Corporate Branding and Professional Logo Design

Any business with the minimum interest to be successful should concentrate on developing their corporate image and when I say "any business", I mean it, absolutely any business--even if it's a mom-n-pop shop. "Corporate image" might be a big word for such small ventures, however, what I meant by that is how the business wants themselves to be perceived by their customers. Irrespective of the size of the business it is very important to determine how do you come across to your potential customers? How do you compare to your competitors? These factors are largely determined by your branding and marketing strategies. Branding tools like logo designs, business cards etc goes a long way in creating your corporate image. Any marketing communication material should ideally have your corporate logo on it, which would give more credibility for your business as well as help your client to perceive your business as a professional enterprise.

Logo design is an absolutely indispensable part of corporate branding strategy and should always be assigned to professional logo designers. A professional logo designer is not just a graphic designer but he should also have ideas about branding and positioning of business. Depending on your requirements he will create a logo that would successfully exude the nature and attitude of your business. He also needs to understand the media in which you are going to use your logo; it can be web, print, electronic media (TV commercial etc) or a mixture of all of these. The logo should be compatible and equally attractive wherever you might choose to use them. While working on any of our logo design orders we ( Custom Logo Design )always try to capture as much as information possible, from the client.

Basically there are 4 types of logos, glyph, alpha-glyph, alphanumeric or a combination of any of these. There are a number of factors that should be looked into to determine what would be the ideal solution for you. A professional logo designer or a specialist logo design firm can definitely help you with decision making in this aspect.

Types of Logos

Glyph: This includes symbols, icons, pictures etc that represents your company. These are most widely used for secondary communication rather than business logos, except for few like, Apple. Glyphs though used rarely as logos, if created properly by talented logo designers can be extremely sophisticated and create a deep impact as a corporate identity. However, we need to be careful that glyphs need to be done by well experienced professionals, an amateur attempt can simply male your logo unattractive and useless and might even cause loss of credibility to your business.

Alpha-Glyph: An alpha-glyph logo uses a letter from the name of the company to graphically convey the nature of the business. At times picking the first letter of the company name and designing it in a particular way also do this. Ideal examples of this type of logos can be seen with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), IBM, Honda, Motorola, and Oklahoma State University. This type of logo is also not used very commonly and shares the same advantages and disadvantages as the glyphs.

Alphanumeric: This is a very common type of logos and is also used by some of the most reputed and well-known companies in the world. To name a few, Microsoft, Sony, Fed Ex etc. These logos are nothing but the name of your company written in a unique way with typographical effects. The typographic treatment gives a unique look to the logo and there is generally no issue with getting a Trademark. These logos are comparatively easier for amateurs to create however to get the best effect from an alphanumeric logo it's always better to work with a professional logo designer. Choice of font, color, letter spacing etc can make big difference in creating an impressive corporate logo.

Combination Logos: This is the most common type of logos and is found everywhere. Most of these are actually glyph or alpha-glyph with an alphanumeric company name. It is the arrangement of the company name and the image and their color combination that plays the most instrumental role in the effectiveness of the logo. Some good examples of combination logos are UPS, Red Hat Linux and Intel.

Placing your corporate logo on all marketing collaterals including business cards, brochures, flyers etc helps you to mark those collaterals as your company property and establish your corporate identity.

Logos and marketing materials are integral part of a company's brand establishment strategy. A logo done by an amateur can ruin the credibility of your business in no time but when done by a professional logo designer can definitely add value to your business. A professional logo designer can help you to decide which type of logo is best suited for your business and can make people perceive your company as a huge corporate house with much credibility even when it might be just an one man shop.

It's the image of the company that matters, if you intend to portray a positive and impressive image of your company go for a professional logo design today.

The Enjoyable Office: Ten Summertime Joy Breaks

Lily Tomlin once said, "For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." It can be challenging to do that, however, once you get into overdrive. Joy Breaks may be your answer. One to ten-minute Joy Breaks can renew you throughout the day. When you let yourself have a few moments of enjoyment, your mood lifts--and your productivity and effectiveness can increase dramatically.

