Behind the Scenes: The Process of Designing a Professional Logo

Have you ever wondered about the process of designing a logo? At CIM, the design process of creating a logo varies with every graphic designer. For some, it’s sketching concepts while listening to their favorite music. For others, it’s researching and exploring for creative ideas while sipping a strong espresso. Many steps are involved from concept to completion. Here’s a look behind the scenes…all the steps involved in creating a professional logo.

Step 1:

Creative Brief Discussion


The first step in designing a logo is to learn more about a business and its goals. Here are a few design information-gathering questions we always cover: What is the main purpose of the business? What is the brand’s personality or values? What are adjectives used to describe the brand? What kinds of customers or clients does the business have or want to attract? How do you want your customers to feel about the business? What are your preferences – font type, colors, fun versus formal? CIM aims to create a memorable visual representation for the business or service, so it’s critical to pull insights and information from each client.

Step 2:

Research the Industry


We research industry and competitor logos. This helps CIM designers get a sense of the environment the logo is going to live in and provides a framework for the next step of the process. Our designers ask themselves, "What colors, shapes, typography, graphic elements and taglines would make our client’s new logo powerful and effective?" They are especially cognizant of the psychology behind colors and shapes.

Step 3:

Start Sketching


After researching the industry, our designers at CIM will make rough sketches to explore any ideas that include logo, colors, typefaces and images. Sketching on paper is an effective brainstorming tool for designers to get the creative juices flowing and help see what elements work together or not.

Step 4:

Digitalizing the Design and Internal Review


Once the ideas are sketched, the best design concepts will be recreated in digital format using Illustrator. CIM designers will experiment with logo colors and typography to showcase the flat logo in variations that include mockups to see how it will work in real life. Then, the designer presents several strong logo options to a group of CIM team members for review and comment. Each logo’s concept is fully explained, and we share feedback to narrow the options.

Step 5:

Logo Presentation/Modifications


The refined logo options are presented and fully explained as to how and why they best represent the business or organization. Feedback is shared, and any desired edits (tweaking a color or graphic element, for example) are made until we have “the winner,” a solid logo that will withstand the test of time.

Step 6:

Final Logo Assets Delivery


Once the logo is finalized, CIM designers will organize and deliver the logo in multiple file formats that can be used for anything from marketing collateral to signage to the internet. We also provide a Brand Standards Guide that includes logo variations (like a black and white version) and color palettes so employees, partners and vendors can use the logo properly and consistently.

Since we believe brand is everything, a logo is certainly a core component. Creating a client’s perfect logo is a process, one that is critical to get right. We take pride in creating logos for brand new entities, and we also modify or update existing logos when that is appropriate. If you need any help with your brand/logo, we’d welcome a conversation.

"Logos are the graphic extension of the internal realities of a company."

~Saul Bass
(graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker whose work includes timeless logos
for brands like Quaker Oats, Girl Scouts of America, United Way, AT&T and others)

A Focus Group of One

Each fall, we perform a number of Strategic Marketing Summits® for clients where we review the prior year and plan for the upcoming year. During those sessions, we discuss dozens of marketing tactics we have either employed or are considering for future initiatives.

We often look at (or propose) focus group research as an invaluable tool to evaluate and measure a firm’s branding and its current standing in the market relative to the competitive landscape, as well as evaluate potential future business actions. Over the course of orchestrating formal focus group research for 25 years, we have learned a “thing or two.” Let’s just say, the findings have often been completely unexpected, and in multiple cases, have provided insight and information that have ultimately redirected business investments that have saved, literally, millions of dollars in what would likely have otherwise been fruitless efforts.

On the topic of focus groups, I’d like to share with you exactly what we share with clients as we challenge them to review strategic marketing options. Here is a snapshot of verbiage from a post-Summit game plan document we created for a client in Reno.

As we touched on during the Summit, it is completely natural for any of us to have a "like that" or "don't like that" response to any particular tactic. While you may not like a printed newsletter in your mailbox, others may. You may be annoyed by social media, but others cherish the information and connection they gain from such interaction. Bottom line: Each individual is a focus group of one, so a tactic you personally may not like may still demonstrate value and be beneficial to brand and business building for others.

