A logo goes beyond aesthetics; it is the complete identity of your brand. With a logo, you can tell your audience what kind of brand you are and what products and services you provide. But when designing a logo, there are several things you must keep in mind. For example, your logo should be designed according to the goals you would like it to achieve and the audience that it should appeal to.
In the past, logos that have performed exceptionally well have been designed with a strategy in mind. For example, the Subway logo truly depicts the brand’s manifesto. Come, eat, and go. It was designed exclusively for the people who wanted to eat on the go. With an arrow in the beginning and an arrow at the end, the message is loud and clear.
Therefore, a logo should be tailored to your goals, audience, and brand messaging. This is why there are many strategic differences between B2B vs B2C branding. In this article, we will look at the strategic differences and understand the impact these differences have on the logos.
The B2B logo is a logo designed for other businesses for your business. It is important to understand that businesses deal with other businesses with the utmost professionalism. When the relationship is extremely professional, so should your logo. These logos are designed for the rational minds who have been in the business for a long time and will not be swayed by a funky, colorful design.
You must design your logo accordingly to establish a stable, professional, and mutually beneficial relationship with your customers.
Here are some factors to consider when designing a B2B logo.
As a legitimate business, you wouldn’t want other companies to think you’re non-serious and wouldn’t be able to handle their business. A B2B logo will give your business a stable outlook with clear wordmarks, well-defined lines and shapes, and smart imagery that does not go overboard.
The goal is to present your business as a responsible and competent entity so people can trust you with their products or services. It is best to avoid complex designs that seem like you are trying too hard and hire a professional designer to design your logo.
Take the McKinsey & Company logo, for example. It is a simple design with an all-caps serif wordmark without an image. When you glance at the logo, you will think it is professional and authority-driven, and that’s precisely what the company was aiming for. Since it is a consultancy firm, it must communicate the capability and expertise that a consultation should possess.
Another example is the Asana logo. It is also a minimalist logo with a sans-serif wordmark and projects professionalism, perfect for a B2B business.
A mumbled, jumbled logo will mean no business for you. As far as B2B logos are concerned, your customers don’t have time to play guessing games and would like to cut straight to the chase.
This is why you should make it a primary goal to ensure that your logo accurately and clearly reflects your brand and is identifiable to the audience. If the logo is confusing, no one will spend time understanding what it is about.
One of the best examples of this is the Shopify logo. The clean and clear design has a green shopping bag as the main icon and a simple sans-serif wordmark. It clearly represents what the business does, thus eliminating confusion.
Similarly, the Trello logo is simple and clear with a board icon that clearly represents the company’s Kanban management style.
Legibility can instantly set your logo apart. If our logo is not illegible, it will be ignored and the first impressions will not be what you want them to be. B2B logos have to do a lot of heavy lifting and appear on all sorts of branding materials. If the logo is hazy or poorly balanced, it will lose the professional look.
In this case, the SAP logo is an example to learn from. It has wide, well-spaced lettering that can be understood from several feet away. The best part is that this logo stays legible on all branding materials, adding a more professional and readable feel, much like Zapier’s new logo!
Most businesses have several competitors, and it can become difficult to differentiate your brand when so many companies do the same thing. In such a case, it is absolutely crucial to have a unique logo.
Add any elements that are unique to your brand only. This can be a good opportunity to feature your business’s USP, which is what you can find in the Accenture logo.
The subtle but powerful addition of the greater-than sign shows that the brand stands out from the crowd with its top-tier services. Another interpretation of the logo elaborates that the greater-than sign represents that the business is always ready to help its customers. Pipedrive is also a great example of a unique logo that follows pipelike symbolism throughout the wordmark.
Why risk confusing people and then boring them when they don’t understand your logo? Simplicity is the best approach when it comes to B2B logos. Simple logos are several times more usable and will stay legible no matter the format.
When designing a simple B2B logo, consider the Microsoft logo. It is as simple as it gets. With
With four colored square icons and a clean wordmark, the design is highly scalable. There is no clutter and definitely no confusion.
Since your logo is your only chance to make a first impression, you must make it trustworthy from the get-go. In the B2B industry, trust is the biggest component of a business relationship, and your logo should convey legitimacy and authority to earn the trust of your ICPs.
If you need inspiration, there’s no better example than the IBM logo. It is as classic as it gets and has remained the focal point of trust and stability in the tech world. With a simple but tech-based design, IBM has effectively captured the market and its audience.
If there is anything that gives your brand additional and apparent credibility, then don’t be shy to use it to your advantage. B2B markets are tough to enter and survive, so you can get all the help you need especially in industries such as health and legal. A smartly designed logo with credibility markers can give you a competitive edge.
By featuring the Golden Gate Bridge, Cisco has been using this advantage to represent that the company is rooted in San Francisco. By associating itself with a community, the brand has been able to present itself as a strong, connected network with the competence that its competitors can benefit from.
A consistent brand gains trust. Regarding logo designs, B2B companies should work on designing logos that don’t follow fads and can be relevant several years down the line. If you keep changing the logo with every changing season, you will lose reliability, and customers might skip you for a more traditional and reliable company.
Siemens is one of the oldest names that comes to mind. It has a stable identity and a timeless logo. With its vibrant color and bold typeface, the logo is not dependent on trends to stay relevant but looks timeless.
A B2B logo will be used everywhere—on business cards, branding materials, billboards, and the list goes on. If your logo only looks good digitally and clutters when printed, then you’re in for some trouble. A good B2B logo design has to be versatile so that it can be used across platforms and mediums without losing its look and shape.
Speaking of versatile logos, Adobe takes the cake here. It’s an extremely versatile icon that can be used even without the complete wordmark. The design is highly recognizable, making it even easier to use the logo in all sorts of branding materials. This logo works well both on-screen and off-screen.
Intercom logo is also a great representation of a versatile logo as it uses a simple geometric messenger icon with a clean wordmark making it perfect for a B2B logo.
There’s so much you can do with a logo. For instance, you can sneakily add a symbol to give away the complete brand story. That’s what FedEx did. They came up with a functional design with a hidden arrow between E and X, committing to speed, precision, and forward movement.
This is what all brands should do: create a logo that functions so smartly.
Colors are often ignored when considering the strategic differences between B2B and B2C logos. But a pink logo might not seem as professional as a black or navy blue logo. Keeping the industry and your ICP in mind, you should be very careful when selecting the color so your audience knows what you are about and that you understand the industry.
The HP logo is a classic professional dark blur color that screams professional. The color blue is psychologically linked to stability and trustworthiness. So it was a win-win for HP!
Here are some B2B logo mistakes you should avoid:
The B2C logos are designed for the common man. The common man does not think rationally or make a list of pros and cons before deciding they need a purple sweater. Instead, the B2C end consumer mostly makes decisions based on emotions. The emotion can be of recognition, relatability, and even personal connection. As long as your branding is tugging at the strings of the heart, your product will sell.
But the story begins with the logo. To hook your audience, you need to forge an emotional connection as soon as they find out about your brand, and you can do that with a logo that gives them the feels.
Here are some factors that can help you design a creative B2C logo:
It all begins with emotional triggers. For B2C brands, it’s crucial to make their customers feel something. The idea behind your emotional branding should be to sell an experience rather than a product or a service. For example, if you are selling travel gear, your audience should feel the wanderlust in your branding activities, starting with the logo.
The Dove logo is an excellent example of this principle and is in tune with the brand’s ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’. The ideology, messaging, and products are all perfectly complemented by the logo, which is a dove. It is a classic symbol of purity, natural beauty, and innocence. Even at one glance, you can sense the beauty and ache for it.
Are you a fun company that sells cool socks? Or are you a company that sells luxury shoes? What’s important to understand here is that the brand tone will differ for both. But can the logos be similar? No!
Your logo is your time to shine. Tell the world what kind of company you are with a logo that fits our brand’s personality. Everything about your logo should be in tune with your brand personality.
For example, if you are an edgy brand like The Cards Against Humanity, you surely wouldn’t go for a quirky, colorful logo with a cute mascot as your icon.
B2C companies use logos to communicate with their audience and convey what they should expect from the brand just like the Oatly logo with its quirky and irreverent personality.
What’s the use of a logo if people don’t remember it? The whole point of a good logo is to make it memorable, and people just can’t get it out of their heads. New brands and companies are popping up every minute, and to stay on top of the competition, you need to come up with a logo that is recognizable everywhere.
Once your audience is able to recognize your brand, the products will go flying off the shelf.
That is because they will associate the recognition to a connection with the brand and you can see that with the golden arches. McDonald’s logo is a lesson in itself. Different people connect the golden arches to different things but my favorite will always be two fries positioned like an ‘M’.
Even the Pinterest logo is highly memorable because of its pushpin design. Its design refers back to the concept of pinning ideas to look at later. Memorable logos always perform better. Try one today!
Like I said, the situation is dire and competition is tough, so how can you redirect your audience’s attention to your brand? With a distinct logo. Your logo in the B2C world should make noise.
Not only should it look unique, but consumers should immediately feel that you are unique. A great example of this is Tesla. The logo defies the norm of circular car logos and stands apart with a sharp, almost knife-like T. The logo may leave many curious and wanting to know more. That’s exactly what you want for your brand: to lure people in.
On the other hand, the Johnnie Walker Logo is distinct, with a silhouette style unique enough to attract the attention of its whiskey audience.
A picture speaks a thousand words, and that’s your logo! Without even a wordmark, your logo can tell an interesting story about your brand. It can be anything from the origin story to something that sets you apart, or just what you want the audience to perceive your brand as.
