Symbols can be used to exploit the most unconscious-level of human desire, and they are able to create associations between a company and what the company stands for. Some might argue that the logo is in fact a symbol. And in some cases it is true. The symbol only logos are so famous that they don't need the company name attached to be recognizable.
In the ancient Greek culture, the word logo literally meant "word" or "speech". Other cultures - the Babylonian, Egyptian Assyrian, Chinese or Mayan used pictographs to communicate words and ideas.
