When people think of a “brand,” many will think of just a logo. This, however, is a common misconception. A brand is NOT a logo. A logo is just one piece of the puzzle that makes up a brand.
Some may also think that a business only needs one logo to represent their brand, but will quickly realize that other versions are needed when trying to implement the brand to different mediums.
Therefore, if you want your business to show up and stand out against the endless sea of competitors, you will need a Logo Suite.
What is a Logo Suite, you may ask? Well, a Logo Suite is a group of four logo variations that allows you to use your brand across different platforms or collateral (whether that’s social media, website, print, etc.). These variations, however, are not drastically different in visual design for each logo. They still resemble each other and have similar elements, but are different enough to be used in certain cases that another logo cannot work in.
For example, let’s say that you only have one large, horizontal logo. Will that work as a profile image on your business social media pages? Or what about a lapel pin?
What if you only have a small, circular logo? What would you use on your website’s header or a storefront sign?
Having a Logo Suite will give your business a competitive edge by having the versatility to show up consistently, and recognizably, across different platforms.
Let’s break down these different logo variations in a Logo Suite.
The 4 Logo Variations in a Logo Suite
01. PRIMARY LOGO
A Primary Logo is your main logo that you will use across nearly every medium when possible. It will typically include your business name and any taglines, visual elements, or icons. All other logos will stem from this design.
Placement: Desktop website header, storefront signs, large print collateral, etc.
02. SECONDARY LOGO
Sometimes, if you would draw a box around your logo, it may be a vertical or horizontal rectangle. And there are times that a certain orientation will not work in a specific place—like a vertical logo will not fit well within a website’s header.
A Secondary Logo takes all the visual elements of the Primary Logo and rearranges them into another orientation so that it is more compact and you can use in those tight spots.
Placement: Desktop website header, business cards, invoices, etc.
03. SUBMARK
Submarks (also known as logo submarks, brand marks, and alternate marks) are a more simplified version of your Primary Logo that is typically used on a smaller scale. Think of it as an extension of your main logo with it taking the most unique or important parts.
Sometimes a Submark may include the full business name and/or a visual element. If the Submark only uses the brand’s initials, it is often known as a lettermark.
This logo variation is able to fit in small, condensed areas where the larger Primary and Secondary Logos cannot.
Placement: Social media profile images, Instagram highlight covers, watermark on social posts, website footer, mobile website header, small print assets, etc.
04. LOGO MARK
A Logo Mark is an even more simplified version of a Submark, and typically just contains a single icon to express your brand. This logo is used in even smaller spaces that your Submark cannot fit in.
This logo variation often goes unnoticed until it’s missing. Having a Logo Mark provides the final touches to your brand by giving more consistency and professionalism.
Placement: Favicon (on desktop, it’s the image in the far left corner of a tab), also in Instagram highlight covers, bullet points, and so much more!
Bonus: Logo Files
To ensure success, each business needs an entire Logo Suite. Nothing sucks more than trying to create a social post, print ad, or merchandise and realizing that the logo you have will not fit within the desired space or is sooooo small that it is unrecognizable nor readable.
It is also important, while preparing such products, to acknowledge that one would need each of their logos in quality files of different colors for both print and web. So while you are looking at what your brand currently has, here is a basic checklist of all the logo files you need for all possible future uses:
Each logo variation in the following colors: Main brand colors, solid versions in each of your main brand colors (e.g., all blue or all yellow), all white, and all black.
Having each logo in the above color variations available in both RGB (web) and CMYK (print).
Exports/files of each of colored logo in both RGB and CMYK available in SVG, EPS, PDF, PNG, JPEG.
Your Logo Suite Recap
In summary, a Logo Suite is a crucial component to any business that allows flexibility and the availability to use your brand in any situation. The four logo variations in a Logo Suite are:
Primary Logo
Secondary Logo(s)
Submark
Logo Mark
Every business needs a well-rounded and holistic identity rooted in brand strategy—not just a single logo. Having these logo variations will set you up for success for all possible marketing and consumer interaction needs—for both print and digital!
If you currently do not have an entire Logo Suite, and are struggling to share your brand across different mediums (and thus potentially not making meaningful connections with your target audience), please reach out to me. I LOVE to make big, impactful changes for small businesses so that they can in turn focus on making their own impact. Simply inquire here and I can use my design magic to transform your brand and business!
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