Product Names and Logos
Companies need to have a name and a logo. That’s a given.
A company’s products do not necessarily need to have a separate name and logo.
Here are the different ways companies approach the product name and logo decision (ordered from most simple to most complicated):
- Company name and logo is same as product name and logo. (e.g. Facebook, Pardot)
- Product name and logo are visible. Company name is different but hidden. (e.g. The Rocket Science Group “MailChimp”)
- Company name is different than product name, but the logos are the same. (e.g. Wolfram)
- Company name and logo is different than product name and logo. (e.g. AccelerEyes/ArrayFire)
Through a sequence of events, we ended up with different names and logos for our company and our product. Each additional name and logo requires just as much energy to promote as the others. It requires the market to absorb the branding information, which is a real expense. We are in the process of making changes to simplify.
What are your thoughts on maintaining product names and logos separately from your company name and logo? Can you think of any companies that maintain separate names and logos for their company and their products?