear in its purpose  adds credibility to your brand and generates more appreciate from your consumers. 

Equally Effective in Black & White – Colorful logos must also be equally effective without color at all. It should be versatile enough to have the same exact impact if illustrated in all black or all white. Your logo will potentially be used on all sorts of mediums and you want to make sure it presents the same message when used without color.

Scalable –Another thing to be mindful of when developing your logo is that is be scalable for use at any size. Think, how will your logo stretch out on a billboard? Will it be equally effective in a smaller size such as your brochures, letterheads, and business cards? The logo should be clear and understandable from the smallest to largest scale.

Relevant – The colors, imagery , and symbolism of your logo will tell the story of your business to consumers. It’s important that these elements sync up with what your target market is thinking about when they’re looking for company’s like yours. For instance, if your in some sort of all-natural health organization you may choose to use colors that are relevant to that niche, such as earth tones (greens and browns). A good way to learn the relevancy of symbols and colors used in your industry is to research your competition and see what common elements are used in the logos of other successful companies in your sector. 

Unique – Needless to say, if your logo looks similar to another logo it won’t have nearly the impact as a completely unique and original logo will. So roll up your sleeves and start creating ideas, symbols, colors and font that will create a brand new from scratch image that will represent your company and send the message you want it to. No clipart, no common font types, get creative, and make something special.

Timeless – Coca-Cola, Nike, McDonald’s, ABC all are great examples of timeless logos that have been able to last for decades without much updating. Part of what makes these logos timeless is that they followed the first 5 parts of this article. They’re memorable, professional, effective without color, can be used in all sizes, relevant, and unique. These clear and easily understood logos have stood the test of time because they effectively encompass a number of successful elements to produce a clear, concise, and memorable logo.

An effective logo takes a lot of thought, time, and sometimes money to create. The meaning of the logo should represent the purpose and mission of the company and it should be a unique design that can be used in multiple mediums. Ultimately, the goal of the logo is to connect the consumer with your brand through symbolic imagery. It’s the badge that represents your organization and should express the message you want it to.