Tips & Talk 26 – What NOT to Do with Your Logo

Hi there.

It's Sue.

And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.

These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and

things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.

If you'd like to submit a topic,

DME, over on Instagram at gift biz unwrapped,

we are going to talk about what you should and should

not be doing with your logo.

It seems pretty obvious,

right? But I think there going to be some things here

that you haven't thought of before you have created your logo,

you've aligned it with the brand and the feel you've selected

the colors that you want,

your not using clip art,

you're using original art and images and everything set,

and you are so proud of your logo.

It is looking exactly how you want it to look now,

where do you do?

Where do you put the logo and what should you more

importantly, even not do with your logo?

That's what we're talking about today.

There are some obvious places where you're going to insert your

logo. You're going to think automatically,

well, I'm going to put it on all the virtuals.

So everywhere you're online,

you're going to replace out any old logo you have,

or if you're brand new in business,

these are all places where you'll want to put your logo,

the website,

all of your social media platforms.

And if you've been in business for a while,

go back and look because you might forget where your logo

is. I just recently changed up my podcast logo this past

summer. Some of you might've been along the journey with me

and helped me actually select that final image for my podcast.

I'm still finding even to this day,

there are some things out there that have my old logo.

And when I happen upon them,

I switch them up.

So try and find all the specific areas where you had

another logo and switch it out.

Another place that you're going to want to switch out your

logo is your email footer.

And if you're not using your logo in the footer of

your email,

this would be a time then to add that in even

your personal emails,

I would suggest that you put your logo in because there

are people who are friends or people that you'll interact with,

who may not know about your business.

What if you reconnect with a high school friend from years

past, and now you're communicating via email.

They may not know what you're doing and they could potentially

be a customer.

So don't forget those email footers.

Also, of course,

you're going to change your product labels.

Now, what do you do with product that's already labeled?

And it's the old label,

depending on how much you have.

It's a judgment call.

If you have just a little inventory left,

then go ahead and leave it and sell out of it.

Obviously that's the first that would go.

But if you have a lot of inventory,

then you may want to relabel it.

Even if your doesn't expire,

you don't want it to look like it's old.

The other thing you want to look at is anywhere where

you're in person.

If you do craft shows,

that would be the show banners,

business cards.

Definitely. You're going to want to switch up.

And honestly,

you can do those right away.

Seriously on Vista print.

What is it?

$20 for 250 cards.

And then any brochures also switch them up.

I'm going to say all of this is pretty obvious.

Now we're going to get into another level.

And this is wholesale.

If you're out at shows because you're placing product in other

stores, we give out pens or other types of things,

you know,

little chotchkies,

if you will,

those you're going to want to update immediately because remember your

logo is how people recognize your business.

If there's a disconnect there,

they may question your brand.

If you're out at shows or in a shop,

how about staff shirts,

putting your logo on t-shirts or even nicer shirts and having

your staff wear them,

maybe not all the time,

but for some occasions also,

if you're in a position and you have a business where

you're attracting corporate customers.

So my gift basket folks out there,

if you're presenting to corporations,

this may be a place where you would want to show

them a logoed mug.

So you're using your logo,

but you're also showing them what is possible for them,

because you can put their logos on their own mugs,

to their customers.

Okay? These are all places where if you have a brand

new logo,

places to check where you're going to switch things out.

Now it's move into something that you might not have ever

considered before.

And this is where you should not have your logo,

holiday gifts.

Okay? And you might say,

wait, I have all these mugs.

They're so cute.

They've got my logo.

Everyone's going to love them.

I'm going to send them out.

It's promoting your brand.

It's not necessarily thanking them for their business.

Okay. It's just,

it almost feels like it's another way for you to sell

them. Larger brands can do this easier.

I mean,

if you think of some of the brands that you follow,

maybe you have a water bottle that's from Nike because you

work out a lot.

You like what they stand for.

You've been following them.

And so by nature and attaching yourself with a Nike brand,

you're attaching yourself to everything that they are,

same thing with a charity that you support.

And you have a shirt that has the charity name on

it. You are associating yourself with that charity because you deeply

believe in what they stand for.

