£75 Dental Logo From The Internet?

It’s probably time to re-consider your brand investment….

More often than you might imagine, we have new dental website clients get in touch who already have a logo they’d like us to use with their project. Whilst some of these logos are designed by professional graphic designers, many aren’t and are a combination of DIY productions or “cheap and cheerful” creations made by their local copy shop or a generic internet service.

Whilst it’s understandable that people want best value from their investments, skimping on a logo really isn’t a good idea and you may come to regret it if you do. Sadly we see this quite regularly and there are a number of pitfalls you will likely experience if and when you realise that your logo isn’t actually serving its intended purpose. It is worth remembering that your logo is the fundamental foundation of your brand identity and you build everything upon it – so changes down the track can be pretty horrendous if you get it wrong. Here are just a few examples:

• signage changes – this can be extremely expensive!
• practice stationery obsolete
• promotional material obsolete
• all of your web assets need updating and possibly re-designing

Perhaps worse than all of the above is that the fundamental function for your logo has been undermined i.e. the familiarity is gone and people simply get confused when you launch the new version. None of these issues are insurmountable, but much of it can be avoided if you get it right first time.

Features of a great dental logo

So what sets a good logo apart from a bad one? Or even a mediocre one? Here’s a list of the most important features to consider:

• memorable – the prime function of a logo is that people should remember it and associate it with your dental brand whenever they see it.
• bespoke – uniqueness will help to differentiate from your competitors; this is very important in the increasingly competitive dental market. Too many people, and indeed designers, take a stock logo and just tweak it.
• do you really need a tooth logo? It still surprises us just how many dentists ask for a tooth in their logo, but that does get a bit cheesy and the best examples avoid this throwback all together.
• consider how your logo will look on a wide range of media, from the wall outside the practice to your website. Also think how it will look when small e.g. on a mobile ‘phone screen.
• make sure your designer offers several concept designs and iterations within the fee.
• ensure your designer provides a full file pack with the finished project. For example, all too often we are provided with a low-resolution jpeg image file which is of no use for many applications. You will need a vector version of your logo for signage and print work.
• make sure your logo is designed in a mainstream design tool so that it is portable and acceptable for use by others, e.g. your printer. If you approach us with a logo created in Microsoft paint or similar, it is likely that we will need to re-create it using a professional tool.
• don’t go too fussy, particularly when it comes to strap lines which accompany the logo. Often we are asked to include text such as “Trumpton and Chigley Centre of Excellence For Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry and Implants” which starts to get a bit silly as simply it’s way too long. The same goes for ornate logo features which become pointless in small form.
• Don’t get too hung up on a logo which tries to convey a particular meaning – great if you can achieve this but so few do, even when you think you have!

What does professional logo development cost?

Creating a great logo is time-consuming, often requiring a range of concepts and then iteration to a final design. This can take many hours to achieve together with a lot of interaction between the designer and dentist. As such, you should expect to pay hundreds and not tens of pounds for a professional service from highly trained graphic designers. To give an idea for budget purposes, here at Dental Media we offer pro logo design for dentists starting at £495 + vat. All of the features above are included, including concepts, iterations and full file pack.

Summary

Your dental logo is a real cornerstone for your business and absolutely critical for helping to establish your brand. As we’ve seen above, the consequences of getting your logo wrong can be very significant and expensive, so it really does pay to invest appropriately to get it right first time. If you’d like some help, please get in touch with the graphics team at Dental Media on 01332 672548 and we’ll be pleased to discuss your requirements.