Ask The MAM — Logo Design

Dear MAM: We are a small firm. How much should we spend on getting a logo designed? Sincerely yours, Ellen M., San Diego, CA

Dear Ellen: I’ve worked with firms on logo/brand development budgets that range from $199 to tens of thousands of dollars. You need to keep a few things in mind – this is your identity (so if it looks cheap or chintzy, so do you); it should last forever, or close to it (Sears just changed its logo for the third time in about 120 years); keep in mind when and where you will use it, and how much it will cost to replicate; have outside forces help you (you are too close to the action); and make sure the decision-making process includes multiple people within the firm, possibly clients, your marketing team, and the logo design people (who generally know design, not how it incorporates into your business model and strategies). Also keep in mind that most law firms do limited advertising, meaning that the chances of a symbol or too-clever graphic being truly branded is slim and usually none. During a recent logo exercise, I asked a senior partner which law firm logo-anywhere in the world-was his favorite. He said that absolutely none came to mind. I told him his answer was correct. Sincerely yours, THE MARKETING ATTORNEY