Build a Sports Team Brand with Awesome Logo Design

November 30, 2021
by Benjamin Davidson

Is your netball, football, or basketball uniform logo adding to poor brand experience and turning away members? Are you unwittingly increasing your costs through poor design that does not consider how your brand restricts how it’s applied to your apparel?

It’s true many people choose things on price alone and some are just looking for free stuff and don’t consider the long term value of a great, easy to produce logo design as part of your brand.

Your team logo design and uniform design are critical aspects of your brand, but the ease of decoration, application limitations and suitability for the different decoration methods, is what determines how much your logo application costs you in both dollar terms and brand recognition.

Student athletes in the USA will consider the strength of the university brand and uniform brands they will be wearing when they choose which college to attend. That's a powerful brand association choice and it can equally apply to your club and associations prospective members.

C2C Sports founder from Australia, John Davidson, with 50 years of experience in the sports apparel decoration and team uniform manufacturing industry gives his priceless advice! It can save you money, attract and retain members and even help you become iconic!

Technology has revolutionised design and decoration options. What looks great on a device or screen, also needs to be easily reproduced in varying quantities and sizes on your netball uniform, basketball uniform, cricket uniform, soccer jersey, polo shirts, caps, socks and tracksuits.

You don’t need to pay $50,000 for a style guide, but you do need to consider the value developing something a brand that can become iconic. Often overlooked is the different decoration methods relative to logo design.

A great example is Apple changing their logo from a rainbow of colours to 1 colour. We share below exactly why they changed it. Read on!

You should ask your designer to provide options that consider what methods of decoration and advertising use apply to you. The below will help you identify and communicate with your designer and sportswear supplier.

Timeless recognisable logos, designed by great logo makers, are with few exceptions simple. Memorable logo designs have minimal colours and are easily applied to 95% of substrates and methods. Our tip to you is less is more. Here are a few we like!

Disclaimer: Please note we are not the owners of these amazing sports logo trademarks.

Elements	Tips	Rationale
Font Size Minimum	1cm Bold	You can easily read it from 3m away and it suits 80% of decoration methods
Logo = Symbol + Word
Symbol Mark Mascot Icon	Non Text Only Must be used on its own. Think of an M or A Bulls Head	1 representative element is preferable and 2 is maximum. Eg, Sport & Map, Skull & Football, Bullhead & Basketball. Crest & Icon. Letters and Abbreviations work too as both symbol and the wordmark
Word Mark	Text Only Must be used on its own. Think of McDonald’s or BULLS	Sometimes you can only put text. We prefer using standard fonts if possible, there are millions. You can create your own but expect to pay big $
Text Amount	1 Word is Best 2 is OK as you grow 3 is Max & start to consider an abbreviation	1 or 2 words are simple to communicate and 3 are rarely used. Use abbreviations or acronyms that are common. Liverpool FC. ARU, FIBA, NBA, UCLA, SYD UNI, GWS, Harvard Med Event Logos with commercial sponsors always complicate things
Logo Colours	Have a 1 colour version & Maximum of 3 colours where possible	Home/Away/Highlight Flat or Spot Colour versions are critical. A gradient is for digital-only. A Mono or Single Version is Critical
Logo Shape Options	Simple Regular Shape or Position Vertical / Stacked Horizontal / Long	Square, Round, Triangular Sitting / Flying Cover these orientations and 80% of your needs are covered, the other 20% is too costly to worry about.
Application Purpose	Jerseys or Socks or on Metal?	Can it be used on items you will need?
Application Quantity	1 or 100?	If there is 50 in your club and will you be accepting 5 new members mid-season?

Where your logo is to be applied is critical. What works on websites and paper, doesn't work with say embroidery or screen printing as the setup costs to decorate can be large.

For example, long names (landscape) are great as a banner on websites and letterheads but do not work in concise logos for an 8cm x 8cm breast position and your web designer does not make your garments.

Logo Design Decoration Limitations & Recommendations

Tips	Cut / Digitally Printed Film	Direct to Film Heat Transfer	Embroidery	Screen Print	Applique embroidery	Sublimation
Font Size minimum	2cm	0.75cm	1cm	.5cm	5cm - 30cm	.5cm
Logo Colour	Any	Any	1-6	1-3	1-4	Any
Logo Size	Any	Up to 30cm wide	Small	Any	medium	Any
Suitable Order Volume	1+	1+	10+	50+	50+	1+
Colours	Stock	Any	Stock	All	Stock	All
Cost per Logo	Per sq cm - medium cost	Per sq cm - Low Cost	Per 1000 stitches - high setup cost & per	Per colour and placement. High setup, low print	Per 1000 stitches + base fabric	None All included in the cost
Minimum Quantity	1+	1+	10+	50+ per colour	50++	1+

A logo is one of many reflective elements of branding and how consumers value or remember their experiences. The Summer Olympics, Commonwealth Games, EUFA Champions League all provide amazing mementos.

C2C Sport is 33-year expert sports apparel manufacturers with significant commercial experience in apparel design and supply to deliver great memories for fans and participants. We are one of the best in the industry.

If you would like us to create your logo, style guide or full branding suite, we have the power! Contact us here.

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