THE EFFECT OF LOGO DESIGN ON BRAND PERSONALITY PERCEPTIONS
Henderson and Cote (1998) investigated the effect of logo design on consumer responses. They focused on logo graphic design to develop guidelines for logo selection and modification. Drawing on the logo strategy literature and input provided by graphic designers, Henderson and Cote (1998) identify a set of subjectively measured logo design characteristics (i.e. a logos' naturalness, elaborateness, harmony, and roundness) as well as a set of objectively measured design characteristics (i.e. the number of parallel and repeated elements, and the logo's proportions) They then examined the impact of these logo design characteristics on consumer responses to the logo: positive affect, familiar meaning, correct recognition, and false recognition. Results suggest that positive affect is evoked by moderately natural, moderately elaborate, and highly harmonious logos. Familiar meaning arises from highly natural and moderately proportional logos; false recognition is more likely for artificial looking, highly harmonious logos at moderate levels of parallel elements and proportion. Correct recognition, on the other hand, is furthered by highly natural, moderately harmonious logos with many repeated elements. Positive affect and familiar meaning also increase correct recognition. Janiszewski and Meyvis's (2001) research on the impact of stimulus characteristics (logo complexity) and stimulus presentation (repetition) on processing fluency also has implications for the logo design consumer response relationship. Results indicate that logo meaning, logo familiarity, and exposure presentation schedule affects consumers' sensitization and habituation to the logo. These, in turn, impact processing fluency and consumer preferences for and judgment of logos in terms of their expensiveness. The authors also suggest that more meaningful logos are more resistant to wear out when due to repeated exposure.