When brands are in the process of a logo design, testing the logo in specific ways before you make your final decision can prove to be immensely valuable. Your logo design is one of the most recognized elements of your brand so it needs to represent your organization and stand out among your competitors. When you consider the cost of your digital presence, print and all of the collateral materials the logo will be applied to, it’s critical to get things right.
Considering the investment in the new logo, it’s worth it to get unbiased opinions.
Often when we are designing a new logo or refreshing an existing one, our clients will ask us if there are different ways of testing a logo to improve performance. There are and I’d like to share those ideas with you. The tests, or surveys, vary in the commitment of time, effort and cost so you can decide which test, or tests, will be best for your company.
Why Test Your Logo?
There are several reasons you may want to test your logo, including to help make a final decision or prove that a logo decision is the correct one. Here’s a common scenario: a company is investing in a brand refresh which includes updating an existing logo. Two excellent logo designs have been presented and the key decision makers cannot agree on which logo is best for the brand. Putting egos aside, a logo test that is given to a larger audience can validate a choice as well as provide information that could lead to an even better logo. Considering the investment in the new logo, it’s worth it to get unbiased opinions.
Important Things to Consider Before You Start Your Logo Test
Coming to a determination of which logo design is best should be more than just asking “Which logo do you like better?” Here’s how to prepare your logo test to achieve the best results:
- Preface the test with a detailed scenario of your target demographics.
- Ask several questions about the logo options, providing at least one fill-in-the-blank opportunity.
- Configure the test to be unbiased to assure it’s not prompting a specific response.
- Design the test to look professional so that it provides a suitable platform upon which to compare quality logo designs.
- Survey the most relevant audience.
- Get your point across quickly and keep the test brief.
What are the different logo tests that are available?
There are several varieties of logo tests including guerrilla, strategic, and extensive. There’s even the Piccolino test! These tests are defined based on your budget and time restrictions. Whether you are the decision maker, part of the leadership team or board, or a member of the marketing team, testing a logo design is always a good idea.
The Guerrilla Logo Test
Sometimes we don’t have budgetary dollars for elaborate logo tests. The good news is simple surveys can be created in minutes for no cost. Emailing a pdf along with some questions to your most trusted friends or professionals is easy enough to get done in short time. You could also create a social media post and ask for comments or preference of a logo design (I’ve seen people do this on LinkedIn a bunch of times). The guerrilla logo test process can elicit knee-jerk reactions so preface the scenario as succinctly as possible. Remember that these are people who likely know you and they may not want to hurt your feelings with 100% honest, unbiased feedback.
The Strategic Logo Test
For organizations that are willing to invest anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars testing a logo, a strategic test can prove to be fruitful. By surveying the most relevant people who are similar to your audience you can get a real sense of acceptance and impact. For strategic tests, the more narrow the demographic the higher the cost. In addition, costs will also rise or fall depending on how much time the test takes as well as how many responses you require.
At Trillion, we prefer using web-based platforms that can yield data very, very quickly. You determine the audience (location, gender, age range, education level, employment status, and more), the questions, and how many responses to collect. The style of questions and the artwork will need to be formatted for participants to respond to. At the completion of the test, all of the data is neatly organized into a spreadsheet for analysis.
Here are a few questions we have asked on a past logo test:
- Which logo do you think is more visually impactful?
- Which logo do you think is more unique?
- Which logo do you think stands out the most in this group of logos?
- Which logo gives you the sense of dependability?
- Why did you choose the logo?
Among the reasons why we prefer the Strategic Logo Test is that you can quickly obtain commentary and reactions to the logo design options from a specific demographic of users who will offer unbiased opinions. This process can represent your immediate customers or constituents without inconveniencing them, confusing them or revealing confidential information.
The Piccolino Logo Test
I came up with the Piccolino Test a while back as a means to ensure your logo can be used in small applications. Piccolino is Italian for “tiny” and my article “Does Your Brand’s Logo Pass the ‘Piccolino Test’,” explains why it’s important for your logo to be clear and simple enough to be reduced to even the smallest of sizes. One take-away in the article is that if you cannot reduce your logo smaller than two inches and still have everything remain clear, it’s likely your logo is overly complex. With all of the small uses of logos in social media and digital applications, I encourage you to read the article.
The Extensive Logo Test
If your logo will be used extensively on products and more heavily monetized, you will likely expand the level of testing for your logo, including in-person focus groups and more. You might begin with what’s included in our Strategic Logo Test but then move forward with slight variations in your testing. The slight variations can include color and typography as well as the sizing of elements within the logo or how a tagline is incorporated with the logo. Additional logo testing can include how it is featured on packaging mock-ups and marketing materials as well.
Trillion Helps with Logo Design and Testing
The testing of a logo has varied costs that begin at free and extend to more complex surveys that can cost many thousands of dollars. When hiring Trillion to develop a brand identity and logo design, testing is something we can help implement. If you have any questions about the logo testing process and how it can help your brand, please give us a call at 908.219.4703 or complete our simple contact form and one of our partners will reach out to you promptly.
