![VOC bord uit Japan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/VOC_bord_uit_Japan.jpg)
A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner in which a
corporation
A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and ...
, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public (such as customers and investors as well as employees). The corporate identity is typically visualized by
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
ing and with the use of
trademarks
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...
, but it can also include things like
product design,
advertising
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
,
public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...
etc. Corporate identity is a primary goal of the
corporate communications
Corporate communication is a set of activities involved in managing and orchestrating all internal and external communications aimed at creating favourable point of view among stakeholders on which the company depends. Riel, Cees B.M. van; Fombru ...
, in order to maintain and build the identity to accord with and facilitate the corporate business objectives.
In general, this amounts to a
corporate title,
logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...
(logotype and/or logogram) and supporting devices commonly assembled within a set of corporate guidelines. These guidelines govern how the identity is applied and usually include approved
color palettes, typefaces, page layouts, fonts, and others.
Integrated marketing communications (IMC)
Corporate identity is the set of multi-sensory elements that marketers employ to communicate a visual statement about the brand to consumers. These multi-sensory elements include but are not limited to company name, logo, slogan, buildings, décor, uniforms, company colors and in some cases, even the physical appearance of customer-facing employees. Corporate Identity is either weak or strong; to understand this concept, it is beneficial to consider exactly what constitutes a strong corporate identity.
Consonance, in the context of marketing, is a unified message offered to consumers from all fronts of the organization (Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). In the context of corporate identity, consonance is the alignment of all touch points. For example, Apple has strong brand consonance because at every point at which the consumer interacts with the brand, a consistent message is conveyed. This is seen in Apple TV advertisements, the Apple Store design, the physical presentation of customer facing Apple employees and the actual products, such as the iPhone, iPad and MacBook laptops. Every Apple touch point is communicating a unified message: From the advertising of the brand to the product packaging, the message sent to consumers is 'we are simple, sophisticated, fun and user friendly'. Brand consonance solidifies corporate identity and encourages brand acceptance, on the grounds that when a consumer is exposed to a consistent message multiple times across the entirety of a brand, the message is easier to trust and the existence of the brand is easier to accept. Strong brand consonance is imperative to achieving strong corporate identity.
Strong consonance, and in turn, strong corporate identity can be achieved through the implementation and integration of
integrated marketing communications
Marketing Communications (MC, marcom(s), marcomm(s) or just simply communications) refers to the use of different marketing channels and tools in combination.Tomse, & Snoj, 2014 Marketing communication channels focus on how businesses communicate ...
(IMC). IMC is a collective of concepts and communications processes that seek to establish clarity and consistency in the positioning of a brand in the mind of consumers. As espoused by Holm (cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011), at its ultimate stage, IMC is implemented at a corporate level and consolidates all aspects of the organization; this initiates brand consonance which in turn inspires strong corporate identity. To appreciate this idea with heavier mental weight, it is important to regard the different levels of IMC integration.
The communication-based model, advanced by Duncan and Moriarty (as cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011) contends that there are three levels of IMC integration; Duncan and Moriarty affirm that the lowest level of IMC integration is level one where IMC decisions are made by marketing communication level message sources. These sources include personal sales, advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing, public relations, packaging and events departments. The stake holders concerned at this stage are consumers, local communities, media and interest groups (Duncan and Moriarty, 1998 as cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). At the second stage of IMC integration, Duncan and Moriarty (as cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011) establish that level one integration departments still have decision making power but are now guided by marketing level message sources. At stage two integration the message sources are those departments in which product mix, price mix, marketing communication and distribution mix are settled; appropriately, stakeholders at this stage of integration are distributors, suppliers and competition (Duncan and Moriarty, 1998 as cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). It is at this stage of integration that consumers interact with the organization (Duncan and Moriarty, 1998 as cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). Moving forward, the last stage Duncan and Moriarty's Communication Based Model (as cited in Laurie and Mortimer, 2011) is stage three where message sources are at the corporate level of the organization; these message sources include administration, manufacturing operations, marketing, finance, human resources and legal departments. The stakeholders at this level of IMC integration are employees, investors, financial community, government and regulators (Duncan and Moriarty, 1998 as cited in Laurie & Mortimer, 2011). At the final stages of IMC integration, IMC decisions are made not only by corporate level departments but also by departments classified in stages one and two. It is the inclusion of all organizational departments by which a horizontal, non linear method of communication with consumers is achieved. By unifying all fronts of the marketing firm, communications are synchronized to achieve consistency, consonance and ultimately strong corporate identity.
