Is it worth paying for a professional brand?

Nowadays there are tons of companies online and in your neighbourhood that will sell you a logo for a couple of hundred dollars - so why should you pay for a professionally designed logo and brand?

1. A brand is more than a logo, a brand is essentially the way other's view your business - it needs to be managed and incorporated into a wider strategy.

2. Correctly designed and managed your brand can add a dollar value to your business. Take Coca-Cola as the supreme brand example. If every factory, bottle, can and person who works for Coke were vapourised the brand alone would still mean the company is worth US$65 billion dollars (just under half the overall value).

3. Your brand should be relevant to your target market. If we select from a menu of designs we will choose what we like, where often an impartial view can help balance our feelings with whether it will work in the marketplace.

4. A brand should create a difference. With so many logos and companies around a professional will look at your competitors, your demographic and create something that is different and distinct to others operating in the same space.

5. Brand recognition and consistency is vital. A professional will create a brand guideline document that keeps that consistency across a wide range of applications, ensuring that every time a person sees your brand they instantly recognise your company.