You make your Logo. Then we'll make everything match.
Lemmings vs. Leaders
To Copy or Not to Copy, This is the Question
By John Williams, president of LogoYes.com
Copyright 2007, John Williams
We all know that it's tempting to copy the competition. There is safety in
conformity – a certain "comfort factor" in being similar. After all, the
other company knows what it's doing, right? Not always.
First, remember that branding is about DIFFERENTIATION – emphasizing your
company's differences, not similarities. When you copy the competition,
you're reminding customers of them, not you.
However, there's a
difference between exact imitation and creative inspiration. Use
creativity to leverage an existing idea, but avoid replicating its every
detail. So when is it okay to follow someone else’s lead and when isn't it?
Of course, plagiarism is out, and it's illegal to copy anything that's
patented or trademarked. Here are some other, less obvious things you may be
tempted to copy but shouldn't:
- Don't imitate the design/layout of sales materials. Copying a
competitor's materials is never a good idea because instead of
differentiating you, it makes you look more like your competitor. It's
fine to imitate basics of their material like "lots of white space" or
forced-perspective product photos (just don’t use the same
perspective!). But avoid choosing similar colors, graphics and layout.
- Don't imitate the content or style of your competitor's
copywriting, or you'll literally sound just like the competition.
Instead, create your own unique "voice" and messaging. Good copy has a
consistent, strategic tone to it (e.g., conversational, direct,
humorous, etc.) that reflects the personality of the company and
product. When done correctly, copywriting is an integral part of
branding.
- Don't imitate the primary color your competitor uses. Select
at least one unique color to associate with your company – use it in
your logo, on sales materials, product packing, signage, etc. (You can
use a Pantone Matching System or "PMS" book to help you choose the exact
color. Always specify the exact PMS number to your printer.)
- Don't imitate the name of your competitor –make yours as
different as possible. Also, try to avoid using the same first letter as
your biggest competitor. You may like the fact that "AAA Towing" puts
you first in the phone book, but it sounds too much like "ABC Towing" to
help with your branding.
Imitate a competitor's marketing strategy or sales incentives only with
extreme caution. Make sure you understand the underlying assumptions first.
For example, if a competitor's sales materials feature an upscale design,
maybe there's a good reason behind it, maybe not. Is there a market for
premium-priced goods? Or does the CEO simply prefer an expensive look?
Sometimes companies – even bigger ones – have no sound strategy behind what
they do. They're just catering to personal tastes or imitating somebody else
themselves.
Imitation is not all bad, though. Here are instances in
which it can be quite beneficial:
- When you translate a principle from one industry to another.
For example, a local carpet company offers a one-day "Remnant Sale."
Your computer company offers a similar one-day sale with out-of-date
PCs.
- When being different hurts your customers' experience. It
rarely makes sense to deviate from standard industry terms or navigation
nomenclature. For example, changing the "About Us" link to "Leading the
Way" on your website may be creative, but it's less clear and makes
customers less comfortable. In some cases, familiarity is crucial.
- When imitating something "obvious" brings comfort to your
customers. Say you own a restaurant and your customers are
health-conscious. Green is a color associated with health, but your
competitors also know this and probably use green abundantly. You don't
need to omit green from your design palette – instead, use it as a
secondary color, or choose an unusual but attractive shade of green that
no one else has chosen.
- When being different means not meeting established customer
expectations. Industry standards are standard for a reason. It's
risky to deviate from the norm when it means customers may be
disappointed.
Your goal is to
stand out without
sticking out. You want
your customers' experience to be comfortable and positive, but also
unique. Seeking customer comfort and satisfaction in creative ways is a
vital way to build brand equity.
John Williams is president and founder of LogoYes.com, the world's
first and largest DIY logo website. In his 25 years in advertising, he has
created brand standards for Fortune 100 companies like Mitsubishi and won
numerous international awards for his design work.
