Combination Or Abstract: What Type Of Logo Should Startups Go With?

People beginning new businesses frequently make a crucial error: they attempt to cut back the budget by purchasing a generic or template logo from an online logo service to save money.

This is an expensive error because weak branding will harm your company’s reputation. Many business owners struggle to expand their companies because they neglect to develop an effective brand strategy.

Your brand’s logo has the power to make your business succeed or fail. A company’s logo serves as both its public face and brand ambassador. People frequently notice it before they notice your items or services.

When your business’s logo resembles hundreds or thousands of other logos, people rapidly forget about it. Finding the best and most unique logo to represent your brand distinctively is essential.

You must consider colors, shapes, appeal, price, and how the overall logo design matches your brand to produce the ideal logo that perfectly conveys the essence of your company.

Descriptive and nondescriptive logos are the two broad categories under which logos fall.

Nondescriptive logos are abstract and frequently suggest the goods or services a firm sells, while descriptive logos represent the company name.

There are various logo styles as well. Even though each design is unique, not every logo style is appropriate for all businesses and organizations.

The following are the top 7 commonly used logo designs:

1. Brandmark
2. Wordmark
3. Combination Mark
4. Emblem
5. Mascot
6. Monogram
7. Abstract

• Brandmark Logo

A brandmark logo represents the company using an icon or picture, often known as pictorial marks or logo symbols.

The brand names Apple, Twitter, Pepsi, and Starbucks, are well-known worldwide.

These logos are crucial if your company is international. Due to linguistic and cultural barriers, brand mark logos enable you to build brand consistency across numerous markets without forcing customers to understand words in a particular language.

In order to make your logo memorable, you need to have strong brand recognition, which can be difficult for new or less established organizations. As a result, such companies will have to spend more money on marketing to raise the company’s profile.

The mark will represent your company and the picture you select for your brand logo. Decide on a distinctive mark that fits your company by taking your time.

Additionally, always keep in mind that less is more. Now is not the time to develop intricate brand markings. Brand mark logos are simple to recognize and remember and are used by brands like Nike, Apple, and Gucci.

Use a brandmark logo when:

• For your target audience to associate brandmark logos with your brand, marketing, and branding activities must be in place to correctly promote them. Therefore, make sure a marketing budget supports your brandmark logo.
• A brandmark representing the actual object that your company name refers to could serve as a potent reminder. Examples are the logos for Target and Apple.

• Wordmark Logo

A Wordmark logo, commonly referred to as a logotype, creatively brands a company using a specific font. Monograms and Wordmark logos both have this characteristic.

Wordmark logos are utilized by numerous well-known brands, such as Google, FedEx, and Coca-Cola.

While monograms frequently only contain the company’s initials, Wordmark logos use the entire company name.

For a Wordmark logo, it’s crucial to accentuate the company name using a distinctive font. Since it won’t be remembered, a regular font won’t work. Wordmark logos frequently use distinctive font treatments because of this.

The greatest Wordmarks use straightforward, eye-catching colors that go well with the fonts. For instance, the logos for Coca-Cola, Google, FedEx, Disney, and Canon all utilize their complete company names, but each one also uses unique typefaces and colors.

If your company is new or you have a distinctive business name, it is advisable to utilize a Wordmark logo. Wordmarks are also simple to duplicate on marketing materials like business cards, websites, podcast pictures, etc.

When to utilize Wordmark logos: 

• If the name of your company is brief. Long company names make Wordmark logos appear cluttered and hard to remember.
• When other logotypes are inappropriate for your intended audience.
• When your brand identity is reflected in a unique font or font treatment.

• Combination Mark Logo

Sometimes, a logo that is just an image or only the business name is insufficient. Consider a combination mark as an alternative.

A combination mark fuses words and visuals to produce a distinctive brand impression. The words and graphics can often be used alone or together to represent the brand.

Combination mark logos are used by well-known brands like Burger King, Rolex, Nike, Dove, and Amazon.

Combination logos enable you to expand your brand across several platforms without constantly utilizing your company name.

For instance, Adidas frequently prints the brand’s logo on caps, t-shirts, and other apparel. People can easily recognize products created by Adidas owing to its brand awareness.

Remember that a bigger marketing budget is needed for combination logos because you need to build brand recognition for both the combined logo and the individual factors.

If people don’t know the image symbolizes your brand, they won’t associate it with your company. Nike’s “swoosh” logo, which is straightforward and effective, results from hundreds of millions of dollars in marketing initiatives that have raised the mark’s level of recognition.

Use a combination mark logo when:

• Combination marks can be effective for new businesses since they give you several methods to communicate your brand to potential customers.
• Clothing companies frequently use combination marks because they are more effective on apparel than brand names. For this reason, most of its items will include the Nike swoosh but not the word “Nike.”
• Because combination mark designs tend to be more distinctive, using combination marks may make it simpler for you to trademark your logo.