Performing well-planned focus group research is time extensive and a significant investment, but the payoff can be significant. Even if you do not broach that effort, you can benefit from not casting off marketing tactics merely because they wouldn’t “work” on you individually.

If you’d like to discuss a focus group research project for your firm, we’d welcome the opportunity.

"Marketing without marketing research is like driving with your eyes closed."

~Dan Zarrella

The Silver Lining of Rising Printing Costs

For more than a year, we (and our clients) have been experiencing rising costs for virtually everything we print for our clients. We’re not talking about periodic “slight price increases.” Commercial printing costs have been rising due to a number of factors, including basic supply and demand, paper pulp and end product shortages, shipping expenses, staffing issues and paper mill closures. But there’s some good news in the mix…read on.

It all began with the COVID shutdown, which sharply reduced use of certain paper types. With most schools and offices closed, paper use plummeted, and many factories suspended or reduced operations. Some factories reduced the production of printing paper to producing boxes as consumer demand shifted. This caused a ripple effect in raw materials used to make printing paper, and then worldwide shipping chaos added to the problem. And let’s face it, we all know what happened (and is happening again) with toilet paper and paper towel supplies. With the economic re-start, the supply chain ripples continue. Here are a few facts:

 
Paper pulp prices are up 20% over the past year.
The producer price index has risen more than 13% since December 2020.
Worldwide shipping backlogs are expected to last well into 2022, or longer.

The good news is that due to these issues, some are postponing their commercial printing orders. If your competitors are cutting these marketing efforts, the tactics you continue to implement will stand out all the more. We’ve proven over the course of decades that companies that continue to invest during rough economies come out far ahead of competitors that ceased or reduced their marketing efforts.

At CIM, we are doing all in our power to minimize commercial printing issues for our clients:

This is a global issue, adding to the complexity of normalizing “the system.” Meanwhile, we’ll continue adjusting as needed and, in some cases, incorporate digital tactical options, where appropriate. Please let me know if you have any questions.

“Now supplies of certain [paper] grades are so tight that some commercial printers can’t get the paper they want at any price.”

~Kevin Mason, managing director for ERA Forest Products Research

FIVE REFERRAL TIPS

Ask a current client directly:
If you don’t ask for referrals, you may not receive them. People are often reluctant to ask for a referral from a current or past client; perhaps they’re just embarrassed to pose the question: “I am so happy we’ve been able to help your company with its strategic marketing efforts. Is there someone you know that we might be able to help similarly, maybe a colleague in another market with a business similar to yours?” The conversation needn’t be awkward, and it certainly shouldn’t feel high pressure or “salesy.”

Ask a larger audience:
There are many ways to ask a wide audience. A soft “We appreciate your referrals” message can be a part of a newsletter or monthly email that you send to your database. You can reach non-client referral sources in several ways, including a B2B periodic newsletter sent to referral audiences. Such a piece should educate them about what you do and position your company as a trusted resource for them or their clients, and that you’re ready to receive referrals.

Make a list:
Create a list of your best-fit clients, the ones your team enjoys working with the most, the ones who understand and appreciate what your company does for them. Create an opportunity to have the referral request conversation.

Get everyone involved:
The weight of capturing new business shouldn’t be on one person’s shoulders alone. Building a company culture that includes asking for referrals involves educating your team as to referrals’ importance and having them incorporate referral requests into their work activities, with their contacts and relationships.

Make it a multi-way street:
Yes, ask for referrals, but also share referrals with trusted clients, companies, and individuals. The referral you send to a respected competitor may result in a referral back to you in the future.

Quote of the week:

A referred brand is a preferred brand; and a preferred brand is a referred brand.

Bernard Kelvin Clive

All We Wanted for Christmas

December is traditionally the season of giving. Of course, that doesn’t literally mean a present in-hand. You can help a neighbor or friend in need, make a donation in time or money, or pay a surprise visit to someone near and dear.

In that spirit, I asked our CIM team what gift they received that had the most impact upon them…one they remember or appreciated most. For me, it was a little office desk my Father made for me when I was 7. It was absolutely the best gift ever, as I loved to play office when I was little, so when Santa left this for me, I was in heaven!

