It could just be buzz in the media, but it seems like 2015 was a big year in corporate rebranding. Tech firms tweaked the logos that helped make them famous, while startups shook up the business landscape, adding new style to the conversation around corporate identities. Fortune 500 companies changed their names while others altered their corporate images to simplify their look and also appeal to millennials as future life-long customers.

We heard a bunch about Google’s new logo; its first in 16 years, while listening to corporate branding experts, pundits and the average people on the street weigh in on Google’s intentions and strategy. Was the logo change about appearing “friendly” or just to gain attention by annoying people?

Meanwhile in the tech sector, online music app Spotify simply altered its logo’s shade of green and some people went nuts.

In 2015, we also saw food product behemoths Heinz and Kraft come together, merging two global concerns that together own eight billion-dollar food brands (and a whole lot of million-dollar ones). As such, fusing their names together with a slick new wordmark became the first order of business.

By one count, last year saw logo changes by 20 major brands, including major overhauls by Best Western, Mr. Coffee and IHOP, and minor tweaks by both Facebook and Emerald Nuts. While some sentiment from the business press suggests that consumers hate change at all, companies update their logos and brand identities to stay current, be relevant, and keep at the top of customers’ minds.

There are probably a million directions a business can take with ideas new logos. But what works best for a small or medium-sized business? When SMBs consider brand reboots, or even logos for new ventures, there is a lot to consider. The elements to use and the trends to follow can make it all seem pretty baffling.

Be Known for Who You Are

Consider what you want to say to your customers about your business. What are your best attributes? Are you reliable? Fast? Does your firm have more experience in its field than the rest? Are you fun and exciting, or just down-to-earth and dependable?

Jeff Guritz, a contributor to Industrial Distribution perhaps put it best by asking a simple question: “If your company could speak, what would it say?”

Questions like “Who the heck are we”, “How different is our company than the competition” and “What makes working with us unique?” are a few of the things companies should ask themselves. “Strong brands take a well-defined position,” Guritz says, while also stating that cultivating a clear message with your brand “opens doors to new customers while protecting the customers you already have.”

Make Your Mark

No matter what your finished logo looks like, one best practice is to make certain to extend your new corporate identity across all your marketing.

Brand New, an online source for opinions on corporate and brand identity work, identified some of what they consider the best examples of logos and brand extensions in a year-end post. In one, a craft beer maker called Finkel and Garf not only used its logo on beer cans but also showcased the brewery’s “great typography and tasty color palette on its delivery trucks and promotional beer mats.”

Going bigger on color, the Latin American Design Festival (aka LAD) went all out on its broadening through bright shades of fluorescent orange, yellow and pink, boldly emblazoned on everything from its print collateral (such as event schedules, a festival map and a promotional brochure) to giveaways like tote bags, buttons, magnets and pens. “The cliché that Latin America is colorful is very well represented here,” wrote Brand New, pointing out something obvious.

Letting your brand speak to what makes you unique or what your brand is known for can help get attention. More importantly, color, smart design and a clear message can ultimately help you reach customers — and make your mark in their minds.

If you are ready to embark on the development of a new brand or have customers in dire need to dust off their images, we can help. Tap Idea Custom Solutions for expert, fast do-it-for-me logo design. We make it painless and cost effective while delivering award-winning creativity.