Importance of Logo Variations Every Brand Needs to Know

Have you ever thought of a brand just after seeing its logo? Well, most of us have done that. Some brands can be easily recognized just after seeing a specific element of their logo, such as the center icon; take the example of Starbucks. This is how important a logo is for a brand, but it should be noted that having a single brand logo is not enough. The logo that is generally used by a brand is termed the primary logo of a brand. There are instances where brands need varied logos. However, that doesn’t mean that brands need to come up with a different logo.

Slight modifications in the primary logo are used to generate secondary logos that are used in a variety of places where the primary logo is unable to fit. These secondary logos are also known as logo variations, and they are quite important for brands, just like their primary logos. We have put together some useful details about logo variations that will help you understand what logo variations are and why they are important for brands. Further details are given below:   

What is a Logo Variation?

Simply put, a logo variation can be defined as the slightly modified version of the primary logo of a brand that is obtained by changing the color palette, rotating it, or simply using the main element of your logo. For instance, you may need to use a stacked up or vertical format of your primary logo because of limited space. Sometimes, you may need to change the color palette of your logo to make sure that your brand looks different from the color that is in the background.

The main purpose of these variations is to provide your brand with flexible yet recognizable visual assets to ensure consistency throughout all the mediums and platforms. Generally, these variations are created along with the primary logo of a brand by designers.

Note:  If you have created a logo on your own by using a logo maker, then you can use the same tool to generate its color variations. It should be noted that you can easily find a free logo maker online for this purpose. Such a tool offers you a vector format of logos, which can be easily stacked up to fit tighter places.

Types of Logo Variations and Their Uses

Here we will discuss various types of logo variations a brand needs and their uses to help you understand their importance. Read on to know more:

Secondary Logo

This kind of variation looks quite similar to the primary logo, with the only exception being the change in its layout. For instance, if the primary logo comes with a horizontal layout, the secondary logo will be in the vertical layout or vice versa. Such a logo is used in the space where the primary logo may look like a misfit. Take the example of a banner ad where you need a prominent logo, but your logo is in a vertical layout, which will take very less space on the banner ad. Moreover, it will not be as prominent as you desire.

You can overcome this issue by using the secondary logo of your brand that is in a horizontal layout. Similarly, if you want your logo to fit a tighter place like a business card or mobile app, the vertical layout of your logo will look great in such a place. If your brand’s primary logo is in a horizontal layout, then you can use the secondary logo with the vertical layout in its place.  

Submark

Another logo variation is the Submark of your logo, which is generally a less detailed version of your primary logo. This variation is used in places where you simply need to give an idea to the audience that the visual content or printed material with your particular Submark is the property of your brand.

The Submark can be used as a watermark on videos and pictures released by your brand for promotion purposes. Additionally, garment brands can use Submarks on their merchandise to make people aware of their products. Some brands may use it as their website or email footers and podcast covers as well.  

Reversed Color

In this kind of logo variation, brands simply change one or two colors featured in their primary logo. Such logo variations are used to show solidarity with a community or reflect celebrations of an event. For instance, many brands change the background colors of their logos to pink to show solidarity with women struggling against breast cancer.

Similarly, other brands come up with a black background and white elements to celebrate the “Black Friday.” Moreover, you may see some brands changing the colors of their logos on Christmas, New Year, and Easter as well.

Elements

This kind of logo variation simply includes the main element of your brand’s logo. For instance, if your brand deals in tires for automobiles and related accessories, you have the main element of your logo as a tire; you can simply separate it from the rest of the logo to create a variation.

End Words! 

Having a single logo is not sufficient for your brand; you may need several logo variations to ensure the recognizable visualization of your brand. A logo maker that provides you with vector logo visuals can fit your needs. Additionally, you can ask logo designers to create variations of your primary logo as well. We have discussed the most used logo variations above to help you understand their importance. We hope these details will be helpful for you in maintaining visual flexibility in your brand’s logo.