But, what is stopping these young entrepreneurs from building empires? Well, besides from near-sightedness due to limited economic resources, it is the lack of capacity (or perhaps desire) to standardize their process so it can be reproduced.

Twitter. The original Google and Coca-Cola logos were designed by their founders. The Twitter logo cost $15 and was designed by Simon Oxley in 2009. It has recently been updated.

What iconic logo had to be redesigned in 1992 for being too risqué?

The price tag of a logo cannot be measured with artwork or graphics; it should be measured on the thought behind it and on the consistency and cohesiveness with which it is managed. That said, I believe you will find it fascinating that some of the most recognized logos in the world cost as little as $0 while others as much as $1.2 B.

This rationality and sagacity are two of IKEA’s strongest and most compelling brand principles. These values combined with a clear identity (I know exactly what IKEA looks, smells, feels and even tastes like), and a timeless value proposition (better living for all) are the core with which the company has built an empire that some might argue doesn’t even require media and marketing investment to maintain.

“The Conversation Agency” needs the combined skills of the three agencies: the creative excellence of the advertising agency, the analytical powers of the media agency, and the technical skills of the digital agency. But to integrate these separate abilities, we need to stop being ad men (and women) and become communicators again.