What Makes Debenhams Logotype Very Effective Marketing Essay

Debenhams.com has a unique structure compare to other retail websites and in this section, we will be investigating the structure thoroughly of the entire website. This will include the layout of pages, image to text ratio, Font/Colours, Positioning of images and finally suggestions on what improvements can be made.

A logo is a perspicuous glyph or symbolic, identifying mark that conveys origin, identity, or ownership. The main function is to elicit recognition. The object of a logo is to act as a mnemonic device and identifier, to communicate a desired thought or feeling, and to generate a desired emotional response. A thought-provoking logo design can strengthen your brand image and corporate identity, giving you a psychological advantage over your competition. Your logo is the core of your corporate identity, defining and symbolizing the character of your company or organization.

Debenhams offers a very unique type of logo called ‘Logotype’ which is very common in business industry but very effective. It incorporates the company name into a uniquely styled type font treatment. Type of logos comes in lots of possible variations, shapes, sizes which convey different impressions on the customers or audience. Debenhams logo gives us a sense of formality, refinement and symbolises a standard firm of retail. The simple logo written in a special font placed on a dark back ground simply implies that the business is straightforward and clear just as the logo and therefore do not mislead the customers. The white font placed on a dark background has been rendered in such a way as to intrigue customer’s eye and capture the interest. Thus it also proclaims the reliability and integrity of the business.Apple, Nike, Disney, MSN, Cingular, Shell, Volksvagen, NBC iconic symbolic logos

Combination Marks

Iconic/Symbolic

Logotype/Wordmark McDonald’s, TiVo, Starbucks, Reebok, Pringles, Domino’s, AT&T, Ola combination mark logosDisney, Dell, NASA, RayBan, Fedex, IBM, Mossimo, CNN logotype wordmarks

Above we can see 3 types of main logos which are used commonly in business industry. Combination marks which are a mixture of text and symbols usually represent businesses like fast foods and sports. They are informal and therefore very effective for the public as they signify brand image and represent a unique outlook of the type of business. Then follows iconic logos which is used by a variety of businesses including petrol pumps, car companies etc. They are mainly used because they are instantaneously recognizable, memorable and clear when reproduced in small sizes. They can also be illustrative in nature, either concrete or abstract but they do not clarify an exact type of business as they are only symbolic. Lastly, Logotypes are used by firms which highlight their credibility to audience and represent themselves as trustable. Such examples include CNN and BBC news, courier services, designers etc. The logo always contains text but can be designed artistically and graphically to give it a unique styled font and to make it stand out.

Comparison of logos (What makes Debenhams logotype very effective?)

Combination marks are suitable for firms such as fast food and sportswear because they seem a bit informal although using a combination of symbol and text makes it very recognisable and memorable for the audience. Comparatively, Debenhams logotype may be a bit ineffective for a mass audience as the logo is in English and is not symbolic although the logo is very formal and highlights great credibility. The logo has a simple font but it is designed in such a way that the colours contrast. This makes it very clear and recognisable by the audience. As logotypes are used by many standard firms including news and huge organisations such as World Health, it gives Debenhams a very high class image and thus a sense of business’s high reputation. Overall, Debenhams logotype may be better than a combination mark because combination marks are mainly used by food industries and businesses who want to make the audience visualise the products but Debenhams sells a wide range of products so it may not be able to create a vivid image of its business by using a combination mark.

Logotypes are used by many high class and standardised firms as they are very formal. They represent huge organisations such as NASA and WHO. They are usually given a unique font so they can be easily differentiated. Although huge businesses and organisations use this type of logo, Debenhams differentiates its logo from others very effectively. It styles it logo out very simply by just using the two contrasting colours grey and white. These colours make the logo very unique and give Debenhams its picture of high class trade. The logo appears just as a logo of expensive designer wears such as GUCCI or Armani. This is how the logo attracts people to shop from Debenhams. Overall, Debenhams logotype is very effective because it is unique, simple and uses contrasting colours to highlight its credibility and its ‘posh’ type business.

When we look at symbolic logos, we find it very attractive because of their unique style, symbols and various colours. They are easy to memorise because of their unique shape and colour. These types of logos are usually used by businesses who want to symbolise something to a huge audience. For example ‘Shell’ the petrol pump uses its symbolic logo to enable the people to recognise the business any where throughout the world so linguistic factor is excluded. Comparatively, Debenhams’ logo type is suitable for its business as English is a popular language and spoken widely around the world so the company can progress with its logotype. The logo is effective compare to iconic logos because the logotypes are more describable than symbolic logos and therefore easily traceable by customers. Apple, Nike, Disney, MSN, Cingular, Shell, Volksvagen, NBC iconic symbolic logosDisney, Dell, NASA, RayBan, Fedex, IBM, Mossimo, CNN logotype wordmarksMcDonald’s, TiVo, Starbucks, Reebok, Pringles, Domino’s, AT&T, Ola combination mark logos

http://www.phoenix-luxury.info/gucci-handbags/gucci_logo.jpghttp://www.e-valueshop.com/store/images/uploads/emporio_armani_logo.jpg

Evaluation of Debenhams’s logo type: Overall, Debenhams has made a good choice by choosing a simple logotype for its logo. This is because the more simple a logo is the more clear it is to the audience and thus its usability is wider throughout the population. Debenhams’s logotype has presented Debenhams in a higher class image representing an outlook of its quality; just as when you look at a ‘Posh Designer Wear’ such as Armani or Prada. When you look at a Designer wear’s logo, you usually see that the logo is simple and made of contrasting colours. This has a massive effect on audience as we can conclude that these types of logos can be regarded as masterpiece in businesses. Debenhams’s has used the same idea for its business. Although, if Debenhams’s would have chose an iconic logo, the business may not have flourished very well as it does with a logotype. This is because logotypes are easily recognisable, traceable and used by trusted firms so it creates a good image. Alternatively, Combination mark would have been useful as Debenhams’s logo because they are far more efficient but then the expected image of the store may not be as respected as it is now because logotypes seem more reliable.

Debenhams logotype may be a better choice than a combination mark because the popularity of combination marks is related to food industries and sportswear. In other words industries who want to highlight and give a outlook of the products usually use combination marks but as Debenhams is mainly a

Site Structure

Layout of Pages

There are two main types of layouts which are widely used by websites:

Fixed Width Layouts: are layouts in which the width of the page is set with a specific numerical value. Fixed layouts start with a specific size, chosen by the Web designer. They always remain the same chosen width, regardless of the size of the browser window viewing the page. Fixed width layouts allow direct control over how the page will look in most situations. They are often preferred by web designers with a print background, as they allow the designer to make little adjustments to the layout and have them remain consistent across browsers and computers.

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