All you have to do is make sure your story is interesting and you tell it tactfully, just like Amazon did with its ‘A to Z’ logo design. No matter what you need, Amazon has it: strong storytelling and an even stronger design.
When it comes to B2C logos, it’s all about aesthetics. But that doesn’t mean you can clutter the logo with unnecessary elements. All you have to ensure is that your logo has perfect balance, the wordmark and icon match, the font selection represents your brand voice, and the color is appealing to your audience.
This is not a one-man-do-all situation; you need a good designer or logo maker to help you with it. For instance, the Chanel logo may seem simple, but it is not. This aesthetically pleasing logo uses two inverted Cs, creating a unique but beautiful icon that has become popular all over the world.
If your logo only looks good on a billboard and is a design hazard on the mobile app, it won’t make it in the B2C world. The point of having a versatile logo is to be able to scale it across mediums and platforms. That includes social media icons, e-commerce websites, packaging, and even app buttons. Your logo should look good and uniform in all of these situations.
Your B2C logo should look as recognizable and powerful as the Nike ‘swoosh’. The tick is a great example of manifestation as it is simple yet highly scalable. You may have already seen it in hundreds of places. The magic lies behind its simplicity and recognizable icon.
While B2B logos are usually professional and colored with muted tones, B2C has a lot more room to play. Depending on your audience, you can use all sorts of colors that mark emotions. With the right color palette, you can instantly push your consumers to recognize your brand. Bright colors can evoke feelings of fun and are just so much more approachable. However, if you have a luxury product or service, using a darker color with a bit of sheen is the best way to go!
For example, what do you feel when you look at the red can of Coca Cola? Does it make you feel excited and it might even give you a sense of nostalgia? While if you were to look at the green cup at Starbucks it would give you the feeling of comfort, connection and even relaxation.
The game is in the colors, you can use color psychology to your advantage here and give your audience the feels they need.
Here are some B2C logo mistakes you should avoid:
Keeping in mind the core differences between B2B and B2C logo designs, here are some evident differences between the logos of each industry, depending on its target audience.
Here are some comparison tables for each industry:
| Feature | B2B | B2C |
| Primary Goal | Build trust, authority, and innovation with professionals. | Create an emotional connection based on wellness and care. |
| Key Values | Reliability, expertise, and precision. | Health, approachability, and vitality. |
| Design Style | Clean, minimalist, and professional. | Softer, more organic shapes; sometimes playful. |
| Color Palette | Muted, serious colors like blue, gray, and silver. | Brighter, more inviting colors like green and yellow. |
| Examples |
The McKesson Logo is designed for the B2B audience, projecting trust and professionalism. The deep blue color and classic serif font give off authority and stability without any emotional frills.
This logo is designed to be approachable, using a modern, friendly sans serif font that resembles a lifestyle brand. The logo alone removes the stigma of healthcare being formal and gives it a soft outlook.
| Feature | B2B | B2C |
| Primary Goal | Convey security, stability, and credibility. | Emphasize simplicity, ease of use, and a user-friendly experience. |
| Key Values | Reliability, security, and professionalism. | Simplicity, convenience, and modernity. |
| Design Style | Traditional, robust wordmarks and geometric shapes. | Clean, modern, and often uses rounded corners. |
| Color Palette | Conservative colors like navy blue, black, and gold. | Brighter, more accessible colors like bright blues and various pastels. |
| Example |
The JPMorgan Chase logo conveys both trust and credibility. With a solid logo and a solid color palette the wordmark is clean and bold exclusive for the B2B market.
Paypal is a financial solution for the masses, and that’s what you can find in its logo. The typography is modern, with the overlapping Ps as a key element. The simple design is approachable, and people don’t feel intimidated when using financial services.
| Feature | B2B | B2C |
| Primary Goal | Project innovation, efficiency, and intelligence. | Be exciting, dynamic, and emotionally engaging. |
| Key Values | Functionality, expertise, and forward-thinking. | Entertainment, community, and fun. |
| Design Style | Minimalist, abstract, and sharp geometric forms. | Vibrant, stylized, and often uses custom typography. |
| Color Palette | Professional blues, grays, and blacks. | Bold, diverse, and energetic colors like red, orange, and purple. |
| Example |
The Oracle logo is a bold and clean wordmark in a sans-serif font. Its professional, authoritative, and innovative design appeals to the B2B audience. The deep red color adds a flair of energy that is appreciated in B2B markets to add personality to otherwise dull B2B logos.
