Can You Use Customer Logos In Your Portfolio?

Usually, you should get permission before you use a customer's logo, name or project results in your portfolio or marketing materials.

That can feel a little frustrating if you've done great work and simply want to show future customers who you've helped. But using a customer logo isn't just a design choice. It can raise trade mark, copyright, confidentiality, privacy and Fair Trading Act issues.

The good news is that this is usually easy to manage with the right wording in your service agreement or customer contract and a sensible approval process. A clear permission clause can help you market your work confidently, without surprising your customers later.

Can You Use Customer Logos In Your Portfolio?

Yes, you can use customer logos in your portfolio if you have permission and your use doesn't mislead anyone.

For most agencies, consultants and SaaS businesses, the safest approach is to treat a customer's logo as something you need express approval to use. That approval might be in your service agreement, a statement of work, a separate marketing consent form or an email that clearly says what you can use and where.

Without permission, you may run into a few practical problems:

• Trade mark issues: many customer logos are registered trade marks through IPONZ, or are used as unregistered brand identifiers.
• Copyright issues: a logo can also be an artistic work under the Copyright Act 1994.
• Confidentiality issues: your contract may stop you from publicly naming the customer or mentioning the project.
• Misleading advertising issues: your marketing must not create a false impression about your relationship with the customer under the Fair Trading Act 1986.
• Relationship issues: even if the legal risk is low, a customer may be unhappy if they see their logo used without being asked.

Say you run a Wellington-based software consultancy and you've built an internal dashboard for a well-known retailer. You add their logo to your homepage under Trusted By. If your agreement is silent on logo use, the retailer might ask you to remove it, especially if they have strict brand guidelines or procurement rules. If the homepage also makes it look like they're endorsing your whole product, the risk is higher.

In other words, the question isn't only can we technically upload the logo? It's whether you have the right to use it, whether your customer has approved the context, and whether the public impression is accurate.

Do You Need Written Permission To Name A Customer?

Yes, written permission is strongly recommended before you name a customer in your marketing.

Naming a customer may feel less serious than using their logo, but it can still be sensitive. Some customers are happy for suppliers to say they worked with them. Others treat supplier relationships, project details or technology choices as confidential.

Your contract may also draw a line between different kinds of marketing use. For example, a customer might agree that you can say you provided services to them, but not that you can:

• use their logo;
• publish a case study;
• share project outcomes or performance numbers;
• quote their staff;
• issue a media release;
• refer to them as a partner, sponsor or affiliate; or
• use their name in paid ads, pitch decks or sales emails.

Written permission matters because it gives both sides a shared record of what was agreed. A vague phone call like sure, we're happy to be mentioned can quickly become messy if your marketing team later uses the customer's logo, screenshots, quotes and results across multiple channels.

Written approval doesn't always need to be a long document. For low-risk uses, an email can work if it clearly covers:

• the customer name and brand assets you want to use;
• where you want to use them, such as your website, portfolio, proposals or social media;
• how long the permission lasts;
• whether the customer can ask you to remove or update the material; and
• whether the customer needs to approve the final wording or design.

For regular B2B work, it's cleaner to build this into your service agreement from the start, then get specific approval for higher-profile uses like case studies.

What Should A Client Logo Permission Clause Say?

A good client logo permission clause should clearly state what you can use, where you can use it and what approval rights the customer has.

This clause is often overlooked because everyone is focused on scope, fees and delivery dates. But if referrals, proof of work and brand credibility matter to your growth, your portfolio rights deserve proper drafting.

