People are often debating about the importance of logos. Some say, it is the shorthand of your business, some say it is essential to build a first impression; some might even say, it stands to communicate what your business stands for. The truth being, a logo is like the face of your business. It gives your business a visual identity. For someone who has never met you, or visited your office, your logo serves as the first visual memory of your business. And that is why; a logo can actually make all the difference.
When it comes to online fashion and apparel stores, the logo becomes all the more essential. After all, one can find a GAP t-shirt almost anywhere, but wearing an Armani shirt has its own impact. For most of the products, the logo only stands as a mark somewhere on the surface, providing small details of the brand.
For a fashion brand, a logo is much more than that. If you are into the clothing business, your logo will be much more than a small mark on your products:
1. It will have to be a part of the design
Your logo should easily fit into the design if it is kept in a way where it is visible. Many brands prefer using their logo as an essential part of their design; for instance – US Polo Assn uses their logo extensively on the front side of almost all their ranges of clothes.
2. It will make your clothing all the more valuable
The moment you see a jacket, you may or may not like it. But the moment you see a jacket in a Gucci store, you will know that it has been crafted with the utmost precision and style. And hence, even before trying the cloth, you might actually like the product. That is the impact of a brand on a consumer. And this strength of the brand is communicated only by the logo.
Now that you know, how important a logo is for your clothing business, here is how to create a remarkable one:
a. Know what your brand stands for
This is something only known to you. What are the values your brand stands for? What benefits does your brand provide to the consumer? What is the feel you want your consumer to have when talking about your brand? Is it for the young, or for the office going, or for someone going on a vacation? Is your brand a traditional one which is in line with the age-old culture, or the one embracing new-age styling?
In short decoding – what is your brand all about? What value does it carry with itself and how will it benefit the consumer. Why you need to have this clear is, it will be the pillar to all your branding activities. Your logo will also be an envelope carrying these brand values within its design.
b. Find the right agency partner
You have to invest in a great logo. Reason? Someday, when your business grows up and reaches out to thousands of people, your logo will have a greater reach and should be able to create an equally greater impact. Hence, investing in a great logo today is an investment in your growth tomorrow.
You may find many free tools online and might even get easy references to freelancers. The problem here being, these methods have limited creative resources. Your logo will ultimately be a result of permutation and combination of elements, which is not something you are looking for. A good logo will have the balance of analytics to communicate the brand and a human touch to make it relevant. Hence, find the correct agency partner to do it for you.
c. Decide – where will you use the logo
The logo will obviously go on all your marketing materials; but, adding to it, it will also be used in your clothing range where it will speak out loud about your brand. Hence, you need to decide where will the logo be placed in your products and on what kind of material will it be printed. This is to ensure, that finally when placed on the product your logo looks exactly the way it was designed.
d. Look for what kind of logos you can have
The first motive should be, to break the industry clutter. Most of the clothing brands tend to go for a simple typographic wordmark logo, which carries the name of the proprietor. You can analyze the trend and actually break it. Your design agency partners can help you ponder around – do you need an emblem/badge logo? Can you use a mascot? Should you have an abstract theme? All of these would ultimately help you differentiate your brand.
e. Ensure to get your logo trademarked and registered
Now, once put on your products have been shipped to the market with your logo shining on them, your logo becomes an asset. The first thing you should be doing to protect your asset is to get it trademarked and registered with the authorities, so it may not be replicated elsewhere.
A great logo is the first step to creating an awesome brand. Your brand will be built on your operational values to make your customers feel good while wearing your clothing brand, and this should simply be reflected in your logo.
