Marketing to children is a uniquely difficult task. Not only must you woo your actual market, who are much more savvy and media-inundated than their tender years would suggest, you must win the approval of the parents who foot the bill. Having the right child logo design can take you a lot closer to success in their competitive market.
Although a logo design that caters to children can come in a variety of different forms, they tend to have a few general things in common. Here are the four most common traits.
Image.
Many children cannot read or have not yet developed the proficient reading skills necessary to associate a business with its wording. This means that your identity images must be not only relevant and attractive, but explanatory as well. There are certainly exceptions—the McDonald’s golden arches come to mind—but in general your identity images should represent your product.
Color.
Elementary colors tend to be most attractive to children. Think bright red, deep blue, and leafy green. As a benefit, parents tend to associate these colors with children as well, so a identity using a bright color scheme will do ‘double duty’ in attracting parents and their children both.
Font.
Bold fonts without a lot of detail tend to be more effective with children. Part of this is due to the age group’s limited reading skills, but it nevertheless is a rule. The next time you are in your local grocery store’s cereal aisle, have a look at the ones aimed at children. Their writing tends to be bright and extremely basic.
Character.
Not all logos aimed at children use characters, but some of the most successful ones do and you should know when to use a character in your logo design. Children tend to be big fans of cartoons and to view them as close friends. If you have a character that is beloved by the children who view it, they will naturally trust the character’s opinion and want to buy the product that it represents. This is why so many businesses that market to children have some sort of character or mascot design.
While this may seem like an easy order to fill, it is complicated by the need to cater to parents. Take, for example, the breakfast cereal logo example. A cereal that catered solely to children would need only to use bright colors and characters while emphasizing sweetness and taste. However, when you throw in a mother or father as final decision maker, you must change the formula completely. Suddenly health, practicality, and educational value become important brand aspects that must be represented in the identity as well as possible.
Designing a children’s logo design is more complicated than it seems, but it can be done well by a professional with experience in this genre. This is why it is so important to have a professional identity designer create a identity for your company that can appeal effectively to all of your markets. If you are struggling to market to children, talk to a logo design consultant today.