A practical clause might cover:

• Permission: the customer allows you to use their name, logo and trade marks for agreed marketing purposes.
• Purpose: you can use them to identify the customer as a customer, client or user of your services.
• Channels: your website, portfolio, proposals, capability statements, pitch decks, social media or investor materials.
• Approval process: whether you need written approval before first use, or only for certain types of use.
• Brand guidelines: you must follow the customer's logo, colour, sizing and brand rules if they provide them.
• No endorsement: your use must not suggest sponsorship, partnership, certification or endorsement unless separately agreed.
• Case studies: whether case studies need separate approval, especially if they include results, quotes or screenshots.
• Withdrawal: when the customer can ask you to remove their logo, and how quickly you need to act.
• Licence limits: the permission is limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable and only for the agreed marketing use.

The right wording depends on your bargaining position and the type of customer you work with. A small local customer may be comfortable with broad marketing rights. A government agency, bank, healthcare provider or listed company may require written approval every time.

A Balanced Example

A balanced approach is to separate everyday portfolio use from bigger promotional uses.

For example, your agreement might say you can list the customer name and logo in your portfolio after the project is complete, but you need separate written approval before publishing a case study, testimonial, media release or paid advertisement.

That gives you useful marketing rights without making the customer feel they have lost control of their brand.

What If The Customer Says No?

If the customer says no, you generally shouldn't use their logo or name.

You might still be able to describe the work in a non-identifying way, such as we helped a national retailer improve its onboarding workflow. Even then, be careful if the details make the customer obvious or reveal confidential information.

This is where tailored wording helps. Templates often miss the difference between logo use, customer naming, testimonials and detailed case studies, and those differences can matter a lot in practice.

Can You Publish A Case Study Without Separate Consent?

Usually, no. You should get separate consent before publishing a case study that names the customer or reveals project details.

A case study often goes further than a simple logo strip. It may include the customer's business problem, internal process, software stack, commercial results, staff quotes, photos or screenshots. That can trigger more issues than basic portfolio use.

Before you publish a named case study, check whether you have permission to include:

• the customer's name and logo;
• a description of the project or services;
• business results, revenue figures, cost savings or performance metrics;
• before and after comparisons;
• screenshots, dashboards, reports or product interfaces;
• quotes from customer employees or directors;
• photos or videos of people, premises or products; and
• any statement that sounds like an endorsement.

A clean process is to send the customer the final draft and ask for written sign-off before publication. If the case study will be used in multiple formats, say that upfront. A customer may approve a PDF for your sales team but not a public LinkedIn campaign.

What Should Case Study Consent Cover?

Case study consent should cover both the content and the channels.

A simple approval email could say the customer approves your use of their name, logo, approved quotes and the attached case study text on your website, social media, sales materials and proposals. It should also say whether you can edit the case study later, and whether you need fresh approval for major changes.

If you use metrics, make sure they're accurate and backed up. The Fair Trading Act 1986 prohibits misleading or deceptive conduct in trade. If you claim your work increased conversions by 45 percent, you should be able to explain where that number came from and what it actually measures.

What Are The Trade Mark And Fair Trading Risks?

The main risks are using someone else's brand without permission, or using it in a way that creates the wrong impression.

In New Zealand, logos and brand names may be protected under the Trade Marks Act 2002 if they're registered with IPONZ. Even if a logo isn't registered, the customer may still have rights in their brand through passing off principles or under the Fair Trading Act 1986.

A logo may also be protected by copyright. That means there can be two separate issues: the customer's trade mark rights in the brand, and copyright in the design itself.

Most portfolio use is fairly simple: you show the logo to identify a customer you've worked with. The risk increases when your marketing suggests more than that.

Be careful with wording like:

• official partner of [customer], unless you really are an official partner;
• approved supplier, unless you have that status and can prove it;
• trusted by, if the customer hasn't agreed to be presented that way;
• used by, if only one small team trialled your product;
• endorsed by, unless the customer has given a clear endorsement; and
• certified by, unless there's a real certification.

The Fair Trading Act matters because your marketing is judged by the overall impression it gives. A small disclaimer may not fix a headline, logo placement or design that suggests a relationship you don't have.

A safer approach is to be precise. If you completed a one-off implementation project, say that. If the customer uses one module of your SaaS platform, don't imply the entire organisation uses everything you sell.

