Ep. 47 Why Your Logo Will Never Be as Iconic as Apple or Nike (& Why That’s Okay)
Every online business owner dreams of having a logo that's instantly recognizable. I get it. Brand recognition is powerful, and at Specht & Co., we spend a lot of time helping our clients build it.
But here's the hard truth: Apple and Nike have two of the most iconic logos in the world, not because of extraordinary logo design, but because of extraordinary businesses. The logo came second. The business came first.
If you've ever looked at your own logo and thought, "Why doesn't this work like the Apple logo does?" this post is for you. Let's unpack how these iconic brands actually got their start and why comparing your online business to them is setting yourself up for disappointment.
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Apple's Logo: From Isaac Newton to Minimalist Icon
When Apple launched in 1976, their first logo wasn't an apple at all. It was an incredibly detailed illustration of Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree, enclosed in a shield with a banner reading "The Apple Computer Company."
Beautiful? Maybe. Functional? Absolutely not.
The logo was impossible to scale, difficult to reproduce, and completely impractical for products or marketing. It lasted less than a year before Steve Jobs brought in designer Rob Janoff to create something that could actually work as a logo.
That's when the rainbow apple with a bite taken out of it was born. Fun fact: the bite was added so it wouldn't be mistaken for a cherry, and the rainbow stripes showcased Apple's color display technology.
This version lasted nearly 20 years. Twenty years of the same logo, building recognition through sheer consistency. Every time someone saw those rainbow stripes, they thought of Apple. That's not magic. That's strategic repetition.
By 1998, as Apple's products became sleeker and more minimalist, the logo followed suit. The rainbow disappeared, replaced by the monochrome metallic apple we know today. The shape stayed the same. The recognition remained.
The lesson? Apple's logo didn't make Apple iconic. Apple's evolution as a business made the logo iconic. The brand design supported the business strategy, not the other way around.
The $35 Nike Swoosh That Changed Everything
Here's a story that might surprise you: Nike wasn't always Nike. The company started as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 and didn't transition to the Nike name until 1971.
When they decided they needed a logo to go with their new name, they didn't hire a prestigious design firm or pay top dollar. They found a graphic design student named Carolyn Davidson and paid her $35 to create what would become one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.
Phil Knight's response when he first saw it? "Well, it might grow on me."
Fast forward to today, and that swoosh is everywhere. But it didn't become iconic because it was brilliant design (though as a designer, I appreciate the symbolism of wings from Nike, the Greek goddess of victory). It became iconic because Nike invested billions of dollars into marketing over decades.
They partnered with elite athletes. They embedded themselves into sports culture. They put that swoosh on everything and made sure you saw it everywhere you turned. The design was simple enough to recognize instantly, yes, but the recognition came from relentless repetition, massive scale, and exceptional brand strategy.
You don't recognize the swoosh because it's genius. You recognize it because you've seen it ten thousand times, and Nike has done an incredible job telling you what that symbol represents.
Why Spending More Money Won't Solve Your Logo Problems
The Nike story leads many online business owners to two dangerous conclusions:
"I just need a really simple logo and I'll be set"
"If I pay more for my logo, it'll work better"
Both are wrong.
Plenty of companies spend millions on logo redesigns that completely flop. Take Cracker Barrel, for example. In 2024, they unveiled a redesigned logo that stripped away their classic old country store identity. The backlash was so intense that within weeks, they brought back the original logo.
A massive brand with a loyal customer base spent a fortune on a rebrand that failed because it didn't align with what their customers valued about the brand. The expensive logo couldn't fix a disconnect in brand strategy.
The truth is this: logos work when they reflect brands with values that people trust and recognize. People don't love the Apple logo or the Nike swoosh because of the design. They love those brands, and the logo is simply a symbol of everything those companies represent.
What Your Logo Actually Does (And Doesn't Do)
Let's get really clear on the role of a logo in your online business.
What a Logo Should Do:
Represent your brand clearly and professionally
Feel aligned with your values and positioning
Function well across all platforms, from your website to your Instagram profile
Support brand recognition over time through consistency
What a Logo Cannot Do:
Make you famous overnight
Replace solid marketing and visibility efforts
Fix unclear messaging or positioning
Build trust without the business to back it up
A logo is a symbol, not a strategy. It's the visual representation of your brand, but it only works when there's something substantial for it to represent.
Brand Strategy: The Foundation That Makes Logos Work
Before Apple and Nike became household names, they had something more important than great logos. They had clear brand strategy.
They knew:
What they wanted to be known for
Who they were speaking to
How they would show up consistently
Why someone should choose them over competitors
Your online business needs the same foundation. Brand strategy defines these elements, and then brand design brings them to life visually. You choose colors that attract your ideal clients and reflect your values. You create a logo that communicates your message and is recognizable within your niche.
Strategy creates the meaning. Design delivers it. Without strategy, even the most beautiful logo is just a pretty picture that doesn't connect with anyone.
What You Should Actually Aim For
Forget Nike-level global recognition. That's not realistic, and honestly, it's probably not what you actually want. Most online business owners I work with don't dream of being famous. They want to support their families, make an impact, and build sustainable businesses they're proud of.
Here's what you should aim for instead:
Instant clarity for the right people. When your ideal client lands on your website or sees your content, they should immediately understand what you do and who you serve.
Memorable within your niche. You don't need everyone to know you. You need to be the first person your ideal client thinks of when they need what you offer.
Known for your unique approach. What's your differentiator? What makes you different from the hundreds of other people who do what you do?
Consistent across every touchpoint. Show up the same way in your messaging, your visuals, your tone, and your client experience. That consistency builds trust and recognition far more than any logo ever could.
Your Business Needs to Be Iconic, Not Your Logo
Apple and Nike didn't become powerhouses overnight. Their recognition was built through decades of consistency, massive investment in marketing, relentless execution, and killer brand strategy that guided every decision they made.
Your logo doesn't need to compete with that. But your business does need to be remarkable in its own right.
The way you treat your clients, the transformations you create, the unique perspective you bring, the consistency with which you show up. Those are the things that make a business iconic, at least to the people who matter.
When you focus on building an exceptional business with a solid brand strategy foundation, your logo becomes a symbol of that excellence. Your clients will recognize it not because it's clever or expensive, but because it represents the quality and care they've come to expect from you.
That's the kind of brand recognition worth building. Not global fame, but trusted recognition among the people whose lives you want to impact.
Where to Start
If you've been putting all your hopes into creating the perfect logo, it's time to shift your focus. Start with brand strategy for your online business. Get crystal clear on who you serve, what you stand for, and how you're different. Then, and only then, invest in brand design that brings that strategy to life.
Your logo will never be Apple. It will never be Nike. But with the right foundation, it can become something better: a symbol of a business that truly serves your people and supports the life you want to build.
🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned In The Episode:
➡️ Start Your Stand Out Brand™ Audit
➡️ Grab The Stand Out Brand Foundations Workbook
➡️ Book Your Stand Out Brand Strategy Session (use code SFBPOD for $100 off)
➡️ Book A Brand Chat
🎧 Listen to episode 46 of The Six Figure Brand Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube
