How to have a successful logo adapted to the coffee industry

Jun 7, 2020 | Coffee Professionals

InicioCoffee ProfessionalsHow to have a successful logo adapted to the coffee industry

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The world of coffee industry brands, encompasses a large sector today, it is not only industrialized coffee that sets the standard in the market, but there are also quantities of gourmet, organic or artisan brands, which with elegant style (and others with somewhat eccentric styles, but, with striking designs) attract and encompass a greater flow of customers who consume this product, not only for the range of products they offer but also for the attractiveness and identification with the brand.

If you have plans to start a business related to coffee, you have surely asked yourself, “with so many brands and coffee products on the market, how can I stand out from the other brands, how can I have a successful logo?” In this article, we will answer those questions.

What should you know before creating your logo?

Before creating your logo, it is important to take into account some design considerations, since the coffee industry market is quite extensive.

One of them is to request a logo creation service, look for a professional graphic designer or an agency, for this, which will take a form with your preferences, mission, and vision of your brand, and from there they will discuss what is most convenient for your logo.

Its creation will depend on the sector of the coffee industry to which you will focus, choose something simple, authentic, and functional, normally this process depends on the creative.

Some examples of logos that work perfectly within this industry, in addition to meeting these three conditions, are easy to understand, are used in different proposals such as packaging, glasses, and more. An example of this is the brands, Peet’s coffee®, Starbucks coffee®, Altomayo®, to say a few.

Logos (a) Peet's coffee®, (b) Starbucks coffee®, (c) Altomayo- Logo coffee industry

Logos (a) Peet's coffee® - United States, (b) Starbucks coffee® - United States, (c) Altomayo - Peru.

You do not necessarily have to choose a logo with a coffee bean or cup, an example of this is the Starbucks coffee® logo, which uses a mermaid, but in its logo, it shows the word coffee. This logo was created according to the preferences of the owners and in the place where they started with the dream of covering a large market in the coffee industry.

The owners, together with the designer Terry Heckler, associated a mermaid who with her song attracted sailors, because they thought that she would attract customers who bought the best coffee they could offer. Even though the logo underwent countless refreshes, the original idea is still maintained and works perfectly.

Another point that you should take into account is that it is maintained over time if it is necessary to refresh it as the case previously commented, that it does not affect the main idea and intention with which the logo was created.

Evolution of the Starbucks coffee logo - Logo coffee industry

Evolution of the Starbucks coffee® logo.

As for color, black is mostly used, to convey elegance, earthy tones, associated with coffee beans, and colors referring to nature itself, such as the colors of the coffee tree, or the coffee cherry. The best choice is to adapt a color according to what you want to visually communicate your brand, one color, or a maximum two.

For the logo to be functional, you must present it in different proposals, make packaging mockups, POP material, glasses, mugs, labels, have the minimum size references for the website and offset printing, and thus verify that the logo does not lose details when be minimized.

Image is important, but so is quality

It is also relevant for your brand, offering a quality product, yes, visual marketing influences but also the flavors and emotions that coffee that you offer transmits, and this is where everything related to your brand comes into play, that those flavors and emotions are reflected in your logo.

Such is the case of the renowned Juan Valdez® coffee brand, a Colombian tradition coffee, with a very representative logo of that country, since they personify Juan Valdez, like Colombian coffee farmers and their families.

This character was created by the New York agency Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1959, hired by the “National Federation of Colombian Coffee Framers”, seeking to recognize the work of the Colombian coffee farmer, since it was not created as the Juan Valdez® brand of products and coffee shops that you currently know, I will explain this later.

How to take advantage of the colors and shapes of your logo?

Surely you have heard about the psychology of color and how it influences human emotions, so you can take advantage of this to define a suitable color for your logo.

In the case of the brown color, it transmits reliability, stability, it is known as the color with the most flavors, but you must be careful when using this technique because being misused you could communicate something unwanted.

