While access to literally billions of listeners comes with its advantages, it's also very easy to get lost in the noise. The biggest of radio stations have established brands, with generic names which through familiarity have created their own meaning.

But for the new players and the minnows of radio, you’re going to need to craft a name, a brand and a theme that defines who you are and what you do. A logo is more than just a picture - a logo will tie all your messaging, signs, merch and marketing back to you. A good logo provides recognition, but a great logo will help convey your message by itself.

Your brand needs to be relevant, memorable and yet distinguishable from the rest - it can include a clever play on words or a niche reference that will appeal to your audience, but you can’t make them work too hard, as while your user is browsing, you’ve got around two seconds of their attention before they move on. A good logo is simple, memorable, versatile and relevant to your brand.

In this article, we will discuss the various aspects of your brand to consider during the design process.

Colours and purpose

Colours in a logo convey meaning, as much as shapes and words. Think about your station and the kind of content that you are creating for your audience. Remember that colours convey emotions and by choosing a colour that reflects the emotions associated with the kind of content you want to create, you can create a logo that also conveys this meaning.

Below we have created a chart that combines the various meanings of colours used in logos, with some great examples of companies that have used them to great success.

Type of Logo

Colour may be a major defining point of your brand, but it is not the only factor to consider when designing your logo. Think about your station, are you serious and impactful, or playful and friendly? Consider how text represents what you do if you supply a lot of opinion, or images if you are content-focussed.

Image-based logos

Image-based logos tend to be used when a company does one very specific thing or is well known for a single concept; think Apple, Shell and Twitter. While these brands are powerful and add immense value when used, the downside is that they usually require a company to be well established already to convey this meaning.

Letterforms

Letterforms sometimes referred to as Logotypes, go some way to solving the issue of recognition. By using your existing name or brand within the logo, the issue of a consumer trying to work out the brand from an abstract image is bypassed. In some cases, the brand is valuable enough to add value by being so instantly recognisable; think Tiffany or Gucci.

Composite images

Composite images, also known as combination marks, combine the best of both worlds. By combining the words of your brand in a playful way with an image, both the instant recognition and the appeal of a pleasant image is captured. Another big advantage of this style of logo is that it leaves the door open for easy use of the company brand as either an image on its own, or as a letterform; think Pizza Hut, Shopify and Walkman.

Mascots

Do you have a cute or distinctive character that’s associated with what you do? Designing your logo around this character can be a powerful way of building your brand. Think of the colonel who sells the world’s most famous fried chicken, or Mr Pringle. Not only can these mascots become images to be used in your logo, but they can be applied in a versatile fashion to a range of other applications. Mascots can also be great at appealing to younger demographics.

Suggested tools and websites

You don’t need Photoshop skills to design a logo these days. There are plenty of great tools out there that are designed specifically to make the creative design process easier. Chances are if you have a managed website, there are a range of logo and image design tools bundled with your subscription, so if you use a host such as Wix, Squarespace or Webflow, be sure to check out the range of increasingly powerful image and branding tools that are included.

Outside this, you have a few options. For DIY solutions, be sure to check out image creation sites such as Canva, which are a great way to allow basic AI tools to guide you throughout the design process. Canva even has a dedicated section for logo design and provides a generous number of ready-made templates. Other sites such as Looka and BrandCrowd are more specifically focused on branding and corporate image creation.

Not sure you want to do this yourself? Head to Fiverr, Upwork or Solidgigs and check out the range of existing ads, aimed at getting experienced freelancers to design a great logo faster than you could ever do it yourself.

Finally – while the design process of your logo does have some serious consideration, it should above all be representing you and should be a fun process. Make sure you let your personality shine through in a way that you are comfortable and happy with.

Now you have a great looking station, make sure that you have a great sounding station; be sure to check out PlayIt Software's suite of solutions to help you record your shows, organise your content, and automate your playout.