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Insights on Brand Strategy
How Flexible Is Your Logo?

Andy Brenits

Principal, Brenits Creative

An advantage of marketing a small business is the flexibility to try new strategies to grow your business. Though you may be flexible enough to try new marketing tactics to grow your business is your logo?
Brenits Creative Logo and Tagline above image of a forrest canoy

How Flexible Is Your Logo?

An advantage of marketing a small business is the flexibility to try new strategies to grow your business. Because they have a direct relationship with both the product and customer, small business entrepreneurs are able to quickly analyze what strategies are or are not working and adjust accordingly. This is especially an advantage in digital marketing, where a businesses willingness to try something new can be a significant competitive advantage for reaching new customers in meaningful ways.
Though you may be flexible enough to try new marketing tactics to grow your business is your logo? Take a look at the checklist below to see if your logo is ready to move as quickly as you are:

Your logo is legible at any size

Image Courtesy of LinkedIn
Do any of the elements on your logo become less legible at different sizes? Some logos that look good on your computer screen are a little harder to read when shrunk to fit on the side of a pen or in an app icon. Print out your logo at various sizes to test the limits of your current logo design so that you’re prepared for any promotional opportunity.

Your logo works on any background

Image Courtesy of OpenTable
A logo that looks good on a light background may be impossible to read on a dark one, so most brands create multiple versions of their logo for these purposes. Try placing your logo on various backgrounds to make sure it is ready to be placed in a variety of locations.

Your logo is still effective in one color

Image Courtesy of Medium
Most business owners will run into a situation where they need to display their logo in only one color, whether this is due to the limitations of the printing method or even budgeting. It is important to have a logo that doesn’t rely on color to distinguish different elements of the design so that the brand’s identity remains intact even when one color is used.

Your logo fits in any format

Image Courtesy of Google
It’s almost impossible to design a logo that is the perfect shape for every situation, so brands often create two different versions of the logo: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal logo, which is considered the “standard” format, can be used on anything from web banners to promotional pens while a vertical or “stacked” version can be used on signage and social media avatars.

Your logo can be printed on different mediums

Though it may be tempting to use complicated images, gradients, and effects on a logo that look great on a computer screen, it is important for a business owner to remember that their logo should be usable in the physical world just as much as the digital. Overly complex designs do not translate well to some mediums like apparel embroidery and sign printing which are great mediums for increasing brand awareness.

Flexible Branding

Though it may be tempting to use complicated images, gradients, and effects on a logo that look great on a computer screen, it is important for a business owner to remember that their logo should be usable in the physical world just as much as the digital. Overly complex designs do not translate well to some mediums like apparel embroidery and sign printing which are great mediums for increasing brand awareness.

You don’t have to start from scratch! Existing brands may be able to utilize their current logo to create alternate versions or we may just need to simplify the existing logos. In the situation where we may need to start fresh, the existing branding is a great starting point to create something new that is still true to the brand.

If you are just starting your business, you’re in luck! Just make sure that you get all the necessary variations designed from the beginning. By thinking ahead about all your branding needs and getting a truly flexible logo for your company, your branding can be just as agile as your marketing strategy.
If you need help creating variations of your current logo, or need to create a flexible logo from scratch, we can help. Just give us a call.

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I’m Andy Brenits, a brand and business growth strategy advisor. I work with business owners and leaders who want clearer thinking around brand, marketing, and growth—before time, money, or momentum are wasted.

My perspective is shaped by nearly 30 years of experience across brand strategy, creative leadership, teaching, and in-house roles inside complex organizations. I write about how strategy actually works in the real world, with a focus on clarity, judgment, and better decision-making over tactics or trends.

These insights are for people responsible for meaningful decisions and long-term outcomes, building thoughtful brands and sustainable businesses one clear move at a time.

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