Gamers love the Nintendo logo because it is distinctly fun and has memorable features. The logo does exactly what it was designed to do: create an emotional connection with consumers and add a creative, imaginative touch to the experience.
| Feature | B2B | B2C |
| Primary Goal | Convey quality, purity, and trust to businesses. | Be appealing, delicious, and memorable to consumers. |
| Key Values | Consistency, reliability, and wholesomeness. | Flavor, joy, and convenience. |
| Design Style | Rustic, traditional, and simple. | Playful, bold, and often includes illustrations. |
| Color Palette | Earthy tones like green, brown, and beige. | Warm, appetizing colors like red, orange, and yellow. |
| Example |
The Cargill logo conveys trust and authority with its solid but unique design. The bold sans-serif font gives it a serious feel, and to connect it back to nature slightly, the green arch above the G does a great job.
Who doesn’t remember the Pringle logo? The icon is memorable and instantly recognized all over the globe. The stylized mascot logo design perfectly matches the B2C audience looking for a good snack.
| Feature | B2B | B2C |
| Primary Goal | Project strength, durability, and reliability. | Be approachable, inspiring, and creative. |
| Key Values | Power, stability, and quality. | Passion, craftsmanship, and personal fulfillment. |
| Design Style | Bold, solid fonts and strong, geometric shapes. | More personal, sometimes with a hand-drawn or custom feel. |
| Color Palette | Conservative, strong colors like black, blue, and gray. | More vibrant and diverse colors suggest creativity. |
| Example |
Working in construction, the Caterpillar B2B logo is designed to convey durability and power. The bold and blocky wordmark is the signature element, with a solid yellow representing all the heavy machinery.
Designed for everyday tasks, the Dremel logo is approachable and modern, perfect for the DIY enthusiast. The design is more serious but innovative, and it is to match the customer base.
| Feature | B2B | B2C |
| Primary Goal | Convey authority, tradition, and credibility. | Appear accessible and user-friendly to individuals. |
| Key Values | Trust, expertise, and professionalism. | Simplicity, clarity, and approachability. |
| Design Style | Traditional, classic, and timeless. | Modern, clean, and less formal. |
| Color Palette | Serious, muted colors like black, navy, and burgundy. | Brighter, more reassuring colors and a cleaner look. |
| Example |
With corporate clients on the roster, the Baker McKenzie B2B logo is conservative but traditional. It is designed to appeal to businesses seeking legal counsel. With confidence and authority, the logo maintains the image of stability and tradition.
The whole idea behind LegalZoom is designed to ease the common man’s life, and with the simple and accessible logo, they have prompted customers to easily find solutions to their legal concerns.
Here is a table to give you quick access to all the strategic differences between B2B and B2C logos:
| Feature | B2B (Business-to-Business) Logo | B2C (Business-to-Consumer) Logo |
| Primary Goal | To build trust, authority, and professionalism. | To forge an emotional connection and brand loyalty. |
| Audience Focus | Rational decision-makers (e.g., procurement managers, CTOs). | Emotional individuals (e.g., consumers, enthusiasts). |
| Key Values Conveyed | Reliability, expertise, competence, and stability. | Aspiration, enjoyment, lifestyle, and uniqueness. |
| Design Style | Clean, minimalist, often geometric. Avoids fads and seeks timelessness. | Dynamic, expressive, and unique to stand out. Can be playful or luxurious. |
| Typography | Typically uses clean, legible sans-serif fonts (e.g., Helvetica). Focuses on clarity. | Often uses various fonts, including custom, script, or decorative ones, to show personality. |
| Color Psychology | Reserved, professional palettes. Heavy use of blue (trust), black (authority), and grey (stability). | Vibrant, diverse palettes to evoke specific emotions. Red (excitement), green (health), yellow (happiness). |
| Symbolism | Often abstract and conceptual, representing ideas like growth or connectivity. | Can be literal, directly representing the product or a desired feeling (e.g., a dove). |
| Key Functionality | Must be versatile and legible across corporate materials, from presentations to business cards. | Must be memorable and scalable for various uses, from app icons to billboards. |
Many businesses struggle to translate their strategy into design, and in that case, it is always best to hire a logomaker to design a B2B or B2C logo.
DesignMantic can help you with that. The logo maker is straightforward to use and allows you to choose from a sea of templates. With the insights from this article, you already know the key differences between B2B and B2C logos. Now, this knowledge can help you create a logo that looks good and speaks directly to your customer. Establish trust with a B2B logo and intrigue the audience with your B2C logo!
You don’t need expert-level designing skills. With DesignMantic, you can start designing your B2B or B2C logo online!
It’s happening! Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are walking down the aisle. If you’ve been…
Ever notice how your logo looks amazing on your laptop, but the moment you print…
What has nine teeth, pointy ears, a round face, and screams ugly-cute? A Labubu! If…
Brands are ditching the one logo fits all approach, and we’re not even questioning why.…
Planning a trip or manifesting it? Either way, TripAdvisor is a great way to get…
Do you call yourself a lover girl or a rebel boy? Probably because humans have…