Organizational point of view
In a recent monograph on Chinese corporate identity (Routledge, 2006), Peter Peverelli, proposes a new definition of corporate identity, based on the general
organization theory
Organizational theory refers to the set of interrelated concepts that involve the sociological study of the structures and operations of formal social organizations. Organizational theory also attempts to explain how interrelated units of organiz ...
proposed in his earlier work, in particular Peverelli (2000). This definition regards identity as a result of social interaction:
* Corporate identity is the way corporate actors (actors who perceive themselves as acting on behalf of the company) make sense of their company in ongoing social interaction with other actors in a specific context. It includes shared perceptions of reality, ways-to-do-things, etc., and interlocked behavior.
* In this process, the corporate actors are of equal importance as those others; corporate identity pertains to the company (the group of corporate actors) as well as to the relevant others;
Best practices
The following four key brand requirements are critical for a successful corporate identity strategy.
*Differentiation. In today's highly competitive market, brands need to have a clear differentiation or reason for being. What they represent needs to stand apart from others in order to be noticed, make an impression, and to ultimately be preferred.
*Relevance. Brands need to connect to what people care about in the world. To build demand, they need to understand and fulfill the needs and aspirations of their intended audiences.
*Coherence. To assure credibility with their audiences, brands must be coherent in what they say and do. All the messages, all the marketing communication, all the brand experiences, and all of the product delivery need to hang together and add up to something meaningful.
*Esteem. A brand that is differentiated, relevant and coherent is one that is valued by both its internal and external audiences. Esteem is the reputation a brand has earned by executing clearly on both its promised and delivered experience.
Visual identity
![Stan Group Astro Project Brand Book](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Stan_Group_Astro_Project_Brand_Book.jpg)
Corporate visual identity plays a significant role in the way an organization presents itself to both internal and external
stakeholders. In general terms, a corporate visual identity expresses the values and ambitions of an organization, its business, and its characteristics. Four functions of corporate visual identity can be distinguished. Three of these are aimed at external stakeholders.
# First, a corporate visual identity provides an organization with visibility and "recognizability". For virtually all profit and
non-profit organizations
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
, it is of vital importance that people know that the organization exists and remember its name and core business at the right time.
# Second, a corporate visual identity symbolizes an organization for external stakeholders, and, hence, contributes to its
image and reputation (Schultz, Hatch and Larsen, 2000). Van den Bosch, De Jong and Elving (2005) explored possible relationships between corporate visual identity and reputation, and concluded that corporate visual identity plays a supportive role in corporate reputation.
# Third, a corporate visual identity expresses the structure of an organization to its external stakeholders, visualizing its coherence as well as the relationships between divisions or units. Olins (1989) is well known for his "corporate identity structure", which consists of three concepts: monolithic brands for companies which have a single brand, identity in which different brands are developed for parts of the organization or for different product lines, and an endorsed identity with different brands which are (visually) connected to each other. Although these concepts introduced by Olins are often presented as the corporate identity structure, they merely provide an indication of the visual presentation of (parts of) the organization. It is therefore better to describe it as a "corporate visual identity structure".
# A fourth, internal function of corporate visual identity relates to
employees' identification with the organization as a whole and/or the specific departments they work for (depending on the corporate visual strategy in this respect). Identification appears to be crucial for employees,
[Bromley, 2001; Dutton, Dukerich and Harquail, 1994; Kiriakidou and Millward, 2000] and corporate visual identity probably plays a symbolic role in creating such identification.
The definition of the corporate visual identity management is:
[Van den Bosch, 2005]
Special attention is paid to corporate identity in times of organizational change. Once a new corporate identity is implemented, attention to corporate identity related issues generally tends to decrease. However, corporate identity needs to be managed on a structural basis, to be internalized by the employees and to harmonize with future organizational developments.
Efforts to manage the corporate visual identity will result in more consistency and the corporate visual identity management mix should include structural, cultural and strategic aspects.
Guidelines, procedures and tools can be summarized as the structural aspects of managing the corporate visual identity.
However, as important as the
structural
A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such ...
aspects may be, they must be complemented by two other types of aspects. Among the cultural aspects of corporate visual identity management,
socialization
In sociology, socialization or socialisation (see spelling differences) is the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society. Socialization encompasses both learning and teaching and is thus "the means by which social and cul ...
– i.e., formal and informal learning processes – turned out to influence the consistency of a corporate visual identity. Managers are important as a role models and they can clearly set an example. This implies that they need to be aware of the impact of their behavior, which has an effect on how employees behave. If managers pay attention to the way they convey the identity of their organization, including the use of a corporate visual identity, this will have a positive effect on the attention employees give to the corporate visual identity.
