William Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet.” But Shakespeare wasn’t trying to sell roses when he wrote Romeo and Juliet. Because if he were, he would know that branding is everything—your business or product’s name, its packaging colors, logo, fonts—they all impact a buyer’s decision.
Don’t believe me? Pay attention to the bottles you gravitate to the next time you’re in the wine aisle of your local liquor store, looking for something new. Are they the bottles you find “ugly?” Or are they the bottles that boast labels that reflect what you look for in a wine, bottles that you find attractive?
A strong wine label starts with carefully planned out branding— the winery’s logo, their font choice, substrate, and the overall look and feel of their marketing. So, before we go any further, grab a glass of your favorite vino—or a cup of your favorite coffee, if it’s too early for you—and let’s talk about branding—starting with the logo.
Crafting the Centerpiece of Branding — a Logo
A logo is usually the first step in the developing visual branding process. What’s in a logo? The creation of a memorable and versatile logo requires far more creativity than your cousin who has dabbled with Photoshop is probably capable of. To develop a logo that effectively communicates who your brand is, you need an expert in branding.
For the development of the concept4 logo, we turned to our Creative Director Mark Raebel. Raebel has over 26 years of experience and has worked with big brands the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney, MTV, Paramount Pictures, and more. He and I have also known each other for many years, so he has a great understanding of who I am and the values that are important to me both personally and professionally. There was no one better to work with to develop the creative face of concept4.
Elements of the concept4 Logo
A logo is typically made up of the logo mark and the logotype—which when combined can be called a “full brand mark.” I had many conversations with Mark about the creation of these elements for concept4 as we went through many rounds of revisions. We ultimately landed on the following:
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| Logo Mark or “Icon” | Logotype | Full Brand Mark |
While these elements may seem simple and straightforward, there were a lot of careful considerations and purposeful decisions made by Mark from the font used, the colors chosen, and the choice to place the logo inside a circle. I recently sat down with him again to talk about these decisions and his inspiration while crafting the concept4 logo.
“I think our brand mark—everything together—is pretty identifiable. You don’t forget who it is,” Mark begins. “There’s nothing to question. It is ‘C’ and ‘4’ and a circle and the whole thing is concept4.”
Finding Inspiration in History
If you ever find yourself having a conversation with Mark about design, one thing is clear—he is very influenced by design throughout history. “You have to know that I am very interested in design and where design comes from,” Mark says. He draws upon a vast knowledge of design inspiration dating back to pre-World War I Europe. Bet you didn’t think our conversation was going to wade into world history, did you?
Shields & Roundels
A “shield” has been used for centuries as a way for different European clans to identify themselves to their kinfolk and other clans. According to Mark, many of the large cities throughout Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and the like still use these shields to represent themselves—a city logo, to put it in a modern parlance.
During World War II, the Allies evoked this method of self-identification as they placed “roundels” on the side of their warplanes to identify from which country’s Air Force they hailed. It won’t surprise you to know that these roundels were, well, round. This idea of self-identification within a round shape provides part of the impetus for the concept4 logo.
“The C4 icon is our shield,” states Mark. “It is what we stand behind. It protects us and all those who stand with us.”
“The C4 icon is our shield,” states Mark. “It is what we stand behind. It protects us and all those who stand with us.”
Using Circles to Build Trust
Circles have also been used by many brands throughout history to demonstrate trustworthiness—and for good reason. Angular and pointed shapes have a way of triggering a ‘danger’ response in our brains. So keeping to circular or oval shapes work to create a sense of safety, trust, and approachability—important feelings to evoke when a brand is first starting out and is looking to make a positive first impression.
For this reason, circles have staying power. “A circle, after all, is without beginning and without end… timeless,” says Mark.
Focusing on Clear and Unambiguous Communication
Almost every element of the concept4 logo needed to be straightforward and highlight our commitment to honest and clear communication. That’s why the font Mark chose for our logotype—DIN 1451—is so bold (so bold it’s black, in fact).
“Our logotype conveys our no-nonsense targeted approach to messaging,” he says. “It is unambiguous, precise and accurate.”
The font family itself is over 120 years old, trusted in design for over a century. “It is simple, without unnecessary ornaments, and, most importantly, it is very legible—a critical element for effective communication,” adds Mark.
Evoking Powerful Feelings through Use of Color
The typeface of our logotype is not where the boldness stops. It’s no accident that the logomark shortens the concept4 name to “C4.” The color palette needed to be just as bold—just as explosive. It needed to stand out.
“Orange is not only the color of pumpkins and citrus fruit but that of revolutionaries and of the future!” says Mark. Orange evokes defiance of the status quo as well as feelings of hopeful new beginnings and the courage to have bold aspirations.
“Orange is not only the color of pumpkins and citrus fruit but that of revolutionaries and of the future!” says Mark.
Orange is so bold that it can stand alone. “We combined it with the charcoal, which gives it—pardon the pun—a clean slate to bounce off of,” he continues, though he acknowledges the need for versatility in a brand’s color palette.
“Orange will always be our color. Our secondary color is the charcoal. But we’ve also come up with a secondary and a tertiary color palette so that we can utilize our logo in any environment.”
Seeking Out “Happy Accidents”
While the overall goal was to deliver a clear and straightforward logo—one whose simplicity and boldness was its strength—other attributes we embrace at concept4 are creativity and cleverness. That’s precisely what Mark delivered when he “found” the speech bubble.
Mark considers the speech bubble “a happy accident” — but one that he sought out.
“The creative process started with the combination of ‘C’ and ‘4’ to discover what the positive and negative spatial relationships might be produced visually,” he explains. It wasn’t immediately apparent, either. It wasn’t until after a few rounds of edits that he saw the speech bubble emerge.
When I asked him about the significance of “happy accidents” in his design process, he responded, “I think some of the most memorable logos I’ve come up with have been exactly that.” Who am I to argue with a creative process that consistently delivers?
Continuing the Branding Process
Like I mentioned earlier, a brand name and a logo don’t make a complete and strong brand—but they are important first steps. An effective logo is the cornerstone for a strong brand. A strong brand is essential for effective marketing.
We are confident that by putting in the time, effort, consideration—and many rounds revisions—into our logo we are setting ourselves up for success in the long term. As we continue to build out our branding elements, we will have a sturdy foundation on which to build our website and ancillary marketing materials.
Need help developing your business’ brand?
If it has become apparent to you, as you’ve read this article and sipped on your glass of wine (or coffee), that your business’ brand could be stronger— don’t worry. I have a passion for branding projects, and Mark, the team, and I would love to help you develop your business’ logo and brand. Just reach out here, on LinkedIn, or send me an email at [email protected].
