What comes to mind when I say Disney? I can bet you’ll think immediately of the Mickey Mouse ears. Or, when McDonalds is mentioned, the Golden Arches probably pop into your head. Logos are so effective, sometimes the brand name isn’t even on the logo. Some examples include Starbucks and MasterCard. A logo is an extremely powerful marketing tool.

Logos are considered to be a way for brands to communicate in a visual manner with consumers. Brands spend vast amounts of time, money, and effort making sure their logo is perfect for the intended audience. It tells a story, promotes who they are and/or what they believe. A logo can also be used for differentiation among competitors and can be used to give the consumer a certain perception of the brand.

Many components comprise a logo. Font size, type, shape, symbols, and making it memorable are just some of the items to consider. Some logos have gone through some major changes over the years. For example, Pepsi has unveiled many over several decades. It is amazing to see the earliest ones! Compare those to now where the logo doesn’t even use the brand name (just the symbol) and you’ll see what I mean. Or, take a look at the Shell logo. The very first logo will make you wonder how someone thought that was a good idea. However, a few logos have stayed the same for years. In fact, the oldest logo is by Stella Artois and has remained unchanged since 1366.

Some logos have undergone minor changes that made a big difference. The John Deere logo is a good example. Though they changed several parts of the logo over time, one quiet but important change was the deer jumping up instead of down. This is meant to evoke a more positive response from the consumer in a subconscious way. The same goes for the smile on your Amazon logo and the arrow pointing forward on the FedEx logo. (You will see that arrow every time from now on!)

One of my favorite characteristics of a logo is color. Color can do amazing things for a brand. Red is meant to get your brain waves flowing. It is also an appetite stimulant, so that’s why you’ll see red on food packaging. Yellow is happy, green is connected to nature and security, blue means logic, white is purity and black means richness. Purple is associated with authenticity and pink with softness. Brown denotes seriousness. There is a rhyme and reason to many of the color choices you see on logos.

A recent study showcases just how deep color can impact the consumer. The 2011 study surveyed 450 people and asked them to evaluate brands in terms of font and color. It was found that color impacted the likability of the brand. In addition, consumers formed a judgement regarding the personality of the brand. (Brands have personalities just like people: happy, serious, etc.) Finally, color impacted whether or not the consumer was likely to purchase and consume the brand.

But what does logo color mean for women’s golf?

A lot actually. The LPGA logo has had four versions since 1950. The original debuted in 1950, followed by a change in the 1960s, the 1990s, and again in 2007. The 2007 version is still in use. You’ll see it on everything from the official web site to the app to merchandise such as clothing. Within the logo, you’ll see a person wearing a hat/visor sporting a ponytail. The figure looks confident that the shot she just hit was a good one. If you look closer at the logo, you’ll see four colors: red, yellow, green, and blue. The app version includes white due to the background being blue. The LPGA letters are blue or white depending where you are seeing the logo. Since we know that color can impact how the brand is perceived and consumed by the consumer, what does the use of color tell us with this logo?

Before we can fully answer that, we must also take into account the most recent marketing campaign, DriveOn. In my opinion, this campaign is a smart one, as I wrote about recently. The campaign is one of inclusion, strength, and self-belief for all people, not just women and girls. But, does the current logo portray these characteristics?

The 2007 logo was a good one at the time. It is obvious the designer(s) was well-intended and the logo seemed to have been successful. However, with this new era and a new marketing campaign, I question its continued effectiveness. Using numerous colors, which have different subconscious connotations, may be a bit confusing to the consumer. The research study above found that color has a significant impact on how the consumer feels about the brand and ultimately if they will consume it. So, could this logo be re-designed to convey the new DriveOn ideology? Are four colors, a female form and a ponytail the best ways to show what DriveOn is all about? Would there be a better color to convey the LPGA brand personality? What design elements could be changed to show the strength of the LPGA brand and its inclusiveness of all players?

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a great logo speaks volumes.

Reference
Labrecque, L. and Milne, G. (2011). Exciting red and competent blue: the importance of color in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40, 711-727.

Photos
The feature of Minjee Lee and article photo of Alison Lee were both taken by Ben Harpring.