Business guru Tom Peters maintains, "The number one premise of business is that it need not be dull. It ought to be fun. If it's not fun, you're wasting your life." Make sure you're not wasting that non-renewable resource known as time. Life is short. On your deathbed, you won't remember all the things you accomplished on your TO DO list; you'll mainly remember the precious moments of enjoyment.

"Children have more energy after a hard day of play than they do after a good night's sleep," says Dr. R. F. Gumperson, a probability expert. Anything that is fun, playful, or that stimulates the creative mind is a good place to start. If you can learn to switch back and forth between work and play throughout the day, you may find you leave the office with a bounce in your step.

Gain the support of those around you by letting them know what you need, and where possible, include them. Instead of reaching for another coffee or a chocolate bar, consider some of these healthy alternatives for uplifting your spirit, relaxing your mind, and energizing your body.

1. Flowers

Go outside with a pair of clippers. Clip a few flowers. Put them in a vase, and place them in your work area.

2. Music

Play Baroque music to open up your creativity and soothe your mind. I suggest Vivaldi's Four Seasons (especially Summer). Use a headset if you don't want to disturb others nearby.

3. Mini-Golf

Many people love golf in the Summer, but don't have the time to get to the course. Take a few golf clubs and golf balls to each department. Have each department create a golf-hole--use whatever you can find: paper cup, trash can, etc. When you need to go to another department for a meeting or to get some information, you simply "golf" your way there. You can keep track of your score. Those who get a hole-in-one get a special prize.

4. Whoops Alert

We all make mistakes at work. If you are afraid of making a mistake, you may stop taking risks. Humour can help create an environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn. Go to a novelty store to purchase some kazoos. Assign three co-workers a Whoops Kazoo. In the event of a severe stress, frustration, aggravation, annoyance, or glitch--a person may call out "WHOOPS!" -- at which point the Kazoo Committee sounds the Whoops Alert. The Whoops Alert should only last less than a minute--then back to work.

5. Fun Scrapbook

Take to work a blank scrapbook. Set up a place for it in the staff room or waiting area. Provide glue, scissors, and tape. As a Joy Break, any employee can take a few minutes to add something to the Fun Scrapbook--a cartoon, favourite email joke, photos from a staff event, humorous ideas for dealing with challenging work situations, best "mistake" story, etc.

6. Tropical Retreat

Take a reclining lawn chair and sun umbrella to work. Put them up on the roof or in a sunny area near the office. Leave a pair of sunglasses and a travel magazine on the chair. Offer co-workers a fruit punch in a glass garnished with a little umbrella. Send on ten-minute tropical breaks with their refreshing punch. Rotate co-workers throughout the day.

7. Gratitude Walk

Go for a ten-minute walk. Observe five things you are grateful for or appreciate. They could be cloud formations, sunshine, the sound of children playing, the comfortable shoes you are wearing, etc.

8. Street Dance

Take a portable stereo out to the parking lot; invite everyone from the office to partake in a ten-minute dance break. Put on the Greatest Hits of the '70's, or swing music.

9. Vacation Planning

As we head into summer, you can take ten-minute breaks to plan your time off. Peruse travel books, make hotel reservations, write a note to relatives telling how you'd like to spend time with them, etc.

10. Popsicles

Take a popsicle mold to the office. Pour in your favourite juice. Put the pops in the freezer and during the mid-afternoon slump offer homemade popsicles to everyone in the office.

Use some of these activities, or make up your own. Create a list of ten things you can go do when your energy slumps, and put that list in a place where you will see it. Every time you do a Joy Break, check that activity off the list. Some people go so far as to give themselves a gold star. Positive reinforcement can help make joy a regular occurrence, and help you kick the worry habit. In the words of Oscar Wilde, "Life is too important to be taken seriously."

May the FUN be with you!