Perceptions of Symmetry and Color in Environmental Logos

Logos are an important visual representation of an organization or brand. Therefore they need to be processed quickly and produce positive responses toward the product or service being offered. One emerging brand category whose logo characteristics may generate a unique class of consumer responses is environmental organizations, which may rely on logo characteristics to best portray environmentally friendly connotations and associations. Color and symmetry may also have unique effects on responses to environmental organizations as both may elicit consumer associations with environmental concepts. It has long been argued that symmetry contributes to good design, and that it is processed faster than asymmetry. In addition, color can also provide positive affect and emotions toward a brand. Therefore, the present study examined whether the logo design elements of symmetry and color contribute to quick processing and positive emotions as applied to environmental and non-environmental organizations. To accomplish this, an online experiment used a 2 (design: symmetrical vs. asymmetrical) X 2 (color: blue vs. green) X 2 (organization: environmental vs. non-environmental) factorial design with eight conditions, varying the logo design elements and company type to measure effects on logo and company perceptions, recall, and response. While the pattern of effects of the factors on outcomes was generally inconsistent and incongruent with expectations, some findings include a general preference among participants for green logos regardless of symmetry or company type and a number of higher-order interactions between factors in effects on other outcomes. One notable higher-order interaction was a three-way interaction effect on perceptions of company environmentalism wherein the environmental company was perceived as consistently more environmental than the non-environmental company regardless of logo attributes, but the non-environmental company was perceived as more environmental with a green and asymmetrical logo than with other logo characteristics. While in some ways exploratory, this study provides some possible insight into how environmental and non-environmental companies can use these findings to better design their logos if they wish to be perceived as more popular, profitable, or environmental.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication

Department dc:contributor.department

Communication

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Francis, Sarah Lucile

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Ivory, James Dee

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Waggenspack, Beth M.
• Magee, Robert Gerald

• logos
• symmetry
• color
• environmental organizations
• marketing

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:3041

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/48433