How Do Confidentiality And Privacy Issues Fit In?

Confidentiality and privacy can stop you from using a customer story even where the logo itself is available online.

Your service agreement, NDA, purchase order terms, acceptable use policy or procurement documents may include confidentiality obligations. Those obligations can cover the existence of the relationship, project details, pricing, technical information, security arrangements, customer data, AI use restrictions and commercial outcomes.

Some customers are especially sensitive. For example, if you provide cybersecurity services, naming a customer might reveal something about their systems or risk profile. If you work with health, finance, education or government customers, approval processes can be strict.

Privacy is slightly different. A company name is usually not personal information, but the Privacy Act 2020 can apply if your marketing identifies or says something about an individual. This can include:

• a quote from a named employee;
• a photo or video of a person;
• a testimonial from a sole trader using their personal name;
• screenshots showing names, emails or customer records;
• analytics that can be linked back to identifiable people; or
• stories about a person's performance, health, finances or behaviour.

If personal information is involved, check that your use fits the purpose for which it was collected, your privacy policy, and any consent you've received. For testimonials, photos and quotes, get express written consent from the person as well as brand approval from the customer organisation.

Watch Out For Screenshots

Screenshots can be riskier than they look.

A CRM screenshot, dashboard or app screen might show names, emails, sales figures, internal notes or customer records. Before you use screenshots in a portfolio or case study, remove or mask anything confidential or personal, and ask the customer to approve the final image.

What Documents Should Cover Your Portfolio Rights?

Your portfolio rights should usually be covered in your service agreement, with separate approvals for higher-risk marketing.

The best setup depends on how your business sells and delivers work. For many B2B providers, a simple document stack is enough.

Service Agreement Or SaaS Terms

Your main customer contract should set the baseline rules.

For a consultancy or agency, this might be a service agreement. For a software business, it might be SaaS terms, website terms of use, customer terms or a master services agreement. The contract can include a clause dealing with customer names, logos, trade marks, testimonials and case studies.

If you use statements of work, you can also add project-specific rules there. For example, one customer may allow logo use after launch, while another may require written approval for everything.

Brand Approval Or Marketing Consent Form

A separate marketing consent form can be useful when you want to publish a case study, video, testimonial or media release.

This doesn't need to be complicated. It should identify the materials being approved, the places you'll use them, and any conditions. Keeping a clean approval record will save you time if team members change or the customer later asks what they approved.

Internal Marketing Process

You also need a practical internal process, especially if your sales and marketing teams move quickly.

A simple checklist before publishing customer names or logos might ask:

• Do we have a signed contract or written approval?
• Does the approval cover this channel and this exact use?
• Are we using the current logo and following brand guidelines?
• Does the wording accurately describe the relationship?
• Have we checked confidentiality restrictions?
• Have we removed personal or confidential information from screenshots?
• Has the customer approved any quotes, metrics or case study text?
• Do we have a process for removing the material if approval is withdrawn?

This type of process isn't just about avoiding problems. It also helps your marketing team move faster because they know what's approved and what needs a second look.

Key Takeaways

• You should usually get permission before using a customer logo, name, testimonial or case study in your marketing.
• A good permission clause should cover what you can use, where you can use it, approval rights, brand guidelines and removal requests.
• Trade mark, copyright and Fair Trading Act risks can arise if your marketing suggests endorsement, partnership or approval that doesn't exist.
• Confidentiality obligations can stop you from naming a customer or sharing project details, even if the work went well.
• If your case study includes people, quotes, photos, screenshots or identifiable information, think about Privacy Act 2020 requirements too.
• Your service agreement, SaaS terms and case study approval process should work together so your portfolio rights are clear from the start.

If you'd like help with your service agreements, SaaS terms, logo permission clauses or case study consent process, you can reach us at 0800 002 184 or team@sprintlaw.co.nz for a free, no-obligations chat.