Further, it seems to be important that the organization communicates the strategic aspects of the corporate visual identity. Employees need to have knowledge of the corporate visual identity of their organization – not only the general reasons for using the corporate visual identity, such as its role in enhancing the visibility and "recognizability" of the organization, but also aspects of the story behind the corporate visual identity. The story should explain why the design fits the organization and what the design – in all of its elements – is intended to express.
Corporate colors
Corporate colors (or company colors) are one of the most instantly recognizable elements of a corporate visual identity and promote a strong non-verbal message on the company's behalf. Examples of corporate colors:
*Red for
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
and
SMRT
* Blue for
IBM, nicknamed "Big Blue"
* Brown for
UPS, "What can Brown do for you"
* Blue for
Korean Air
Korean Air Co., Ltd. (), operating as Korean Air (Korean Air Lines before 1984), is the flag carrier of South Korea and its largest airline based on fleet size, international destinations and international flights.
The present-day Korean Air ...
* Purple and Orange for
SBS Transit
Visual identity history
![Rod of Asclepius2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Rod_of_Asclepius2.svg)
Nearly 7,000 years ago, Transylvanian potters inscribed their personal marks on the
earthenware they created. If one potter made better pots than another, naturally, his mark held more value than his competitors'. Religions created some of the most recognized identity marks: the Christian cross, the Judaic Star of David, and the Islamic crescent moon. In addition, Kings and nobles in medieval times had clothing, armor, flags, shields, tableware, entryways, and manuscript bindings that all bore
coats of arms and
royal seal
A seal is a device for making an impression in wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or to prevent interference with ...
s. The symbols depicted a lord's lineage, aspirations, familial virtues, as well as memoirs to cavalry, infantry, and mercenaries of who they were fighting for on the battlefields.
[Brown, 1998]
A trademark became a symbol of individuals'
professional qualifications to perform a particular skill by the 15th century. For example, the
Rod of Asclepius
In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius (⚕; grc, Ράβδος του Ασκληπιού, , sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius and as the asklepian, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god A ...
on a physician's sign signified that the doctor was a well-trained practitioner of the medical arts. Simple graphics such as the caduceus carried so much socio-economic and political weight by the 16th century, that government offices were established throughout Europe to register and protect the growing collection of
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...
s used by numerous
craft guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
s.
The concept of visually trademarking one's business spread widely during the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
. The shift of business in favor of non-agricultural enterprise caused business, and corporate consciousness, to boom.
Logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wo ...
use became a mainstream part of identification, and over time, it held more power than being a simple identifier. Some logos held more value than others, and served more as assets than symbols.
[Bercume, 2009]
Logos are now the visual identifiers of corporations. They became components of corporate identities by communicating
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
s and unifying messages. The evolution of symbols went from a way for a king to seal a letter, to how businesses establish their credibility and sell everything from financial services to hamburgers.
Therefore, although the specific terms "
corporate image
A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner in which a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public (such as customers and investors as well as employees). The corporate identity is typically visualized by ...
" and
brand identity didn't enter business or design vocabulary until the 1940s, within twenty years they became key elements to business success.
Media and corporate identity
As technology and mass media have continued to develop at exponential rates, the role of the media in business increases as well. The media has a large effect on the formation of corporate identity by reinforcing a company's image and reputation. Global television networks and the rise of business news have caused the public representation of organizations to critically influence the construction and deconstruction of certain organizational identities more than ever before.
Many companies pro-actively choose to create media attention and use it as a tool for identity construction
identity designand strengthening, and also to reinvent their images under the pressure of new technology. The media also has the power to produce and diffuse meanings a corporation holds, therefore giving stakeholders a negotiation of the organizational identity.
[Chouliaraki, 2010]
See also
*
Brand equity
*
Brand management
In marketing, brand management begins with an analysis on how a brand is currently perceived in the market, proceeds to planning how the brand should be perceived if it is to achieve its objectives and continues with ensuring that the brand is pe ...
*
Corporate anniversary
In marketing, a corporate anniversary is a celebration of a firm's continued existence after a particular number of years. The celebration is a media event which can help a firm achieve diverse marketing goals, such as promoting its corporate iden ...
*
Federal Identity Program
The Federal Identity Program (FIP) is the Government of Canada's corporate identity program. The purpose of the FIP is to provide to the public a consistent and unified image for federal government projects and activities. Other objectives of th ...
