Above are examples of identities of different corporate.
A company’s identity is the visual manifestation of the company’s reality as conveyed through the organization’s name, logo, motto, products, services, buildings, stationary, uniforms, and all other tangible pieces of evidence created by the organization and communicated to variety of constituencies. Constituencies then form perceptions based on the messages that companies send in tangible form. If these images accurately reflect organization’s reality, the identity program is a success. If the perceptions differ from reality, either the strategy is ineffective or the corporation’s self-understanding needs modification.
Image is a reflection of an organization’s identity. It is the organization as seen from the viewpoint of its constituencies. Depending on which constituency is involved, an organization can have many different images.
While image can vary among constituencies, identity needs to be consistent. One constituency, FOR EXAMPLE, might see ADL as a consulting firm that is too involved in defense sector and therefore might have a negative image of the company; another constituency might be delighted with the extensive work the consulting firm has done to help the defense industry become stronger over the last 20 years and might then have a positive image of the firm. But at least they have the firm’s identity right.
SHAPING IDENTITY
Things which contribute positively to corporate identity: - an inspirational corporate vision, careful corporate branding (with a focus names and logos); and importantly, consistent self – presentation.
A Vision That Inspires
Most central to corporate identity is the vision that encompasses the company’s core values, philosophies, standards, and goals. Corporate vision is a common thread that all employees, and ideally all other constituencies as well, can relate to.
Thinking about this vision in terms of a narrative or story of sorts can help ensure the overall coherence and continuity of a company’s vision and the collective messages it sends constituencies.
Names and Logos
A company’s value can be significantly influenced by the success of its corporate branding strategy. Coca-Cola, for example, has a value that far exceeds its total tangible assets because of its strong brand name. Branding and strategic brand management is critical components of identity management.
Companies often institute name changes either to signal identity changes or to make their identities better reflect their realities. Andersen Consulting’s name change to Accenture is an example.
In late 2000, Anderson consulting, global technology and consulting company announced a name change that would take effect January 1, 2001. The new company would be called Accenture, a play on the words “accent” and “future” that was meant to be “a youthful and dynamic expression of the firm’s new positioning and bridge builder between the traditional and new economies. The name also clearly distinguished the company’s identity from that of its former parent company.
Logos are another important component of company’s identity – perhaps even more important than names because of their visual nature (which can allow them to communicate even more about a company than its name) and their increasing prevalence across many types of media.
Logos can be simply symbols, like Nike swoosh, or they can be symbols that represents names, like the Target, “bull’s eye” or Arm and Hammer’s arm and hammer. Logos can be stylized depictions of names or part of names (like the “golden arches” that form the “M” in “McDonalds”), or stylized names with added mottos or symbols.
Accenture’s logo, for example, is the company name with a “greater than” symbol above the “t” that is meant to connote the firm’s goal of pointing the way forward and exceeding clients’ expectations.
An organization’s vision should manifest itself consistently across all its identity elements, from logos and mottos to employee behavior.
MANAGING IDENTITY PROCESS
Conduct an Identity Audit
Set Identity Objectives
Develop Design and Names
Develop Prototypes
Launch and Communicate
Implement the Program
Corporate Identity
We recognise business brands by their distinctive identity. Good design, thorough integration and meticulous execution, is a far better investment than a shoddy job - but which is more common?
Ten Things You Should Do
Fit the identity to the company: - The corporate ID should reflect the company personality - its values, its roots, its technology and culture. Corporate re-branding is a good way to signal change.
Use professionals: - Sorry, but someone has to tell the MD that the doodle on the doily they brought back from the restaurant just isn’t good enough.
Consider all the elements and where they will be used: - Corporate identity embraces more than just logos and print. It usually includes color, typefaces, tag lines, and often extends to buildings, signage, vehicles, staff uniforms - and, importantly, the internet.
Think both little and large: - Logos and typefaces need to work when they are tiny - as on a business card, and huge - as on the side of a truck or on an advertising hoarding.
Think monochrome and color: - Not all your print will need your fancy full color logo, so make sure it works in mono as well so invoices, data sheets, manuals and all the things that don’t have to be color can be mono. This will save you a fortune.
Think multimedia: - Images and colors will need to be reproduced on a range of media - from an embroidered badge on a uniform, through CMYK dots in print to RGB on your web site. The original design must be consistent with all media.
Document the standards: - Maintain a set of reference standards, artworks, templates for key documents, Pantones for color, sample typefaces, and so on, together with their digital equivalents. This way you always have a documented standard for reference in commissioning new work and monitoring projects. Large companies commonly have a complete manual. Make sure all those that the need manual, have a copy.
