Why do companies steal logos?
It’s a question I’ve never understood. The purpose of a logo is to visually represent your business. So why do so many companies take a shortcut by appropriating a logo from someone else? Maybe it’s an accident, maybe they think they can gain credibility by aligning themselves with a successful brand, or maybe they’re naive and don’t realize how important a unique brand is. My guess is the second and third reasons are the most popular.
I noticed a great example of this while on vacation in Hawaii last week. The logos for TheCab and TheBus are practically identical. At first I thought they were affiliated, but I’ve been told that isn’t the case. I’m sure whichever company started second wanted to gain the successful reputation of the first. But in reality they’ve hindered themselves in the long run. They have no way of creating a reputation or brand identity of their own. This goes for any copy-cat business. It’s hard to grow in the shadow of another company.
Of course, it isn’t always the business owner’s fault. There are many unprofessional “designers” out there who take the easy way out and copy another designer’s work. The end client may not even know the difference. The Logoworks scandal made this point widely talked about a little over a year ago. Business owners looking for a cheap solution got what they paid for - a stolen logo.
Taking the easy way out may seem like a good idea at the time, especially for small businesses with little money to spare. But if they were to think about their future reputation and growth it may not seem like such a great idea anymore. A logo can say a lot about a company in very short amount of time. It’s important for a company to set themselves apart with their brand and convey what makes them unique.
Here’s a great logo quiz to test your recognition of major brands. Who wouldn’t want their brand to be this strong and recognizable?
Cassi
