I was recently asked to talk about the importance of a logo and how you can tell if yours is working for or against you. This was done for my day job but I figured it might be of value to some of you here at the Café. I posted it below in hopes that it might give some ideas and be of help to some of you. Enjoy.

Is Your Logo REALLY Working For You?

Many of you use a logo and may understand the importance of it as a weapon in your marketing tool box. But you may not know that the quality of your logo can mean the difference between success and failure of your magic marketing. It really can be that simple.

Logos make up the most recognizable and international language in all the world. Like magic, a good logo can be understood by most any culture or language no matter what country you live in. A good logo will communicate exactly what that company or product is all about and it will do this in a matter of seconds. We call this brand mark recognition.

For example: If you simply see the wavy swatch of the coke logo, you will immediately know it is Coke and that is a quality drink that quenches your thirst. you will recognize it even without the word Coke or Coca-cola even being there.

Another good example of this is the Nike symbol. This is a logo that is recognized the world over as quality athletic shoes. You simply see the swoosh and know immediately what it stands for and what they are all about. Good quality logos do this easily because they can cross many barriers and provide your magical service with a means of delivering to your customers a uniform message every single time.

But, your logo must be a lot more then just a pretty mark on a piece of paper. Having the logo look good is not enough if it does not help represent your services to your intended market. keep in mind that often times your logo is the first impression a client may get of you and the services you want to provide to them. With this in mind, your logo needs to show professionalism, quality and value.

Your logo should try and meet the following criteria:

- Does your logo identify you and your services to your intended market? Does it show your market exactly what magical services you are providing and offering to them?

- Does your logo distinguish you from others with similar services within your marketplace? Does it help you stand out from the crowd and show professionalism and quality?

- Does your logo show to your customers the quality of service you provide to them?

- When people see your logo, can they tell you provide a quality product simply because your logo mark shows that same quality and thinking?remember that your logo is a big part of your overall image.

If your logo does not do some of these things that I mentioned above, then it is only working against you and your overall marketing plan. As much as a good logo can help you, a bad logo can really hinder your progress. if your logo is a hindrance, then it is time to think about updating it and possibly seeking some professional help to do it.

Your logo design really is that important to your overall marketing. Your logo is really a part of the foundation of your marketing and acts as a way to consistently send out the same quality message to each of your customers. It tells them the quality of your services and separates you from a huge number of similar services your customer may be confronted with on a daily basis.

I hope this has been some help to you and gives you a simple look at how important your logo really is and gives you some guidelines for which to see if your own logo measures up to what it should be.

If anyone would like to see some samples of what I am referring to in this article, please just let me know. I would be happy to share a few PDF samples with you that shows how good logos can really work and points out the various tips I mentioned above. If you might be interested, simply send me an e-mail at magic4u02@aol.com. I would be happy to get it out to you in hopes that it might make some of my points a little more clear to you.

Kyle

Kyle,

I don't know about logos. In fact, given the choice of spending money to develop one, or saving the money and putting it somewhere else, I'll save it.

I'll agree with you about Coke - you recognize their logo. Want to know how easy it is to spot? Watch American Idol. The couch they sit on in the waiting room is red with a subtle white swirl on it. Sara spotted it.

But I'll argue that their logo makes me think of a drink that "quenches" my thirst.

Nike?
I see the swoosh and I think, "Ouch. Shows that are too narrow, hurt my feet and are very overpriced."

So logos can work both ways.

When you're dealing with logos you get into image marketing. Is it a part of marketing? Absolutely but I'd say a fairly small part.

Robert Bloor

Robert,

You still have to admit though, anywhere you see the Nike swoosh (without it saying "Nike" or "shoes") I'm sure you right away know the company behind the advertisement. Although the logo might not seem that appealing when you think about it, they have marketed the product so well that all of the world knows the company whom the "swoosh" belongs to.

Just one thing to point out,

Evan

P.S. - I know that there is no way for a magician to market themselves how Nike has, but it's just another view to think about.

Nike and Coke have spent millions of dollars to put their logo everywhere and enhance that brand recognition.

I would disagree with Kyle on several points.

First, I do not think those logos in and of themsleves convey any of the messages Kyle mentioned. It is our association of the logo to the product and the rest of the marketing of that product. How does a swoosh communicate "quality footwear?" How does a swirl communicate "cool and refreshing?"

So, I would be very surprised to see many logos that communicate those types of messages, without being extremely complex.

Furthermore, I do not know of ANY magician whose logo is that recognizable. Copperfield doesn't have one. Lance doesn't have one.

I think Kyle is a great guy and has a lot of good ideas, but I disagree with his contentions that the logos communicate what he says they do, and that magicians can enjoy similar logo recognition to Nike or Coke without spending those millions.