*
Graphic charter
A graphic charter is a document containing the rules regarding the graphic identity of a project, company or organisation. It represents a broadening of the entity's visual identity beyond printed matter and signage to encompass media platforms ...
*
Marketing
Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs of a target market in terms of goods and services; potentially including selection of a target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emph ...
*
Product management
Product management is the business process of planning, developing, launching, and managing a product or service. It includes the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation to development to go to market. Product managers are responsible for ...
*
Product naming
Product naming is the discipline of deciding what a product will be called, and is very similar in concept and approach to the process of deciding on a name for a company or organization. Product naming is considered a critical part of the brandin ...
References
Further reading
* Balmer, J.M.T., & Gray, E.R., (2000). Corporate identity and corporate communications: creating a competitive advantage. Industrial and Commercial Training, 32 (7), pp. 256–262.
* Balmer, John M. T. & Greyser, Stephen A. eds. (2003), Revealing the Corporation: Perspectives on identity, image, reputation, corporate branding, and corporate-level marketing, London, Routledge, .
* Birkigt, K., & Stadler, M.M., (1986). Corporate identity. Grundlagen, Funktionen, Fallbeispiele.
orporate identity. Foundation, functions, case descriptions Landsberg am Lech: Verlag Moderne Industrie.
* Bromley, D.B., (2001). Relationships between personal and corporate reputation, European Journal of Marketing, 35 (3/4), pp. 316–334.
* Brown, Jared & A. Miller, (1998). What Logos Do and How They Do It. pp. 6-7.
* Chouliaraki, Lilie & M. Morsing. (2010) Media, Organizations and Identity. pp. 95
* Dowling, G.R., (1993). Developing your company image into a corporate asset. Long Range Planning, 26 (2), pp. 101–109.
* Du Gay, P., (2000). Markets and meanings: re-imagining organizational life. In: M. Schultz, Dutton, J.E., Dukerich, J.M., & Harquail, C.V., (1994). Organizational images and member identification. Administrative Science Quarterly, 39 (2), pp. 239–263.
* M.J. Hatch, & M.H. Larsen, (Eds.). The expressive organization: linking identity, reputation and the corporate brand (pp. 66–74). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
* Kiriakidou, O, & Millward, L.J., (2000). Corporate identity: external reality or internal fit?, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 5 (1), pp. 49–58.
* Olins, W., (1989). Corporate identity: making business strategy visible through design. London: Thames & Hudson.
* Paksoy, HB (2001)
IDENTITIES: How Governed, Who Pays?* Pratihari, Suvendu K. and Uzma, Shigufta H. (2018), "CSR and corporate branding effect on brand loyalty: a study on Indian banking sector", Journal of Product and Brand
Management, Vol. 27 Iss: 1, pp. 57–78,
* Pratihari, Suvendu K. and Uzma, Shigufta H. (2018), "Corporate Social Identity: An Analysis of the Indian Banking Sector”, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol 36 Iss:
6, pp. 1248–1284,
* Pratihari, Suvendu K. and Uzma, Shigufta H. (2019), "A Survey on Bankers’ Perception of Corporate Social Responsibility in India”, Social Responsibility Journal,
* Rowden, Mark, (2000) The Art of Identity: Creating and Managing a successful corporate identity. Gower.
* Rowden, Mark, (2004) Identity: Transforming Performance through Integrated Identity Management. Gower.
* Schultz, M., Hatch, M.J., & Larsen, M., (2000). The expressive organization: linking identity, reputation and the corporate brand. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
* Stuart, H, (1999). Towards a definitive model of the corporate identity management process, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 4 (4), pp. 200–207.
* Van den Bosch, A.L.M., (2005). Corporate Visual Identity Management: current practices, impact and assessment. Doctoral dissertation, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
* Van den Bosch, A.L.M., De Jong, M.D.T., & Elving, W.J.L., (2005). How corporate visual identity supports reputation. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 10 (2), pp. 108–116.
* Van Riel, C.B.M., (1995). Principles of corporate communication. London: Prentice Hall.
* Veronica Napoles, Corporate identity design. New York, Wiley, 1988. With bibl., index.
* Wheeler, Alina, Designing brand identity. A complete guide to creating, building, and maintaining strong brands, 2nd ed. New York, Wiley, 2006. With bibl., index.
*
Wally Olins, The new guide to identity. How to create and sustain change through managing identity. Aldershot, Gower, 1995. With bibl., index. (hbk.) or 0-566-07737-X (pbk.)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corporate Identity
Brand management
Product management
Promotion and marketing communications