The following has been excerpted from Tony Spaeth’s Identity Works.
When should a CEO choose a wordmark, and when a symbol?
In general, consider a symbol only when:
- Your name is too generic, too long, doesn’t translate well globally, or is hopelessly deficient in personality.
- You need an emblem on the product, as on a car hood, or a sneaker.
- You need to link subsidiaries to the parent and can’t easily use the name. (The Bell symbol served this function for the old AT&T and its operating companies.)
- You have (or can afford) ample media, to teach us what the symbol means.
Choose a wordmark when:
- Your name is reasonably distinctive but not (yet) a household word.
- You want to associate products or subsidiaries with the parent more clearly and directly than a symbol permits.
- Communication funds are limited and should be focused on name recognition.