Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Dear Rum68br,

Does the Nike “swoosh” really convey the idea of being athletic?

Does the BP “flower” truly convey the idea of petroleum exploration?

Does the UPS actually “shield” convey the idea of packages being delivered?

The answer to all these questions is: no, not really.

Despite having earned my living as a graphic designer for the
best part of 25 years, my gut tells me (and I tell my clients),
that in truth, unless your customers know you for a benefit or value that impacts them, and unless those customers attach the significance of those benefits and values to your logo, your logo
is pretty much meaningless.

Rather than using a logo to proclaim your company as the leading product in the marketplace, consider using compelling, benefit-rich copy.

Use testimonials. Use video. Use audio. Tell your story.

Make your customers fall in love with you all over again by attending to their needs, wants, desires, and pain points.

In reality, image means nothing.

Your customers are not buying image.

You are.

Your business isn’t about you or how great you are, nor is it about how sterling your product is. Your business is about the actions, results, and benefits your customers take, obtain, and receive as a result of having used your products and services. You may not necessarily need a new logo. But you may need a new message.

Naturally, you can disagree with all this. If that's your choice (which it really ought not to be), consider visiting www.99designs.com and www.elance.com.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Why not simply a "no pain" (the word "pain" enclosed in a red circle with slash through it) (or a similar image) superimposed over England. That's ultimately the benefit you're selling.

I think Gary nailed it. A logo is only worth the value that the customer puts into it.

Something to think about: Shell gasoline sells gas, yet, they advertise a Shell on their signs. Why does no one go into the stores asking for shells? That point is a bit off topic, but it's worth considering.

The most you can do with your advertising to exude the look of 'quality' would be to use a lot of white space and nice typography (the art of type). Proper selection of font, professionally written copy and a stellar product will get you well on your way.

I would encourage you to search some ads for high-end products and services. Mercedes, Porche, etc. You'll find that they all have one thing in common. White space (or negative space). Clutter looks low class. Do the opposite of clutter and you'll be good. This should apply to not just a logo for a product, but for ALL of you branding. Any website, print ad, or identity piece should be consistent in color and white space.

Also, i would check out ads for other pharmaceutical products. Check out their logos and their websites and follow their lead.

It's all been done before. Now, do it again.

Hi, David,

You don't say why you are trying to develop this "striking image." Several responders above assume you intend to use it throughout some kind of rebranding effort, but for all we know you may just want a one-time visual for a banner at your company's annual sales roundup.

In either case, however, the use of your company logo is key--something you already know, since you already attempted to use it as an overlay on a map of England. Because Septodont's market reach is global, however, perhaps your higher-ups nixed this UK-centric visual as potentially misleading or confusing.

I'm all for eye-arresting photography and enjoy developing such content. However, in the interest of time--and continuing on the recommendations above RE: simplicity and clarity of message--your goals might be achieved merely by placing an oversized logo on an otherwise blank field, with "#1" nearby, or with a referenced caption, e.g, "#1 in Dentist Ratings." I'm envisioning the kind of "clinical" layout that might be suitable for a peer reviewed dental industry journal, such as J.O.E.

Or here's another idea that eschews white space---A full-page ad layout featuring a 5x5 grid of squares, every one of them showing a closeup image of a #1 of some kind: a raised finger, cartoon "1", street address number, painted sign, etc. A whole medley of #1 images, perhaps interspersed with happy teeth. And the middle square displays the Septodont logo. A simple caption at page bottom states, "#1 in Anaeshetics." It might be tricky to keep this layout from looking cluttered, but it's possible. Or this could just be my coffee talking...