This is kind of a judgment call for you.

But if your small business is known enough,

and there are customers of yours who will attach with what

you stand for and the,

then maybe you do put it on shirts and send it

out. Think about this a little bit and what the impact

is of your customer.

Who's going to be receiving it.

And if this is as a gift,

thanking them for their business and it's not more of the

product you already know they're buying from you.

Then I would rethink exactly whether you want to send them

logoed product.

Now with everything,

there's a way to switch this up a little bit so

that it can work for you.

If you have a logo,

that is an image.

So for me,

I'm the podcast.

And over here on gift biz,

you know,

I have that yellow flower.

It's one thing.

If I put that yellow flower on a mug,

and then it just says,

gift biz on wrapped,

okay. Cause what am I doing?

I'm promoting my podcast and gift biz on wrapped.

But if I had that flower,

I put it on a mug and then a put some

type of a motivational quote that is uplifting.

It aligns with the brand and it would mean something to

my customers.

Then it wouldn't feel so self-serving oh,

drink from this mug because it's my podcast.

It's drink from this mug because I'm giving you a message

that I hope will help you along with your day.

And by the way,

the logo is still there.

That image portion.

So subtly,

it aligns back to my brand.

This would be one way to incorporate your logo where it

doesn't seem so self-serving and where your customer will probably use

that product.

A second way to do this is to offer as a

gift, a complimentary product fact that has your logo on it.

And what I mean by this,

let's say you're a jewelry maker.

You get the small jewelry box.

So you're going giving them a gift that is in conjunction

with the product,

but it's not just shouting your company.

Another example would be maybe you do some courses online where

you're teaching your craft.

So then people are naturally using their computer or their phone.

When they're interacting with you and your business,

then a computer cloth could be in alignment and you can

put your logo there.

Then another idea,

if you're a candle maker,

what about the candle?

Snuffers those could be really cute also to then add your

logo to,

you know,

it's coming from you,

but they're using it in conjunction with a product that they've

purchased when you're doing it in that manner.

It makes apple salute sense.

And it's fine to use your logo on those products as

a gift,

because it's still utilitarian.

If you will combines with your brand,

but it's not shouting that it's a self-serving gift.

The whole problem with that again is here.

Supposedly you're giving a gift out to somebody,

but really it's promotional.

And it feels like you're just saying buy more from me,

buy more from me.

In summary,

when you have a new logo,

you do want to shout it to the world because it's

such a powerful identifier.

There are places to use it,

and there are places not to use it.

The places to automatically right away,

put up your logo,

all your virtual platforms.

So website,

social media sites also put it on your email,

footers, switch out your product labels,

or get rid of old product with the old label and

then use the new product with a new label.

Of course,

at craft shows,

banners, and he displays that you have,

that are logoed in your booth,

any brochures,

business cards.

And then the next level,

if you're up into wholesale,

what about any items that you have at the booth for

them to take away?

So pens,

magnets, stickers,

all those types of things that you have as giveaways.

Of course.

How about staff t-shirts and then if you're going into corporate

people, mugs using your logo,

showing them what's possible for them to incorporate their logo for

their customers.

The place not to do it is holiday gifts.

When you're thanking people for their business,

because by you giving them a product that has your logo

on it,

it feels very self-serving and promotional.

So all of that effort in creating that gift for them

is deflated.

I'm not going to say that they're not going to like

it, but it's deflated.

And we've just gone through ways where you can switch that

up. You can put your logo,

but put us message that resonates with them.

So it's more about them than you or sending a product

that has your logo that is complimentary to a product that

you already sell.

So they can use it in conjunction.

My examples were jewelry boxes,

cleaning cloths.

And then of course like a tool for snuffing handles.

You know,

I had to get the candle thing in there somewhere along

the way,

right? And by doing this,

you're using that powerful tool that you have of your logo

as an identifier for your brand.

And it is so impactful.

So powerful.

You become so memorable when you do it,

right. That's a wrap.

I'm a get to the point kind of girl.

And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek

sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream

of yours,

share your handmade products with us.

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