• Emblem Logo Design

Emblem logos incorporate a font inside of an image or symbol. Universities, antique companies, and formal venues frequently utilize them.

Emblem logos are eye-catching and harmonic, offering a company a sophisticated and vintage appearance. Younger consumers embrace emblems as fashion statements.

Unlike combination mark logos, the elements of an emblem logo often cannot be separated. However, this does not lessen their appeal. Numerous well-known brands, including the NFL, BMW, Porsche, and Warner Brothers, use emblem logos.

Strategic color pairings and closer attention to detail are necessary for emblem logos. The complete design must be in harmony to make the ideal emblem logo.

But keep in mind that symbol logos might not be as adaptable. They are typically more difficult to print and are not as memorable because they are frequently more intricate than other logotypes.

Employ a powerful typeface, avoid clashing colors, and develop a brand symbol that properly unites everything if you want to use an emblem logo for your business. The final emblem should be aesthetically pleasing and memorable.

Use emblem logo designs when:

• Government organizations and the auto sector frequently use emblem logos.
• Businesses that sell food and beverages can profit from emblem branding. The well-known Starbucks logo is an emblem. But watch out for extremely complicated designs, as these are difficult to print and don’t look well minimized.

• Mascot Logo

Mascot logos use drawn or sketched characters to represent a company. They are typically lighthearted and cartoonish to convey the friendliness and warmth of the firm that created them. These logos are frequently employed when families and children are among your target demographic. Mascot logos are popular among companies that package food, for instance.

Companies use mascot logos as figurative brand ambassadors. For instance, Colonel Sanders, the recognizable mascot of KFC, symbolizes the company’s illustrious founder. That artwork works in tandem with the genesis story the business shares to fortify its brand identity.

Sports teams frequently use mascot logos. People enjoy taking clicks of amusing characters to share with others, which creates a fun dynamic and boosts consumer engagement.

Think about your target market, your business’s general appeal, and how you’ll use the logo while developing a brand mascot. For instance, intricate mascot logos don’t look good in small fonts or business cards. So make sure the logo is scalable to various sizes.

Use a mascot logo when:

• Mascot logos can be challenging since some audiences may find them appealing while others may not. For instance, almost all children’s food items feature mascots, yet there aren’t many financial services or products.
• If your firm operates internationally, a mascot can aid customers in recalling your name even if they cannot read it in their language.

• Monogram Logo

A monogram logo, often called a letter mark displays a company’s initials. It is a descriptive logo that accurately conveys the essence of the company. Because they frequently combine distinctive fonts with the name or initials of the firm, monogram logos are simple to recall.

High-end clothing companies like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Gucci triumphantly display their iconic monogram trademarks.

If you’re creating a business and considering a monogram logo, look at those examples for ideas. Additionally, consider whether a monogram logo appeals to your target clientele if rebranding an existing company. Such logos are effective in certain businesses, such as the textile sector, but are less common in other sectors.

The font style and color are two crucial factors when designing a monogram logo.

It would be best if you used a legible and readable typeface. Customers or potential clients won’t recognize you if they can’t easily see your monogram logo. The colors must also be straightforward, harmonious with the font, and easy on the eyes.

Use monogram logos when:

• If your company name is lengthy and tough to recall or print on small items.
• If your product is high-end and targets affluent customers. Monogram logos can be seen on many pricey products.

• Abstract Logo

Unique symbols are used in abstract logos to symbolize your brand. This sort of logo symbolizes what your business does.

Abstract logos that stand out are simpler to recall. The symbol you employ must be special nonetheless. Using a generic or well-known symbol will make your logo easy to forget and blend in with thousands of others.

Because they don’t incorporate the brand name, abstract logos, like brand marks, require great brand recognition.

The logos of Adidas, Pepsi, Nike, and NBC are abstract. These well-known businesses have built strong brands and invested much money in marketing.

However, an abstract logo may not be the best choice if you’re launching a new company. Because of this, businesses frequently add ethereal components to their branding after establishing a brand. Airbnb recently rebranded its logo.

When designing an abstract logo, please consider your company’s mission, the symbol that most accurately represents it, and contrasting colors and shapes.

Use abstract logos when:

• When you need to convey what your firm performs symbolically, consider abstract logos. However, ensure the image you choose doesn’t have negative cultural implications in various geographic areas.
• If your company is international and offers a wide range of goods and services, an abstract logo may be more effective than other logotypes.

Wrap Up

It isn’t easy to design the ideal logo. There are many factors to consider; therefore, you should look for a professional logo design service that focuses on branding.

Recall that all well-known businesses had humble beginnings. You may design a distinctive logo that best embodies your company brand by concentrating on your firm’s aesthetic and target market.