Why Entrepreneurs Divorce Their Logos (And Why It's A Bad Idea)

Remember how excited you were when you first designed your logo? How beautiful you thought it was, and how you couldn't wait to get your first batch of business cards printed so you could show it off? How you excitedly described its meaning and subtleties to your mom (and your clients?) And the rush to the trademark office to get your new love "made official"-what excitement when the papers finally arrived!

Where did that magical feeling go?

The problem is that you keep seeing your logo. Over and over again.

You spend time working on your marketing: creating flyers, updating your website, putting together your email newsletter, etc... And of course, each of those pieces includes your logo (right?). Then you do your business development and billing: writing up proposals, processing client intake questionnaires, writing up invoices-again, all with your logo. Then there are the pieces that you see on a day to day basis: the business cards in your purse or wallet, your office signage, the promotional graphics on your car. Just in the process of running your business, you'll see your logo constantly. Did I mention constantly?

Then Entrepreneurial Boredom sets in

Once you've seen the logo for what seems like the millionth time, the logo starts to lose its sheen. It no longer seems as brilliant, beautiful or perfect as it once did. In fact, you never want to see it any again.

This is when most entrepreneurs start thinking about breaking up with their logo, and getting a new one. They think that this will help them recapture their excitement about their brand.

Why changing your logo should be a last resort

A business's logo should last for the life of the business-until "death do you part" (or at least until something major happens within the business that necessitates changing the logo-but that's another article).

Your logo is the "face" of your business for your customers. If you suddenly change the logo, your customers can feel like they are losing a relationship. And they get a bit concerned.

First they wonder "Am I in the right place? It looks different!" Then they think, "Is this the same company that I've worked with before and grown to trust?" Then they say, "Does this shiny new look mean that they're raising their fees now? Can I afford to work with them now?"

You can see how this would be a chain reaction that you'd like to avoid. Not to mention the domino effect that changing your logo has on your marketing-redesigning and reprinting all of your materials with the new look. What a headache!

Keys To Changing Your Mind About Your Boredom

- Repeat after me: I see my logo more than anyone else does. You assume that since you've seen your logo a million times, your customers have also seen it too much and are getting bored of it.

This isn't the case! Realistically think about how often your clients see your logo-once, twice, or maybe four times a month? I promise they're not as tired and fed up with it as you are.

See if you can make your boredom into more of a comfortable, long-term relationship with your logo.

- Switch your focus. You are more focused on your logo than any of your clients. You are deeply invested in it in many ways - from going through the logo design process with your designer and infusing it with meaning then add the financial and time perspective. Then as you use it, your logo becomes a part of your business and personal identity.

- Concentrating on your logo this much puts it under a lot of pressure, and gives it a lot to live up to. The next time you feel like you're getting tired of your logo, put your focus on something else-rewrite some of your website copy, design a new marketing piece, start on a book, or even just step away from the office to get some distance from it. You have plenty of other things to do in your business that would be easier and more productive to do than to make a major change with your logo.

- If you need to change something, consider changing your Visual Vocabulary. If your marketing pieces are really driving you crazy, change up the other graphics that you have on them-the photos that you use, your background colors and your font treatments. This will change the look of your materials without changing the foundation of your brand-your logo-which isn't nearly so jarring for your clients.

So, next time you're looking at your logo and thinking about getting a divorce, take a deep breath and step away from your designs! Keep your logo as the visual face your customers remember. Then see if there are smaller changes you can make to your relationship with your logo to keep the love alive.

Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big visibility for small businesses. As the owner of elf design, Erin is passionate about helping her clients stand out in front of their competition and attract more clients. Her "Define Your Difference Branding Workbook" will help you with your brand definition - the most important step in the logo design process. http://www.elf-design.com/products-define.html

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