I recently posted a question on LinkedIn asking what companies paid for their logos. At first I only got responses from other graphic designers…Then I posed the same question to small businesses:
Here’s a typical response from a designer:
“The short answer is anywhere between $5,000 and $50,000 for my clients who are looking for a true brandmark.”
The long answer is much more interesting . . .
“Creating a logo is more than just coming up with a stand-alone graphical device to use on collateral. There are many elements that must be taken into consideration, and therefore a significant amount of time to develop a true brandmark for a client.”
And from a small business:
“I used CrowdSpring – it cost me less than $400 for logo, stationary and business card designs. The best part is I had 89 designs to pick from. This solution will turn the industry on it’s ear.”
It was amazing how the two sides are so far off. I’m sure designers all over the world are offended by the CrowdSpring guy, but he didn’t want to shell out $5K for a logo. These two side will never agree, so they will never work together. I’m sure that’s fine for both sides.
Designers should learn to listen to the needs of business and not focus solely on maintaining our professional status. As technology advances and globalization continues, small companies will have more options for logos. It isn’t a choice between nothing or paying a design firm $5K…There are in-between options that may solve their needs.