Accept no variations: - Don't ever accept “this is almost like” from printers or anyone. If you do you are on a slippery slope that ends with your corporate ID in tatters.
Protect and defend: - Visual symbols, colors and distinctive shapes can all be patented. Searches done during application will prevent you infringing someone else’s identity (costly). Registration provides you with the means to defend your own.
Proclaim your new identity: - You need to explain to your own people, and to your customers, why you are updating your identity, what the new symbols mean and the changes this signifies. You will need a good PR company for this.
Five Things You Should Not Do
Don’t bastardize your own visual symbols: - Never allow anyone to print your symbols in the wrong color, in reverse, in negative, with funny lettering or in any form but the standard and approved. This is dangerous and undermines all efforts to achieve consistency and win respect.
Don’t allow any encroachment on your identity: - It is your intellectual property so throw off any squatter quickly.
Don’t change your identity without good reason or too frequently: - People get to know, recognize and value your business identifiers. Change without reason and you start again from the question ‘Who are you?
Don’t think you can do it all in house: - Just because you can access good design software, it does not mean that you are a graphic designer. Use this for internal documents, but for critical design elements, strategic advice and implementation use professionals who know what they are doing.
CORPORATE IMAGE
This corporate image was designed for Ventura Technology Group, a growing memory manufacturing company. they photographed some of their products and tied in stock photography to create this unique image. its purpose was to communicate their International focus, care for people and advanced technology
An organization’s image is a function of how constituencies perceive the organization based upon all the messages it sends out through names and logos, and through self-presentations, including expressions of its corporate vision.
Organization should seek to understand their image not only with customers, but also with other key constituencies such as investors, employees, and the community. Often, a company’s image with a given constituency is driven not only by its own unique corporate identity, but also by the image of industry or group it belongs to.
Every industry is witnessing unprecedented levels of competition. As competition intensifies, companies must work hard to differentiate themselves from their peers. The companies must carve out a unique image in the minds of their key stakeholders based on their visions, values, unique strengths and the value that they bring to the lives of customers, shareholders and communities they serve. Maximizing shareholder value alone is not enough.
Each company must identify and consistently project the unique value that it brings to the marketplace. As the pace of change intensifies, and as managements respond to these changes with newer products and services, the companies have to redefine themselves for their present and future stakeholders.
Turning to employee constituency, a company’s image with its employees is particularly important because of the vital role that employees play with the company’s other constituencies.
Starbucks coffee has built one of the strongest brands and reputations in America by creating an equally powerful story and unified culture that begins inside and works its way out.
CORPORATE REPUTATION
The foundation of a solid reputation exists when an organization’s identity and its image are aligned.
Reputation differs from image because it is built up over time and is not simply a perception at a given time. It differs from identity because it is a product of both internal and external constituencies, whereas identity is constructed by internal constituencies (the company itself).
Importance of Reputation
The importance of reputation is evidenced by several prominent surveys and ranking that seeks to identify the best and worst among them: Fortune’s “Most Admired” list; Business Week and interbrand’s “Best Global Brands” ranking. Such highly publicized rankings have gained so much attention that some corporate PR executives’ bonuses have actually been based on Fortune’s list of America Most Admired Companies.
A strong reputation has important strategic implications for a firm, because, it calls attention to a company’s attractive features and widens the options available to its managers, for instance, whether to charge higher or lower prices for products and services or to implement innovative programs.
Reputation can also help companies to weather crises more effectively.
For example, strong reputation helped Johnson & Johnson survive the Tyneol cyanide tampering crisis in the early 1980s.
The changing environment for business has implications for reputation. The proliferation of media and information, the demand for increased transparency, and the increasing attention paid to social responsibility all speak for a greater focus on the part of organizations on building and maintaining strong reputations.
Reputation Management
In today’s times perception is reality, and the company’s reputation capital is perhaps its most important asset. If the reputation of a well-known company is damaged the company can wither and die in a matter of months, destroying shareholder value and hurting the interests of virtually every category of stakeholders. Conversely, even a lesser- known company which builds a solid reputation can thrive and grow by competing effectively in the marketplace for customers, employees, vendors, desirable business partners and capital. In the process, the company is able to deliver sustained shareholder value.Every action of a company has a bearing on its reputation. In such an environment, active and deliberate corporate reputation management is a necessary extension of traditional brand management. After all, the primary brand is the overall corporate brand.
References:
Argenti, Paul A. (2007). Corporate communication (4th ed.), McGraw-Hill Irwin, ISBN: 0072990546
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