When you look at the logos of well established companies, you can recognize them instantly. In some cases, you don’t even have to read them fully. Consumers are able to instantaneously grasp the style, because all of the branding efforts over the years have tied the company to that logo.
This is why many of the best logos are the simplest ones. Companies like Disney, Coca-Cola and Google all just use their names in their own stylized fonts. It does not get simpler than that. For Apple, they use an image: A silver apple — minus one bite. While not quite as simple as using just their company name, it’s the same basic idea. If you see that logo on a product, you know what company made it and what quality to expect from it.
Now think about something like the Coca-Cola logo. You’d recognize the script font style anywhere. Making it bright red just adds to the eye-catching nature. If you see a truck go by with that logo, you know what it says before you fully read it. If you see someone wearing shoes with a checkmark logo, you’ll instantly know the product is made by Nike.
Brand recognition is one reason why intellectual property is so important and why theft is so problematic. A company that steals the same logo style can trick consumers into thinking it’s real because people react instinctively. Consumers may not read closely to find out that the product is fake. This can also dilute that original brand if the copy cats sell sub-par products, as people may accidentally start to distrust the real brand – even though the original brand had nothing to do with those counterfeit products.
While branding can be simple, IP theft is complex. Make sure you know what options you have if this happens to you.