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B2B, Creative Thinking, Design

How long is it since you refreshed your B2B logo?

Matt Scutt

10 May 2024

  For many B2B brands, their logo is sacrosanct and has been part of the business since its inception. Sadly, logos become outdated and no longer fit for today’s world. They’re often the only part of a business that is the same as the day it was founded, and yet the one part that everyone sees every day.   Why? They were designed following a familiar pattern. In B2B circles, most logos combine an obvious visual emblem with a lettermark to represent a word in those early days. Job done. Move on.  No, not job done. Why? Generation Z is here. It is not their fault, but they embody change which is reflected in logo design. Good B2B logo design has evolved. Can you see the patterns? The four main patterns we have observed after an exhaustive study of rebrands for B2B brands are:  
  • A B2B logo must work in all use cases. Social media, animated in videos, printed in small and large formats and included on websites. A logo has to be seen in so many different ways – including digital. When some B2B logos were designed, digital didn’t exist. Yes, really. Seems obvious, doesn’t it, but if you have ever found your logo has become illegible as you squeeze it into a favicon or a social icon, or the colours look significantly different in different media, you’ll know exactly what we mean.
 
  • Heritage and meaning. Rebooted B2B logos contain elements – whether this be colour, illustrations or layouts – that connect to the past. No one wins prizes for being cryptic.  Although there are many different types of logo mark, those that succeed in B2B have meaning. There is lots of choice:
  • Simplicity. Driven primarily by accessibility and legibility, cleaner fonts, fewer gradients and less graphical complexity in logos are all becoming more common. Why? So that the quality of the logo is never compromised whenever and however it is used. Fonts, too, are bolder, less sophisticated and more appropriate for use on social media, on print and in video. Google fonts mean there are many more options than ever before – and it’s continually growing. There are, however, exceptions to these rules. If you enjoy high brand notoriety, such as Nokia, then you are able to maintain the recognition – despite the lack of clarity. When you see the new Nokia, you still know that this is Nokia. However, brands with lower awareness levels just risk causing confusion if they start removing letters. Go against the elegance of simplicity at your peril.
 
  • Part of a system. Good B2B branding uses a design system, combining a strong logo with a creative device to create consistency and memorability. The surrounding creative styling can be updated regularly but should complement the logo. This means you can ride trends, such as being positive or using vibrant colours, with confidence. 
  As an agency, we’ve evolved our logo over time, too – but we still honour the heritage with the “//” that represents the agency’s origin as a digital agency, as it references the “http(s)://www.” in a web address. Yes, as a business, we’ve been around longer than QR codes! Subtle, but present.  Our colours have also changed slightly over the years, but have remained connected to the original palette, and our font has become bolder. We’ve chosen to move forward while remaining connected to our history.  As you’ve been reading this, if you’ve started to get the feeling that maybe it is time to rethink your logo, then we’d love to help. We’ve conducted hours of research into what makes a good B2B logo and developed a framework to diagnose the right approach for you. We’d love to share it with you.  Get in touch with us here. 

Matt Scutt

Creative Director

Over 30 years of B2B experience, leading all Velo’s creative, brand, motion graphics and video and photography direction projects.

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