When we talk of brands, we talk of “personality”. When we talk of personality, it has to have a name, and when we talk of names, the notion of LOGO pops up- only here, the words are replaced by graphics. Often have we heard that brands have their own personality: a mix of all human attributes that are linked to the brand! Take for instance the swoosh mark, which instantly pops up Nike’s logo in our mind. The symbol has indeed gained the brand an easy and definite recognition.
Hence, we now understand what logos actually do for brands. They elicit from individuals all those feelings that they hold for any particular product, service or organization. These symbols and trademarks generate impulsive motivation in individuals, letting them react to the brand as per their sentiments for it. For instance, an athlete would jump at the thought of having puma joggers as a gift, or teenagers would exchange anything to get ADIDAS products, where as girls would simply faint if they get a wardrobe full of forever21!
When it comes to designing of these logos, two options are available: Contest sites and logo design agencies. It is indeed a debatable topic that which of the two is better. Let us see the pros and cons for each…
Crowdsourcing = Contest Sites
Well, the very first difference we see here is the vast pool of concepts one can avail from the contest sites. It is a platform that offers CROWDSOURCING. It is capable of deriving various ideas from anonymous personalities. Another big advantage lingering to the competitiveness of these websites is to receive the best of performance at the most affordable price.
Outsourcing = Logo Design Agencies
Whereas the advantages linked to the concept of OUTSOURCING that fall under the umbrella of logo design agency are again numerous. An outsourcing firm handles multiple clients at the same time. Here, contract based agreements are made and the agency caters to all the requirements of the firm, meeting deadlines as efficiently as possible.
Why agencies are better than contest sites is not the million dollar question, actually the question is when are they better?
The answer lies within the complexity of a situation. The more accurate results are required, the more efficient is the service. And, agency here is the best choice.
If, on the other hand there are no time constraints, a firm can then execute the idea of running a contest, although that requires some thorough screening and may even be a little time consuming, especially when it comes to selecting a single logo from a pool of many ideas
Why Time Constraints Matter?
People may not get a chance to explore new talent when it comes to agencies. They are fixed with a bunch of professional designers who follow the same patterns and themes every time. One can usually not expect a mind-blowing idea very often from routine designers. Whereas with contest sites the story is little different: You might receive junk and some sheer bogus ideas well, but on and off you will be getting some eye popping and magnetic designs, where you hurry up to get the fish (designer) in your net ASAP.
End note: Summarizing the whole debate, when it comes to the unending debate of who is better and who is not, there is only one thing that needs to be kept in mind: not all problems in the world can be solved with a universal solution. Same goes here: contingency planning is what serves best. If you know your target market, your resources and your limitations well enough, both options can get you a huge money tree.