Your freakin’ logo is probably the most visible and recognizable symbol of your brand, so we spent some serious time dreaming up the design for ours. Whether you are thinking about a DIY logo or you plan to direct a professional to design one with you (or for you), this episode offers things to consider as you embark on this important project. Topics Discussed in this Episode:
DESIGN Identity: We’re talking logos
There are 4 Types of Logos
- BrandMark – An emblem, Iconography
- WordMark – Make it unique
- LetterMark – Acronyms and abbreviations
- ComboMark – Usually a wordmark with something else
Logo Usage, Trends, and Evolution
- FedEx evolved from Federal Express
- Apple evolved from Apple Computers
Considerations in Logo Design
- Meaning
- Positioning
- Ease of understanding what the business is or does
- Uniqueness
- Can it be trademarked?
Trademark Checklist
Four Categories:
- Fanciful or Arbitrary: The most distinctive, creative and unusual, these are strong and easily protected. Fanciful marks are “made up.” They are words with no other known meaning. Arbitrary marks are actual words with a known meaning that have no association or relationship with the brand they protect. Fanciful and arbitrary marks are registrable and, indeed, are more likely to get registered than are descriptive marks. Online Shopping Examples:
- Fanciful: Zappos
- Arbitrary: Amazon
- Suggestive Marks. Suggestive marks suggest a quality or a connection to the goods or services. Example:
- Glance-A-Day for a calendar
- Descriptive: Descriptive marks are words or designs that describe the brand. Weaker than the other two, they are more difficult to protect. Examples of descriptive marks:
- New York Bagels
- Buttery Spread
- Generic words don’t qualify as legal marks. Common, everyday names are extremely difficult to protect. Examples of marks that became generic due to widespread, non-trademark use are:
- Escalator
- Aspirin
Resources Discussed in this Episode:
- Intellectual Property Brand Protection Toolkit
- Trademark Checklist
- US Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Basics
Also Discussed in this Episode:
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