Often creating an acronym is a go-to thing to do when your company has a long name, or it’s too hard to pronounce. I find that so many companies resort to abbreviating their name. I have to say, I’m not a huge fan for quite a few reasons.
Let’s look at the pros and cons:
Acronym PROs
It’s short and simple.
Easy to read small.
Makes a long name short.
Easy to design.
Can often save time which can also save money.
Typically the design focuses on the acronym. It’s usually an easy design to do, so if you don’t have a huge budget, just typesetting the letters in a cool font.
Acronym CONs
Hard for people to remember. You’re close to it, but remember others are not.
Seems like a cop-out design solution to me, but I wouldn’t tell a client I refuse to do what they want. ;)
Requires you STILL put your name on the logo.
I drove by a van the other day and it was just the acronym, no name, no description/tagline, no URL. Just the letters. I had to idea what they did and still don’t. I see this as failed marketing. If this is the solution you land on, you MUST put the name somewhere on your marketing.
It’s not a long discussion, but I felt one worth having. If you name is so long or not very creative, you might want to consider hiring a writer/brand-developer like Valerie Bickley at Bickley Creative. She’s my “go-to” writer who will go down a lot of paths with you to create a unique and memorable company name.
As a graphic designer specializing in logo design for the past 28 years, I would not suggest you use an acronym as your primary design on your logo. A logo needs to have some kind of iconic artwork that sets you apart-a design that shows the public that you’re different. I strive to create unique designs that give your company an edge. This recent job (above) actually used a partial acronym as it’s logo, but I didn’t stop there. I incorporated the letters with custom, iconic artwork that made their logo stand out way past their competition. As most of my clients will tell you, I’ll be honest with you about your name and once we’re in agreement on the direction, I won’t disappoint. Check out SC Roof Coatings website and give them a call if you want to expand the life of your commercial roof!
“I tease Janice that she sets a low expectation and then over delivers! She’s great to work with and has been very responsive in communicating. She has jumped right in and made us look good!”