I use a logo in which is my name. I think today magicians are the worst at putting a logo togehter. What is one of the worst things magicians do at a show (a lot having a bad show, but that is not it)? The number one thing magicians do wrong is the audience never leaves the party knowing their name. My logo is my name it is used on everything. When I go to a party the logo is recognized by a lot of people.

As for Copperfeild not having a logo??? Everytime an ad runs you see his eyes. SO David's logo is his eyes. Look at his trucks that haul his gear. Lance logo? World champion magician is on everything for him.

Look at most of the magicians business cards. Mostly are done with some in house clipart like a rabbit in hat clipart that is about 50 years old.

There is a great company that can create your logo for you I think it is http://www.gotlogos.com. Eric Paul just got two done by them and they look great.

So I personally think logos are important.

Ken

Hi guys.

Thank you for your posts. I do appreciate them, and even though we may all disagree slightly on some of the points I was making, that is what is great about the Café. We can all learn from our opinions and comments and I do appreciate your own thoughts. Thank you.

With that said, logo design and branding is very much a touchy subject. People do have vastly different opinions about it and about its effectiveness etc. Being in the design and marketing business for as long as I have, my opinions and comments mentioned in the post come straight from my own observations over the years as well as my own research. Certianly I might be a bit bias towards logos and designs, as that is my profession. But Through the years I have also seen how well designed materials do indeed make a difference in marketing.

Let me try and address some of the issues that are being brought up and give you my own take on them. Perhaps I might be able to shed some further light on the subject.

It is not the logo itself that lierally means "thirst quencher" or "quality footware". Through their marketing of their product you come to associate those "traits" of the product to the logo itself. It is the logo that then starts you thinking about those qualities of that product.

You might also find it interetsing that the terms "quality footware" and / or "cool and refreshing" actually were not made up by myself but actually came from the Nike and Coke branding materials that I researched a while back for a project at work. It is interesting to me because that is exactly what their marketing is trying to convey and how they hope their logo makes the consumer think about these things.

Evan brings up another interesting point about logos and marks. That is the theory of logo recognition and consistency. With a properly designed logo and a logo that is used well, you really start creating recognition for your company or service. If used consistently, you see the logo and immediately know the company or service it stands for. This really can only help your marketing.

Robert also brings up a great point and that is the fact that logos and the use of logos is really image marketing. He is right, it is image marketing. But I think there is a lot of value to the image you portray to your market.

We must realize that a lot of times, the first impression any contact might get of you or your services, is directly from the materials you send out to them. If you do not invest a little money in a professional image on these materials, then you're only hurting yourself.

I think the mistake was that I may have used two HUGE companies as my examples in my original post. I think you can really succeed in image marketing through the use of a logo without having to spend a lot of money. You certainly can do it well without having a budget like Coke or Nike. Infact you can have a successful image in your market without having to spend a substantial amount of dollars. It can be done well on a limited budget.

It is not so much that you are trying to get as much logo recognition as Nike or Coke as it is that you are sending out materials of high quality that have a consistent look to them.

On a side note, Lance Burton does have a logo that works quite well for him and that is used pretty consistently on his magic sets, promotional materials and website.

I hope this might shed a little bit of light on what I was trying to convey in my original post. It certainly is up to any ones interpretation, but I do think their is value in a quality designed logo that is used well through out your marketing materials.

I would love to hear anyone's opinions or comments on this topic or hear about what they do on their own materials they send out. I look forward to hearing form you all.

Thanks for the great posts and thoughts. keep them coming guys.

Kyle

Well, I put my cartoon (see avatar) on every piece of paper that leaves my office. I don't have it on my show though. Also, it doesn't include my name. I don't know that it really makes that much of a difference. Even with my uninformative logo and my inconsistent use of it, I'm busier then I have ever been and I am usually turning down shows 2 weeks in advance of the date they are calling for. Now, this isn't going to sound right no matter how I say it but here it goes, Kyle, what is your logo? I would like to see what you think is a good logo for a magician on a limited budget. I don't mean any of this in offense, I'm just inclined to ask the tough questions.
Edd

Edd:

Not a problem at all. I am actually quite pleased that you asked me. It may make it easier for some of you if you saw samples to what I consider to be good logo designs that work. I would love to post samples here but am afraid the files would be much too large to make that work.

BUT, what I can do is provide PDF samples to you and anyone else who might like to see more of what I am referring to. Would that be of some help perhaps?

I also sincerely hope I am not getting anyone upset. It is not my intention at all. I just felt this was a subject I knew a lot about and since I had to write it for my own work, I figured there might be some value in it to the Café members.

I do know this is a subject that has a lot of various opinions about. I think that only leads to better and deeper discussions and I appreciate all of your posts.

Edd:
To me, what works for you is the fact that you are using your cartoon image on your materials in a consistent fashion. Your not changing it around or using so many different ones that it sends a confusing message to your customers.

Can you be successful without a logo? Yes, certainly you can. But a logo to me is a simple tool, that if used well, can really add value to your marketing.

