The importance of logos, and why some should have been crowdsourced

The importance of logos, and why some should have been crowdsourced

Ever wondered what the fuss around logos is all about?

If done right, a logo can indicate, with just one image or word what your company is all about.

Take Amazon’s logo as an example. The arrow is suggesting that Amazon has everything from A to Z, and it’s smiling at the customer.

FedEx cleverly designed its logo to include an arrow between the E and the X, signifying speed and precision – what the company’s core selling points are all about.

Switzerland chocolate company, Toblerone, is from a town referred to as The City of Bears, Burn. If you look closely at the Swiss mountain, you will see the silhouette of a bear.

Having started DesignCrowd and BrandCrowd, I’ve come to know that getting a logo is one of the smallest bits of work you will ever have to do. So why do so many brands get it wrong?

For every good example of a logo design, there are too many bad ones. So in the last few years, more and more small businesses and big brands started using crowdsourcing to design a logo that captures the brand (like Doritos, Google and Coca-Cola).

While crowdsourcing is not the right path for every business or every project (in some circumstances, traditional agencies may be a better fit) most design projects – particularly logo design projects – lend themselves perfectly to crowdsourcing.  

In this article, I wanted to share a few logo fails with you, that could have been avoided if the project had been crowdsourced.

South Australia

After months of hype and $1.3 million dollars spent to create it, the new South Australia logo was slammed by locals and the wider Australian community.

Some even thought it resembled an origami Pope hat, and that it certainly wasn’t an image that will draw people to a place. After spending $1.3 million on the design, it’s no wonder Tasmania wasn’t included in the logo, as it would have cost them a further $13,000.

Transport NSW

One of the many things you want to avoid with logo designs, is creating confusion between your brand and that of another. This is where Transport NSW failed quite terribly.

The new logo cost $1 million to create, and is unmistakably similar to the Tennis Australia logo, according to many Reddit users and some media.

With the help of the wider crowdsourcing community and of being able to share designs internally for feedback before selecting the perfect one for your brand, Transport NSW could have avoided making commuters wondering if they’re at a train station or a tennis clinic.

NRL

The NRL's new logo received mixed reviews from the design community and the public (with one poll saying 17% thought the logo was "ugly").

The NRL competition is one of the largest sporting competitions in Australia (like the NFL in the US) and the public and design community would've jumped at the chance to participate in an open design contest. It could have also given the NRL some much desired global attention.

 

There’s a sense of failure and missed opportunity in all of these designs. It’s clear big brands have a lot to learn from small businesses when it comes to crowdsourcing. Those brands that do take the step towards crowdsourcing, will soon find themselves rolling in ideas and designs, great publicity opportunities, and a whole raft of cost savings to enjoy. The public and the design community will clamour to work on your project and share their ideas with you and the world.

Alec Lynch is the founder and CEO of design crowdsourcing marketplaces DesignCrowd.com.au and BrandCrowd.com.




Please login with linkedin to comment

Latest News

It’s Friday Quiz Time Again!
  • Media

It’s Friday Quiz Time Again!

Take B&T's trivia quiz for your chance to win a $100 booze voucher and possible cirrhosis of a major internal organ.

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
Big data technology and data science illustration. Data flow concept. Querying, analysing, visualizing complex information. Neural network for artificial intelligence. Data mining. Business analytics.
  • Marketing

SenateSHJ Launches New Trans-Tasman Practices

SenateSHJ has launched a new digital, data and insights capability designed to help clients tackle the growing complexity of communication challenges. SenateSHJ Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) will combine the firm’s existing Digital and Insights functions to create a Trans-Tasman capability focused on digital communication, and the generation and use of data to improve communication. […]

New BrandStory Format From Bonzai Allows 3x More Ad Space on Mobile
  • Media

New BrandStory Format From Bonzai Allows 3x More Ad Space on Mobile

Creative technology platform Bonzai has announced the launch of BrandStory – a new premium mobile ad format. BrandStory offers triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single scroll ad formats, addressing the surging demand from brands worldwide for more real estate to drive real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration […]

B&T’s Search For Australia’s Greatest Ad Heads To Channel 7
  • Advertising

B&T’s Search For Australia’s Greatest Ad Heads To Channel 7

B&T went through the looking glass this morning, with editor-in-chief David Hovenden (above) appearing on Channel 7’s The Morning Show to get the general public involved in our search for Australia’s Greatest Ad. Hovenden chatted with Kylie Gillies and stand-in host Matt Doran about what makes a great ad and showcasing some of our favourites […]

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
Opinion: The Tall Planner’s Kate Smither On The DBA Dilemma
  • Opinion

Opinion: The Tall Planner’s Kate Smither On The DBA Dilemma

The science is not in question – smarter people than I, with far more data, have codified it. The logic is not up for grabs…it makes sense that creating mental shortcuts to your brand keeps you at the top of your mind. Lead image: Kate Smither – Owner, The Tall Planner I wouldn’t even take […]

Opinion

by B&T Magazine

B&T Magazine
African woman using a cellphone in an office alone
  • Marketing

Ortto & Tall Bob Partner To Deliver Better SMS & MMS For Australian & NZ Businesses

Two Australian-born technology providers have joined forces to bring more power and choice to marketers in Australia and New Zealand with mobile messaging that is more local, cost-effective, and integrated. It’s a partnership that sees two Australian software companies come together to deliver a world-class mobile-first solution for marketers building data-driven, personalised, omnichannel campaigns. While […]

Slew Of New Hires At Snap Inc.
  • Media

Slew Of New Hires At Snap Inc.

Snap Inc. has announced a number of new recruits. B&T unaware if it positively impacted SEEK's share price.

Reddit Gets Playful Brand Refresh
  • Technology

Reddit Gets Playful Brand Refresh

This will be of interest to any Reddit fans, graphic designers or lovers of an orange so bright it burns the retinas.

Zitcha & Broadsign Partner To Drive Global In-Store Retail Media Market
  • Advertising

Zitcha & Broadsign Partner To Drive Global In-Store Retail Media Market

Zitcha and Broadsign have teamed up to integrate the Broadsign out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform with Zitcha’s retail media platform. The collaboration empowers retailers to maximise and monetise in-store digital display networks and enables advertising partners to easily view and book available in-store inventory and review campaign performance alongside the retailer’s other media channels. With the […]

Double Rainbouu & 7-Eleven Launch Exclusive Summer Fashion Label
  • Marketing

Double Rainbouu & 7-Eleven Launch Exclusive Summer Fashion Label

Today, 7-Eleven has announced a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the popular Sydney-based anti-resort wear label Double Rainbouu. Dropping tomorrow, December 1, just in time for summer, this limited-edition capsule will infuse the fashion brand’s rebellious spirit with a distinctly iconic 7-Eleven flavour. The unisex collection features five must-have styles comprising two signature Hawaiian shirts, a peaked cap, a bucket hat […]