Primary Logo, Alternative Logos and Submarks Explained
Branding is more than just one logo variation. Brand identity is a system that represents you, your missions and values. Having just one logo – usually called main logo or primary logo, isn’t enough. Having multiple versions of your logo can help uplevel your brand and keep your brand looking consistent across all platforms and media. HOW MANY DIFFERENT LOGO VARIATIONS DOES YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS?
The answer to this question is – it depends. Some businesses might need for example their logos in black and white. What is recommended is having several version of your main logo, in other words, alternative logos and submarks.
WHAT IS A PRIMARY LOGO?
This one is pretty obvious, your primary logo is the main logo you will use for your brand. It is used the most often and on almost everything including your website, business cards, printed materials, signage etc.
WHAT IS AN ALTERNATIVE/ALTERNATE LOGO?
A logo variation is your primary logo rearranged into another format, a modified version of your logo that you use in specific instances: sometimes due to size or to vary your look so you do not have to just “put” your logo on every single thing you do . The point is that your variations are still recognizable and fit within your branding, but give you options to use throughout your content and marketing materials.
WHAT IS SUBMARK?
Submark (similar to the alternative logo) is a simplified version of your main logo, to use it as social media profiles picture, favicon, footer logo, on business stationery or other graphics. Sometimes submarks is a symbol that represents your brand in a minimal way, usually in geometric shapes like circles, rectangles, triangles, squares etc. The arrangement of the components of a logo will help your brand work in different media.
LOGO ELEMENTS
Logo elements can be anything from patterns, textures, icons, or anything else that ties your brand together and is recognizable through your branding. If your primary logo includes an icon, it’s useful to pull it out and use on it’s own as a brand element. An icon is a subtle way to add branding to a graphic that will already be seen in context with your full logo, for example an Instagram post or story graphic. These typically don’t include words or brand names and are usually just an icon, design or pattern that can be used throughout all branding pieces. Elements should be used as a supplement to your branding. Either your main logo or variation should always be used in accompany with the element.
Having the main logo variations is an important step in building a strong visual identity.
How many logo variations do you have for your blog & business?