Just my humble opinion based on experience is all.

If anyone wants to see samples of my logo work or what I think works well, please just PM me your e-mail address. This way I can send it out to you and you can see a bunch of samples. It may be useful and helpful to you. Thanks.

Kyle

ALthough the Copperfield eyes may be somewhat of a logo, I would disagree that they are recognizable by many laypeople. Unless, of course, Copperfield's name is right under them.

And for Lance's, perhaps his Logo is "Lance Burton - World Champion Magician" or something of that nature. A logo like that may convey the message of "I am a champion, so I am VERY good", but there are still some people out there who do NOT know who Lance Burton is.

So, a logo in and of itself can only convey a message if words are used. Otherwise, the strength of a logo is in the association of that graphic to other marketing.

Lance does have a clearly defined logo. It can be seen on the header of his website and on every product he sells at his store in Vegas. It is a quality mark that is used consistently to brand him in his market. It works well for him.

Yes the strength of a good logo is in the association one makes to the quality of goods and services it represents to the customer.

Brent:
I sent you some PDF samples over to your e-mail address. I hope you got them ok. Let me know if you have trouble opening them etc. I would be happy to help you out if I can. =)

Kyle

Kyle:

Thanks for all the useful information. Having been a Printer and Graphic Designer for years I know of which you speak. Their seems to be a lack of understanding how much good and useful information is being posted here to benefit the other members of the Magic Café. More entertainers could benefit from following such good advice and wisdom.

Whether or not there is a consistent universal recognition of David Copperfields logo mark, it is still his mark and sets him apart. This really isn't about national or worldwide recognition of anyones logo but about setting you apart in your market from everyone else. It is doable to make your logo so well known in your market that everyone who sees it will think of you and the qualities or lack thereof in your show. And you don't have to go broke doing it.

Martin

Kyle, after reading earlier posts of yours, I went out and got a logo. It's one of the best things I have done. It really ties my whole promo pack together and makes my pack stand out from the rest. From my video to my van, it's on everything. Thanks for posting Kyle

Martin:

Thank you my friend. You said it exactly right and in fewer posts then I took. hehehe Thank you my friend. I do also appreciate others differences of opinion on this topic. It is a wide topic with many different opinions and there really is no exact right answer.

I only hope that by posting this, that it helps others and it continues a good discussion that may benefit some of you.

Florida:
There you go. I am happy that I got you thinking about it. Have you found it to be worth the effort you went through to get it and use it? Has it helped distinguish you in your own direct market? Waht are some of the benefits you feel it has given to you?

Martin is right that you really can have a logo make a difference for you in your own market without breaking your piggy bank to do it.

Kyle

Florida:
If you don't mind me asking: How much did it cost?
Kyle:
Thanks for the examples. I really liked the work and I can see the value in it. I just don't know if I can afford it!
Edd

Edd
http://www.gotlogos.com

great place to start. They are cheap and I have seen some gret stuff from them.
Ken

I try to keep my own prices very low and reasoable so that any magician or small usiness can benefit from a succesful logo design. Also, keep in mind that a well designed logo is a one time investment. It will last you a life time is designed correctly with you and your services in mind.

It really can be designed and paid for on the average budget of a single show. It really is an inverstment in yourself and your marketing that does not break your piggy bank.

Kyle

Oh, also, you will want to keep in mind that not every designer understands the magicians needs. So no matter who you go with, make sure they understand what we magicians find to be cliche images. Too many top hats and canes will only work against you. You may need to educate them a little.

Kyle

I found a logo designer on e-bay. He charges $50.00. It helped that I had a basic logo Idea that I e-mailed to him. I wanted a simple logo that shows I perform magic with a comedy club feel. I think he acheived that.

Just keep in mind that you often get what you pay for. Cheap does not always mean good design services that work for you.

Not that every designer on e-bay is bad by any means, but a quality logo designer who understands the magician and his/her needs I doubt can be found in that manner. I also wonder why a designer would be advertising services on e-bay to begin with. Something about that to me just does not seem right. Oh wells.

Always ask to see the designer's work and logo samples before working with them. Not every designer is the same and not everyone can design at the professional level that you will be needing and should demand.

Your identity is an investment in you and your services and will last you a life time if done right the first time around.

Kyle

My logo, freatured here on the left, has done a wonderful job of creating a "brand" for myself.

Best advice I could give is to spend the money, and have a professional graphic designer create your promo material.

I find it amazing how as magicians, we are quick to agree magicians shouldn't take gigs when they are not ready, but yet the are some of the worst offenders when it comes to trying to do their own web pages and promo material?

Scott

Scott:
Amen to that. hehe We magicians try so hard to have a great show, great look and style and we put so much into all that, yet we seem to give all that up when it comes to the materials we are sending out to our potential customers.

Kyle