I want to give you a simple framework and a question to help you build a company logo and slogan that will resonate with your prospects and customers.

Having owned a marketing agency for seven years and worked with hundreds of companies on their logos and slogans, I've gained valuable insight. Currently, as a marketing consultant, I continue to help businesses develop or refine their company names and slogans. This experience has equipped me with a simple way to communicate how to create a logo and slogan that connects with your future customers.

Unless you have millions of dollars to build a brand where people inherently know your company's name, who you serve, and what you offer, here's a simple piece of advice for designing your logo and slogan.

The Key Question

There's one simple question you can ask to determine if your company name and slogan are effective: Between the slogan and the name, does your brand clearly answer:

"What does your company do, and who do they do it for?"

If you've already established a company name, this framework is still helpful. Use your slogan to fill any gaps your company name might have.

Descriptive vs. Creative Company Names

Consider your company name. There are two main types:

1. Descriptive: Clearly states what your company offers.
2. Creative: More fun and imaginative.

I once had a company called Noodlehead Studios. "Noodlehead" was the creative part, while "Studios" could imply various things, like video production or movie studios, making it less specific. We eventually changed the name to Noodlehead Marketing to be more precise. When you heard "Noodlehead Marketing," you immediately knew what we did: marketing.

The Essential Rule

The key idea is that one of your elements—either your company name or your slogan—needs to define what you do and, ideally, who you do it for.

• If your company name isn't descriptive, your slogan needs to fill that gap.
• If your slogan is descriptive, your company name can be more creative.

Between the two, you need to clearly communicate what you do and for whom; otherwise, your business won't last long.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake I see companies make is creating a generic company name with a generic slogan. While it might hold meaning for them, it fails to be descriptive for someone seeing it for the first time. For example, a company name like "Company" with a slogan like "We help people" tells potential customers absolutely nothing.

You need to be descriptive about the type of help you offer and, ideally, who you're helping. The goal is to merge descriptive and fun elements.

• If your slogan is descriptive, your name can be creative.
• If your name is descriptive (e.g., "Atlanta Marketing Company"), your slogan can be fun (e.g., "We bring the magic to your customers"). A creative slogan can communicate your vision or values, while the name tells customers what you do.

Adding Layers of Sophistication

For my company, Noodlehead Marketing, our slogan was "Excellence in design, accountability, and marketing." This communicated our values and what we did (design and marketing). The "accountability" aspect also served as a differentiator.

If you want to get more sophisticated with your slogan, consider including:

• What you do
• Who you do it for
• What differentiates you
• The values you hold

If you can accomplish all of these, you have a solid company brand.

Reviewing Your Brand

Look at your company logo and slogan. Are they missing the descriptive or creative piece?

If so, consider tweaking your slogan. Changing a company name is a significant undertaking if you've been in business for a while.

In most cases, I recommend adjusting or redoing your slogan to create a better pairing. This way, when people repeatedly see your company logo, they'll instantly know what you do and who you do it for.

If you want some coaching help about your brand, shoot me a message and let's talk.