•------------ ADRIANA ------------•
Three Christmases ago, someone gave me the best gift I’ve ever received. My great grandmother's recipe book dated 1894. It’s a true treasure for me, the writing, the food… it’s almost like knowing her in person.

•------------ APRIL ------------•
One year for Christmas, when I was around three or four, my parents bought me a monthly subscription to a children’s book club. Each month, I got a new box full of new books to read, which kickstarted my lifelong love of curling up with a good book.

•------------ CLARINDA ------------•
Last year’s (2019) Christmas present was the most memorable gift from my husband. After 4 years of moving to America, he surprised me with plane tickets to Canada so I can be with my family and friends during the holidays!

•------------ DARREN ------------•
Christmas of 1977 and the Atari 2600 gaming console. It was a total surprise (likened to a Christmas morning miracle) and put me on a path to being passionate about all things “technology.”

•------------ DON ------------•
At my 20th high school reunion, my 12th grade English teacher (a master writer and proofreader) approached me and said, “In my 30 years of teaching, I’ve never attended any of my past students’ reunions, but I came tonight to see you.” In that instant, I knew I had made a lasting impression on her, just as she had on me that senior year.

•------------ KAYLA ------------•
The most impactful gift I have received was from my grandparents who invested in savings bonds every Christmas from the year I was born. I now get to use this thoughtful gift towards the down payment of my home.

•------------ KERRY ------------•
The most memorable gift is one that I receive from my dad every year to this day in my stocking. It is a solid silver dollar Liberty coin. It’s so exciting to reach into the toe and find the coin in its plastic pouch perfectly shiny as if it has never been touched. I have over 40 of these coins, which gives away my age! My dad now sends a Liberty silver dollar to my son, as well, which is super special, so now we share that exciting moment each Christmas.

•------------ MELISSA ------------•
While I was studying marketing and graphic design in school, my parents gifted me a Wacom tablet. This impactful gift motivated me to stretch my abilities as I studied design and ignited my passion for hand lettering and calligraphy.

•------------ NAVÉ ------------•
The most memorable gift I received was the act of kindness. Christmas traditions often include gift-giving, baking cookies, choosing the perfect tree, and so on. But one year, lack of funds foiled our Christmas tradition; we weren’t receiving any gifts, not even a tree. With only a few days until Christmas, a friend stopped by and noticed we weren’t in the Christmas spirit; soon after his departure, he returned with a tree in tow, most likely the last tree at our local convenience store. Receiving and trimming our tree made that a Christmas to remember!

•------------ RYAN ------------•
My most memorable gift was waking up on Christmas morning, going downstairs to the living room, and seeing an intricate slot car racetrack setup. Weaving through the coffee table legs and around the tree. That feeling of excitement and joy as I raced my brother and dad will always stick with me.

•------------ SHAYLA ------------•
When I was eight years old I started playing basketball and on Christmas morning I woke up to a brand new pair of Michael Jordan basketball shoes. This was during the Chicago Bulls prime years when everyone wanted to, "Be Like Mike." These shoes furthered my passion for sports and gave me the competitive drive I still carry with me today.

•------------ SONNY ------------•
My most memorable would be the birth of our oldest daughter on the 24th, 26 years ago.

•------------ VICKI ------------•
When I was a kid, my parents got me a Cabbage Patch Kid tricycle for Christmas. It was the most memorable gift I’ve ever received as a child. Every day I would ride around the neighborhood with my big wheels and feel so awesome inside!

Enjoy the rest of 2020 and I wish you a very memorable and blessed holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

Quote of the week:

May no gift be too small to give nor too simple to receive which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied with love.

L.O. Baird

 

We're Thankful For You and...

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, fond memories (and making new ones!), giving thanks, and more. Personally, I have a lot to be thankful for and will enjoy the upcoming holidays to reflect and appreciate. I am particularly thankful for my God-given talents and passion I have for marketing, the love I have for being an entrepreneur and the freedom to live in a country where I can run a business and provide employment for others and help clients do the same.

