How important is it for a company to have a great logo?

From Nike's "swoosh" symbol to Starbucks' twin-tailed mermaid or siren, the world's largest companies take great care of their logos.

For most people the logos of such firms immediately connect our minds to the business in question, without the need to see its name.

Think of the golden arches of a popular fast-food chain, or the apple with a bite taken out of it representing a certain computer company.

This type of instant recognition is the holy grail for a business.

Which is why the world's multinational companies can spend millions on their logos - like UK oil group BP, which back in 2000 spent £136m introducing its current sunflower design.

Other firms of a similar size, whose logo is simply their name written out in a stylised way, can spend hundreds of thousands on a new font, or a different colour.

But how easy is it for a business to pick a good logo, and how important is it at the end of the day?

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Slow romance

If you are presented with a design for your company logo that is immediately likeable and resonates with your values, you might be wise to take a long hard look at it, bin it, and start again.

For Robert Jones, professor of branding at the University of East Anglia, a good logo will successfully express a company's values.

He says: "Your logo is how people recognise you, and it helps express how you're different from your rivals - warmer, greener, stronger, and so on.

"And people need an image to look at. As Aristotle said, 'the soul cannot think without an image'.

"But [at the same time], people assess you not on the strength of your logo, but on the quality of your product or service. So all of that real stuff matters more."

Midlands-based independent brand consultant Rebecca Battman agrees that no matter how good a logo's design is, it will only be successful if the company itself is trusted.

"A logo is a simple and functional signpost to help people find and indentify your business," she says. "But for a logo to be successful, the company behind it must be a respected and trusted brand.

"A logo won't allow a company to build a respected brand on its own."

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32495854