That $200 Logo Might Cost You More Than You Think!
We get it. When you're running a small business or a lean marketing team for a destination marketing organization, every dollar counts. So when someone mentions they got a logo designed for $200 on a platform like Upwork, it sounds like a smart move. Quick, affordable, done.
But here's the thing, a logo isn't just a pretty picture. It's the foundation of your brand, and if that foundation has cracks in it, the whole house can wobble. We recently had a business come to us with a logo they'd gotten through a freelancing platform. Something felt a little off to them, and they wanted a second opinion. It turned out their instincts were right. The logo had been built using graphics pulled from a stock image site, graphics that were already being used by another brand in another country. What they thought was their own unique identity was, in fact, shared property.
That's a problem. A big one. Let's talk about why.
You Might Not Actually Own Your Logo
When a designer uses stock graphics or clip art as part of your logo, even if they tweak the colours or resize things, they haven't created something original. And stock graphics, depending on their licensing, may not be eligible for trademark registration at all. Worse, other businesses may already be using the exact same elements.
For a tourism business or destination marketing organization, your logo is everywhere: on signage, websites, brochures, social media, trade show booths, and partner materials. The last thing you want is a legal headache or a rebrand forced on you after you've already invested in all of that.
The Stock Art Trap
Here's something a lot of people don't realize: some designers working at ultra-low price points aren't creating original artwork, they're assembling logos from pre-made elements and selling them quickly to make the math work on their end. At $200 a logo, they simply can't afford to spend 10–20 hours on original illustration and thoughtful strategy.
So they use shortcuts. Stock icons. Template fonts arranged on a coloured shape. Elements that look professional at a glance but have no real uniqueness behind them. Sometimes the same designer will sell very similar logos to multiple clients in the same week.
A Logo Without Strategy Is Just a Picture
A good logo doesn't just look nice. It communicates something. It fits your audience, your tone, your industry, and your community. For a business in Peterborough or a tourism organization promoting a region, your logo needs to feel like you — not like something that could belong to anyone, anywhere.
A thoughtful design process includes a conversation about who you are, who you're trying to reach, what makes you different, and how your brand will be used across different formats and platforms. That process takes time, and time costs money, but it's the kind of investment that pays for itself many times over.
What You Risk With a Cut-Rate Logo
To put it plainly, here's what can go wrong when you skip the due diligence:
Brand confusion. If your logo looks like someone else's, especially in your own region or industry, you're making it harder for customers to remember and trust you.
Legal exposure. If the graphics in your logo aren't properly licensed or cleared for commercial use, you could face a cease-and-desist or worse.
Rebranding costs. Starting over isn't cheap. New signage, a new website, updated social media profiles, reprinted materials, a rebrand can easily cost more than doing it right the first time.
Lost credibility. A logo that looks generic or "off-brand" can quietly undermine the confidence customers have in your business before they even walk through the door.
So What Should You Do?
None of this is meant to scare you, it's meant to help you make a smart decision. Here are a few things worth keeping in mind:
Ask questions. If you're working with a designer, ask them directly: is this logo built with original artwork? Will I have full commercial rights and ownership of the final files? Can this be trademarked?
Look at their process. A designer who asks you thoughtful questions about your business before opening a design tool is a designer who's thinking about your brand, not just your deadline.
Think about what your brand needs to do. Where will your logo appear? How will it be used? A good designer will think about your logo on a billboard and a business card, in colour and in black and white, on your website and on a tote bag.
Consider the full value. A professionally designed logo from a studio that stands behind their work isn't just a file, it's a relationship, a process, and a brand asset that can serve you for years.
At OmniWorx Design, we work with small businesses and organizations, including tourism and destination marketing groups, right here in Peterborough and beyond. We love helping people figure out who they are and how to show up in the world with confidence.
If you've got a logo you're not sure about, or you're starting fresh and want to do it right, we'd love to have that conversation. No jargon, no pressure, just a friendly chat about your brand and where you want to take it. Reach out anytime. We're always happy to take a look!