I asked our team what they are most thankful for (personally or professionally), but with a caveat: They couldn’t say family, friends, health, or their job, because I already know we’re all thankful for those. Here’s what they shared:

I’m thankful for strong coffee, whipped cream, and ice cream keto bars. I’m thankful for family dinners and good yummy food.

I’m thankful for YouTube and online training resources (and patience!) while I try to train my brand new puppy, Valkyrie.

I’m thankful for Amazon Prime & streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.

I am thankful for all those who have made sacrifices to defend and uphold our Constitution so that I may live my life and enjoy freedom.

I am thankful to live in the greatest country in the history of the world.

I’m thankful for my puppy, Whiskey. And the beverage, wine.

I am thankful for snuggles with my son, sunshine and cooler weather, great podcasts like Armchair Expert and How I Built This to entertain me and open my mind as I cycle through the Red Rocks.

I am thankful for my pup, Hudson, a good latte, and Crumbl Cookies.

I am thankful for HOPE, knowing that tomorrow is a new day and anything is possible.

I am thankful for diversity, without it the world would be pretty boring.

I am thankful for my health and my three pups, Butkus, Leo & Sugar.

A wife that keeps me challenged and who lives on the edge each and every day!

I am thankful for the show called “The Masked Singer” with the judge, Ken Jeong, who always makes me laugh, and for music and a cup of green tea!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family…

Quote of the week:

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.

William Arthur Ward

 

Marketing Insights from a Pandemic

There’s so much that could be written about lessons learned this year, many of them as unexpected as COVID-19 itself. I was talking with the CIM team last week about that topic, and the conversation turned to specific marketing lessons learned. Take a minute to reflect on these:

Having strategic, business, and marketing plans is vital, but plans cannot be set in stone. While they serve to keep you focused and on track, it’s critical to be able to flex as the business and competitive landscape shifts. We didn’t just have a shift, the ground fell out from underneath us! In many cases, we learned to reinvent ourselves, our products/services, and our core ways of working. We didn’t just slightly correct course, we pivoted and did 180s and back again!

Having strategic, business and marketing plans is vital.
The human connection is vital.

The human connection is vital. We learned new ways to connect with family, friends, and clients. From simply letting clients know “we’re still open to serve” to announcing operational or service changes, it became more important than ever to communicate, frequently, with our target audiences.

Downturns have their upsides. It has been a strategic time to invest in marketing. Similar to during the Great Recession a little more than a decade ago, media rates dropped significantly and some companies have been able to afford certain advertising opportunities for the first time. Historically, studies have proven that firms that invest in marketing during a downturn (especially while competitors cut back) come out ahead – in brand awareness and business growth – in the years following the downturn.

Downturns have their upsides.
QR codes are making a comeback!

QR codes are making a comeback! Yes, several years back, QR codes hit the scene with a splash, then we saw them start to fade away. However, with most new mobile phones incorporating QR code reader technology within their cameras, coupled with our new “touchless” obsession, we’re seeing QR codes’ resurgence. Enter just about any restaurant, and you’ll see “Scan here to view our menu.”

We’re not done yet. No, we’re still learning and growing and managing to succeed despite all the challenges. I truly hope your efforts are paying off to stay safe and healthy, keep your family, friends, colleagues and clients as your focus, and adjust your business model to ensure continued success.

Quote of the week:

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.

Soren Kierkegaard

Ready For 2021 Reboot!

What a year it has been. Summer’s gone. Cooler temps are finally here. Thanksgiving is around the corner, and December will be filled with holiday activities. That makes now the perfect time to prepare for and lock in an effective 2021 strategic marketing plan and budget.

What’s in it for you? By planning now, you’ll…

  • Avoid entering the new year with no plan, leaving you to only react to opportunities that may appear.
  • Get the whole team on board with where you’re headed, why you’re headed that way and how everyone can contribute to getting there.
  • Save marketing dollars by working with your marketing/PR agency to identify and evaluate the best opportunities (those with the greatest ROI), as well as potentially lock in lower 2020 media rates into 2021.

Investing in planning now will allow you to more fully enjoy the remainder of this year and help ensure a more profitable, more focused, and less stressful 2021. After reading the next few sentences, switch screens on your computer to see your calendar. Block off several hours with others involved in your marketing decision-making process and plan for a review of your business and the competitive landscape.