In the case of shapes, it uses smooth, oval, circular, and easy to read shapes, with few details, so that it is easy to retain for people.

Is there a difference between a logo for a coffee shop and a product?

If you create a logo for a coffee brand, but then you have in mind to open a store, with the sale of packaged coffee, accessories and miscellaneous, you must also take all this into account for the creation of your logo since the development of a brand it must be consistent with your identity. Manage a line in colors, styles, and materials.

There is a great diversity of cafes that offer their service as a coffee shop but also sell their packaged product, such as the case of Tostao’ Café & Pan, the BB International Group bakery/coffee shop chain, whose brand design was in charge of the Mundano Buro branding agency, wherein all its products they maintain an impeccable graphic line and the concept of the brand, its logo, colors, and typography endure.

Thus it can be seen that a logo created for a business brand is functional, and can be perfectly used in the products offered by that business.

Tostao’ Café & Pan - Logo coffee industry

Graphic line of Tostao ’Café & Pan | Credits: Tostao ’Café & Pan Facebook Profile.

Why is the Juan Valdez® brand so successful?

Let’s see why the Juan Valdez® brand, from the company Procafecol S.A., that I previously mentioned, is so successful.

Its logo was created simplifying the image of Mr. Juan Valdez, and his mule called Conchita, a character created to represent Colombian coffee farmers, commissioned by the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Farmers to the DDB agency, this being the concept of the brand, tradition, Premium coffee, 100% Colombian.

The interesting thing about this brand is that the character is born first since it was not created as a brand, but as identification of the Colombian coffee farmer, for the federation, they impregnate the image of Mr. Juan Valdez and Conchita around the world.

So much so, that it is a reference, in the movie “Bruce Almighty” 2003, starring Jim Carrey, where he wishes for the best cup of coffee in the world and we see Mr. Juan serving him a great cup of 100% Colombian coffee. What do I mean by this, the logo is not only an identification of your brand, it must also communicate, a feeling and emotion, this is a clear example.

As technical specifications, the first logo where Juan Valdez is seen was shaped in a triangular shape, representing some hills, additionally, of course, was the coffee farmer, in his typical clothing, next to his mule, with the phrase “Café de Colombia”, It is a flagship logo of the National Federation of Coffee Farmers of Colombia, to later from that concept give life to what we know today as “Juan Valdez® Café”.

Currently, only a segment of the first logo of the federation, Juan, and a shell are seen in a box, as a symbol of the brand, with the statement “Juan Valdez® Café”. The typography used to create this logo was specially designed for the Juan Valdez® brand, it is quite readable and functional, they use the color of coffee cherry as a priority color in their logo, and everything related to their brand, glasses, packaging, coffee shops, signs, among others, is a color that attracts a lot and is easily associated with the brand.

Logo Juan Valdez Café - Logo coffee industry

Logo Juan Valdez Café | Credits: Website juanvaldezcafe.com.

This logo is successful for the brand by association, tradition, Colombian coffee product, and identification with the Colombian coffee farmer, only a good concept makes you achieve all this.

Even though the symbol still contains a lot of detail information for some tastes, it is already an icon of Colombian coffee, I think they would hardly change Mr. Juan Valdez and Conchita, although the “Juan Valdez® Café” logo is of greater importance, and they work perfectly separately, another plus for this logo.

All the logos referenced in this article can be of great help for you to successfully create yours, follow the considerations and ideas implemented by these great brands.

About the Author

Paulina Valor Venezuela

Graphic Designer.

Hello, I am Pau, a graphic designer since 2005, currently working on my creative studio named Fenix Art Studio, where we develop creative ideas adapted to our clients. I consider myself a coffee lover, in addition to tasting it, I use it for my skin, it is very versatile. My favorite coffee is black and mocha; I am inspired by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, which invites me to travel in childhood memories when my grandparents and parents brightened up their mornings with a good coffee. I am passionate about nature and its forms, music, and all kinds of art, such as tattoos and mandalas.

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