Why logos matter so much?

Face it, we’re creatures of first impressions. A logo hits people right down at the lizard brain. So it has to say what you are about at the most primal level.

Now there is a lot to be said about what makes a good logo, or more to the point, what makes a good logo for you. But to get started remember that vision is one of our most basic senses. It developed long before language. So we respond to images far more directly than words and in ways that we often can’t easily put into words. Even more importantly, we respond to images at a subconscious level–in ways that we aren’t even aware of.

For example, there have been many psychology experiments where people are shown the same short piece of text, but accompanied by different pictures. Afterwards, the subjects are asked to write down what they remember of the text. The text might be a short poem, or a textbook or even a simple list of names.

As you might expect, their description of what they read varies depending on the image they saw. A happy image might make them interpret the text in a more positive way. But here’s the surprising part: the image also strongly affects their actual memory of what they read. Imagery can literally change not only people’s perception of what they read but even how much of the text they remember.

More to this discussion, tests have shown that changing a logo on a letterhead will affect the reaction of subjects to the exact same letter! Think about that: your customers will read a letter from you in a different way depending on how they feel about your logo, even if they aren’t aware of it.

So before we start working on the right logo for you, we need to take this decision seriously. Many of us don’t like the notion that we can be profoundly influenced by imagery, but it is just a fact. Your logo isn’t just a conscious message; it’s also sending unconscious signals.