Now is the time to take the time to work through important questions and begin to develop your strategy for 2021 marketing:

 

We suggest you work through this “reflection and review” as a starting point to nail down a true strategic approach for 2021. If you need help, ask for it! Working with a team like CIM Marketing Partners can put you on a more solid path to growth and prosperity, while at the same time freeing YOU up to focus on what YOU do best (like operationalizing your company’s products and services, and providing superior client service and experiences).

With your plan in place (and the ability to adjust it as needed in our current environment), you’ll experience marketing efforts working behind the scenes to improve profitability and ultimately build the value of your company.

Quote of the week:

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.

Alan Lakein

 

Only 58 Working Days Until Christmas!

We’re getting close to that time of year when many companies reach out to those who mean the most to them: Their clients, their referral sources, and their preferred vendor partners. For some, it means sending a holiday card (physical or e-card) and/or a holiday gift.

If you choose to send a gift,
here are some tips to keep in mind:

Choose a single gift or a collection of smaller items that are meaningful and useful.

You may want to create a theme and follow that, including on the card or in messaging that accompanies the gift.

Many companies create several levels of gifts (with corresponding costs), with perhaps the highest level going to your most significant clients or referral sources, a mid-range gift for moderate-size clients and something nice for others.

We do not recommend over segmenting into too many groups, as this becomes cumbersome and more difficult to orchestrate.

Presentation is important.

Whether hand-delivered or mailed, take time to wrap or package it so it makes a nice impression on the recipient.

 

Your firm logo may or may not have a place.

On sticky notes and low-end pens, sure, your logo is fine. Some of the nicest, longest-lasting and most used items I’ve received over the years do not have logos on them, but you can bet I remember who gave me those items (a leather padfolio or a business travel bag, for example).

 

In advertising, we try to stand out while avoiding the fray, instead showing up when there’s less competition for one’s attention.

After Thanksgiving, you may have noticed your company break room becomes filled with a number of incoming gifts, further blurred by your own extra busyness of the season. That’s why since I started my company in 1996, we’ve been sending holiday cards and gifts each November just before Thanksgiving.

A Note About Food Gifts and COVID

If you’ll be giving food items to a group or an entire office, make sure those items are individually wrapped – forego the whole cake this year, instead opt for individually wrapped or packaged serving sizes. It might increase cost a bit, but this will ensure your holiday treat will be enjoyed by the recipients.

We just entered October, so it’s time to make up your lists and gather your thoughts on how you’ll be touching those you care about and appreciate. If you need any assistance, please reach out.

Quote of the week:

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.

Unknown

 

The Human Spirit

Last weekend, I visited my daughter in Southern California, right in the middle of some of the most stringent COVID restrictions in the country. Businesses are hurting. Their business models destroyed. Layoffs and permanent closures at every turn.

What I didn’t expect, though, was to be inspired. And inspired, I was! At every turn, the human spirit was apparent. Business owners were determined to make the best of it, to stay afloat, to keep their employees employed…to survive.

We walked past a nail salon that couldn’t invite patrons inside. They had set up tables and chairs on the sidewalk, and all the equipment needed to do one’s nails. Extension cords flowed from inside the building. All these temporary “work stations” were fully functional and filled with customers.

Next, we found ourselves looking for a restaurant. This wasn’t easy, as all restaurants in the region are prohibited from serving in their dining rooms. Many have built platforms going from the restaurant buildings out toward the street and placed tables, appropriately spaced, to meet government guidelines. This “new” style of restaurant was everywhere, some operating with tables under tents in parking lots. All of the surviving restaurants seemed to be running at full outdoor capacity. The next available seatings were typically after 9:00 PM… make that reservation! Take a look at the photo. Never did I think I’d be having a meal with my daughter, seated next to a parking meter.

We humans are programmed to be productive, to be successful, to find a way. We find ways to stay alive, to take care of ourselves, our families and those in our lives.

This visit showed the entrepreneurial spirit at its best, and it brought some hope that has sometimes been hard to find in these COVID times. I remain inspired by the human spirit.

Quote of the week:

There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect.

Ronald Reagan