Logo Design & Corporate Identity

At Cogent we don’t just design your logo...

We use our years of experience to help our clients build both a recognisable and attractive corporate identity and brand image.

Many people perceive branding and identity to be interchangeable concepts; however, there are many subtle distinctions that differentiate these terms.

Identity most often refers to a company’s image on a corporate level. Industry pioneer Wally Olins stated that, in simplest terms, identity can ‘project four different things: who you are, what you do, how you do it, and where you want to go’ (Olins, 1995).

Corporate identity, much like the identity of a person, can be composed of a variety of elements: environment, product, communications and behaviour.

• Environment – For many companies the location of their offices, factories, or outlets can have a major impact on how the company is perceived, both internally and externally. For example, many banking institutions have plush offices in the heart of London’s financial district to emphasise the importance and wealth of their business.
• Product- If a company consistently delivers a high quality product or service, the consumer will automatically link the organisation with these positive associations. Consumers are willing to pay more for an Apple computer or mp3 player because they associate it with style and reliability.
• Communications – They way that a company communicates its central ideas to their target audience can sometimes be as, or more, important than the ideas themselves. For example, the MacDonald’s identity has been formed through an unceasing promotional and advertising campaign that still remains a vital part of its business model.
• Behaviour – It is very important for nearly all companies to be seen to be acting in accordance with the values of its consumers; if an organisation does not do so it runs the risk of alienating the very people that it relies on for its survival. When it became evident that ITV had defrauded many of its viewers advertising fake prizes on its phone in shows - it became a huge pr disaster. It will take ITV many years to rebuild the trust that was once associated with its corporate identity.

 

A symbol, or logo, is the visual signifier that unifies these different elements of identity under one banner. An organisation’s symbol must be concise, emotive and engaging while also encompassing the broad range of ideas that the company is trying to promote. 

At Cogent we design your corporate identity to accurately represent the distinctive ideas of your organisation, which can then be communicated through different mediums, to a variety of audiences. [perhaps erroneous]

Branding is a concept that most readily describes the management of the external perception of an organisation, usually between a company and its customer, on a product or service level. A brand image must be recognisable. It is a symbol for all the information and positive expectations associated with a particular product or service. A good brand must differentiate and elevate itself from its competitors by offering its target audience the best brand value on the market. The most effective brand strategies are the ones that ensure that a consumer’s brand experience is both dynamic and engaging. By promoting consumer interaction with your particular brand, you are constantly reinforcing the positive emotional relationship that a consumer associates with your brand, which in turn will encourage them to choose your brand over others on the market.

 

Many large branding companies, such as Wolff Olins or Landor, do a terrific job at mapping out a corporation’s brand future. These companies use a combination of painstaking research, complex technical theory and big budget marketing strategies to ensure that their client’s brand image has the optimum impact when it is delivered to their target audience.

At Cogent, we value branding theory, but we recognize that many smaller companies do not have the time or the budget to commit to such large scale branding operations. Cogent respect the fact that many client’s have an excellent understanding of their own corporate identity; we work closely with these companies to deliver a professional, cost effective, and efficient brand strategy that ideally positions the company within its target market, in terms of quality, price and service.

Most brands exist within specific industry sectors that are characterised by certain design traits; for example, the look and feel of a solicitor’s website would be vastly different to that of a software company. The challenge for a designer is to ensure that your brand contains all the traits that make it recognisable, yet, the product or service must also be distinctive within its sector, sparking the imagination of the consumer, prompting them to emotionally engage with the brand, and by extension the company.

We understand that branding is not a one size fits all service, when we launch or refresh a brand image we ensure that our designs are exciting, innovative and unique to your identity, giving you the perfect platform to take your business to the next level.

 

This material owes a debt of gratitude to The Design Council’s The New Guide to Identity (London: Gower, 1996).

 

Please take a look at our work.