I am often asked what I think the purpose of a logo is or in other words, what is its job description. My answer is always the same. It’s an emotional trigger. It is the most boiled down essence of a business. It is often the first time you have any contact with that business. It’s there to either remind you of the experience you have had, whether your experience is limited to your ad in a phonebook or a full blown marketing campaign. It sets the tone for what more you will discover about this business. And by the way, there is a lot of good reading on the subject.

As importantly, I continue, is what the logo’s job IS NOT. It’s not there to give your potential customer the low down on everything you do. It’s not there to fulfill the role of a capabilities brochure or website or advertisement. In fact, the more you put into your logo, the more confusing the message often is. Keep it clean, keep it simple, keep it functional. It has to do a lot of work for your business.

A logo is the point of entry to the brand. I think someone famous by the name of Milton Glaser wrote that.