Once the logo has been creating, a process of brand awareness must be engaged in. What is the point of having a great business and brand if nobody knows about it? Although there are many avenues for the promotion of the brand, graphic design services will remain central to developing the collateral for this promotion. Items such as signs, building graphics, company brochures, business cards, websites and print media design are all necessary in the development and communication of a brand identity.

For those businesses starting up, it is essential that professional graphic design services are employed to create the right platform for growth. It is well known that the success rate for new business is low. When a new business enters the market, it is going against established brands and businesses in the marketplace, who have worked years to develop a persona and relationship with their markets. If a new business is to have success in these markets, the brand identity must be strong and professional, evoking emotions of trust, credibility, while instilling the perception in consumer’s minds that your business is a viable alternative. If this is not the case, it is likely that the business will become part of the nine out of ten that fail and close within the first year.

There are different approaches to creating business brand identity. There are the options of creating a unique brand or attempting to replicate some aspects of design from leading brands in order to develop some intrinsic and extrinsic benefit. However, care must be taken in the design process as not to ‘pass off’, as this may result in legal action.

Brands also have to move with the times. Brand identities that were applicable to the target market ten years ago may have somehow lost touch. In this case, graphic design services should be utilised to refresh the brand identity, to better connect with the changing markets, customers and consumer trends.

Branding is an all encompassing project which develops the overall feel, perception and credibility of a business or product range in the marketplace. There is no one factor that operates in isolation to create and communicate a successful brand. However, the company logo is one of the key dimensions of branding; a well planned graphic designed logo will provide current and potential customers with a powerful symbol that evokes emotions and perceptions of quality, trust, innovation and desire to purchase.
 
It is essential to have a strategy behind all marketing and business activities. The case of logo design is no exception; with the branding strategy to provide the antecedent information for the graphic design of the logo, there will be no direction and alike to walking in a dark cave without a torch. Confident and effective branding requires a well researched and planned branding strategy, which outlines the use of graphic design to communicate the key messages to the marketplace.
 
The role of graphic design in branding is critical when creating the logo that is the front of the business, providing the key medium to communicate the message to market and the unique selling proposition that differentiate the business and its offerings from the competition. So what are some of the key element of proven graphic design principles in the formation of the logo design? The following are essential parameters of creating an effective logo design:
 
• The logo design must easily communicate the values and goals of the business.
• The message to be communicated must be clear and concise. The key message to market must be finalised before the logo design begins. A graphic design is only as good as the message it is designed to portray. There needs to be a strong relationship between the logo design and the brand, which is instantly recognisable in the marketplace.
• No matter what size the company is, the logo design should be completed by experienced graphic designers. The creation of substandard logo designs will only send a message of unprofessionalism to the market; this can only result in perception issues of trust, credibility and ability to deliver on their promises to market.
• Ensure that the logo is market tested before finalisation and release
• Ensure the logo design will not date quickly
 
The process of logo design can be the difference between success or failure. Many small to medium sized businesses fail within the first year. One of the common reasons contributing to this failure is the lack of effective marketing and branding. Without a visual representation of the business, along with cost effective communications, the new business will simply go unnoticed. The lack on initial cashflow for many new businesses delays the process of employing graphic design services for effective logo design; often designing a basic logo themselves. However, when starting a new business, it is essential that a professional front is presented to the marketplace, which is being compounded with increasing competition and a widening array of products and services. The new business requires visibility and credibility in the marketplace; two key factors only achievable through professional logo design from experienced graphic designers.