Green with envy or success? Survey says both.

There are a lot of things that go into making a business logo effective. Coming up with an eye-catching design that's sure to be memorable is crucial to a brand launch, as well as future marketing endeavors and heightening corporate visibility. Some companies are known simply by their symbols, so making the first impression count is critical for creating a long-lasting, positive impact on viewers that establishes the business in their minds.

Owners and logo designers usually know what to look for in a compelling logo design. However, they don't always consider the color, even though a recent study shows this may be one of the most crucial aspects.

Color of success

According to a study by 99designs, a crowdsourcing group for logo designers and industry feedback, a business logo needs to be blue. If not entirely blue, than at least mostly blue, said survey respondents. The color was most popular with more than half of all answerers. Other colors that fared well were green and white, followed by black and finally red, with each earning at least 20 percent.

Combining these colors in creative ways can create some of the most successful brand images. Walmart's logo design is almost entirely blue, and the retailer enjoys top status for grocery and clothing sales, as well as being the biggest private employer in the world. IBM previously enjoyed similar success with an all-blue logo, according to SmartCompany. Apple, also an industry leader, has a pure-white logo that's easy to recognize and immediately evokes a powerful idea in the viewer's head.

According to analysts, reports SmartCompany, blue is the color of strength. Darker shades usually make people think of professionalism, while lighter hues are indicative of trustworthiness. That may explain why blue is a prevailing color in campaign signs and merchandise, Patrick Llewellyn of 99designs points out.

The biggest factor for design preference could come down to gender as well. For men, 99designs reported purple was least favored, while women liked orange the least.

Avoiding negative impacts

One of the critical parts of logo design, in this sense, is knowing what customers want. While a company might think they can simply remake a graphic later to fit feedback, rebranding can be more difficult than creating an initial image, so getting it right the first time is key.

"Logo design plays a big part in how people view a business," said LogoMojo's creative director Cono Fusco. "Not only does it separate you from the competition, it represents your business and its core values without saying a word. It says everything about the business."

Not every organization will rebrand just for the sake of color, but when a company is moving toward a new logo design, it's certainly something to consider. Established businesses could face ridicule for poorly executed changes, as Business Insider reported, when it comes to designing something sub-par. Big brands like Tropicana, Radio Shack and the 2012 Olympics introduced new images that were met with confusion and derision, thanks to failed designs.

"Why would anyone throw away decades of brand value just to try to be cool for a few minutes?" said branding specialist Rob Frankel of Method, Inc in a TechCrunch interview. He reinforced Fusco's message that making a lasting, positive impression through strong logo design is critical to business success.

This entry was posted in Logo Design and Branding. Bookmark the permalink.