Do You Need a Logo?

Signs, symbols and logos for activities and initiatives

Visualizing internal or external activities, initiatives, projects or departments with a sign, a symbol or a logo should be the exception. It’s better to focus our resources and efforts on the most valuable intangible assets we have: the Bayer brand and our product brands.

Additional signs, symbols or logos incur the risk of competing for attention with our value-driving Bayer brand, and potentially lead to dilution that inhibits the growth of the Bayer brand value. That is why we should restrict them to what delivers added value to our company – or, even better, refrain from creating new signs, symbols, or logos if the benefit for Bayer is not obvious. In any case, they must comply with the rules detailed below and be approved in advance.

What you need to know

The uncontrolled use of signs, symbols or logos that are not required to achieve a communication goal may have a negative impact on the Bayer Group’s visual appeal. Accordingly, signs, symbols and logos should be subjected to regular critical review.

Signs, symbols, or logos that merely highlight internal organizational units without supporting a corporate or regional initiative are not permissible. If existing signs, symbols, or logos do not comply with the rules outlined in the Checklist, their use should not continue. A newly designed sign, symbol or logo needs to go through an approval process run by Corporate Brand Management.

Please keep in mind

• Additional signs, symbols and logos should make a clear contribution to the reputation and value of the Bayer brand. 
• It is desirable to explain during the approval process why it is important for Bayer to have a logo for the activity / initiative.
• Signs, symbols, and logos should be characterized by a clear and simple design and convey their purpose and goal as quickly and unambiguously as possible.
• Signs, symbols or logos should be separated from the Bayer brand by a distance at least three times the diameter of the Bayer cross.
• The design quality of the sign, the symbol or the logo, the images or other visual elements used should be appropriate to the brand personality, promise, style and quality standard of the Bayer brand.
• Signs, symbols, and logos should be based on our corporate font. Modification options include capital letters, spacing, font width, and other adaptations of the font to suit the design of the sign, symbol, or logo.
• The full range of our corporate color palette may be used for the design of signs, symbols, and logos.

What is not allowed

• Signs, symbols, and logos should never compete with the Bayer brand.
• Their positioning should not be too close to the Bayer trademark (leave a space at least three times the diameter of the Bayer Cross).
• The Bayer Cross must never be integrated into signs, symbols, or logos.
• Graphic elements with similarities to the Bayer Cross (e.g., circular shapes) are not permissible.