It astonishes me how much money companies will spend on logos and just how bad most of them are! Remember the Lucent Technologies, million-dollar circle that looked like the stain from a coffee cup?

Which name and logo do you think sold more apparel?

Hunters Pointe Golf Club or Loch Ness Links

Now that wasn’t rocket science was it? A simple change that  exploited the fame of Loch Ness opened up hundreds more possibilities for cunningly clever marketing. It did not hurt that the course and clubhouse had a very Scottish links style feel and a giant lake in front of the clubhouse.

The San Jose Sharks were for the longest time the best selling logo in the NHL. I am sure my team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quadrupled their apparel sales when they dropped the old fashioned buccaneer in favor of a much cooler pirate style skull and crossbones logo.

I have three simple rules for designing logos:

1. Unless you have unlimited funds try and make the logo a pictorial representation of what you do. A hammer squashing a bug for pest control.
2. Try to make it appealing enough that people – like your employee and customers – would want to actually wear it on their shirt rather than giving it away to the high school golf event. (Thus, in the bug example it would probably have to be humorous.)
3. Use colors and type styles that are easy to read and make sense in your industry. Failing that, use colors that no one in your industry uses to stand out!

You can change your logo! And you don’t have to spend a fortune with fancy design firms to come up with a winner.

Andrew Wood is the world’s leading expert on golf, resort and real estate marketing, although his successes reach far beyond those industries. He is the author of over 20 books on sales and marketing including, Cunningly Clever Marketing and The Golf Marketing Bible. Andrew speaks worldwide on sales and marketing topics and is in high demand as a copywriter and marketing consultant, He owns Marketing Commander software, an advertising agency, Legendary Marketing and Legendary Golf & Resort Management. He can be reached directly at (352) 266-2099 or andrew@LegendaryMarketing.com

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