The Pros and Cons of Cheap Logo Services told by a Marketing Master

Experience with 99 designs?

This question was recently posed via email to a group of talented and experienced professional women. Before I could weigh in, Deb Doyle of Stage 2 Marketing replied. She nailed it, and I want to share her wisdom here.

Original Question:

As I head into a much needed website re-do, I need a new logo.  I’m considering 99 designs. Anyone have positive or negative experiences with them or their competitors? Words of advice?

In particular I’m curious about the pros & cons of going with their least expensive option ($299 for 30 designs from good designers) vs. paying a bit more for silver, gold, or $1,299 for 60 designs from “exceptional” designers.

Deb Doyle’s Advice:

“I have had clients that have insisted on using 99 designs:

Pros:

They are cheap and fast.

Cons:

The logos have no relation to your brand.

The designers barely read your brief…if they do that at all.

The designs are generic enough to be for any company, anywhere. And well they might be…I have the sense designers reuse their unselected designs at will.

There is very little opportunity for genuine feedback with  the designer.

In each instance, those clients who used 99 designs went back and had their logos redone by professional designers within a year.

When you are designing a logo, you don’t need quantity of options. You need QUALITY of options.

With 30 designs (never mind the 60 design option) you are drowning in options and may find yourself bereft of quality. If you want a logo that reflects you and your brand, that brings more power than you imagined possible and will last you for several (many) years — then find a good designer, brief them properly so they understand you, your company and the clients you want to attract and then give them time to give you 5-7 solid options you can choose from.”

 

I couldn’t agree more! Thanks to Deb for sharing her insights.

What has been your experience? Please share your thoughts below!

 

Wendy Wood

Wendy Wood

Wendy is the creative force behind Wendy Wood Design. Marketing and creative teams hire Wendy to plan and execute spot-on creative for their complex, multi-deliverable projects, such as: branding systems work, trade show & event deliverables, annual report & catalog design. When she's not in her design office, she is out enjoying all the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer —hiking, running and exploring with her husband, two boys and two dogs. + Meet Wendy