Corporate identity management

Dr Kalina Grzesiuk

MANAGING CORPORATE IDENTITY

• The seven dimensions – allow to manage identity

• Goal – building specific image in the environment – stressing the distinction of a company – becoming customers’ choice

Identity building - approaches

I. Coming from within the company

• Could be preceding changes in the environment

• Based on company knowledge and experience

• Creating market niches

• Creating needs and markets

II. Looking outside – features making company distinctive

• New companies – lack of knowledge and experience

• Innovative strategies – impossible to use previous knowledge and experiences

Identity building -approaches

Managing identity - rules

Based on features - Clear and easy to perceive for the environment

– less risk of distortion

East Airlines – avoided by people travelling west, south and north

– connection with the company

– Motivating to purchase

– Favorable positioning against competition

Rules cont.

•Including information concerning benefits significant for the environment

•Identity features – important for various groups of customers

– inadequate features won’t attract customers

• should be resistant to following or copying by competition

Rules cont.

Rules cont.

• Focus on present and future

Rules –cont.• Trustworthy– confirmed by facts

Process of creating identity

• Identity is complex – the process is long-term and complicated

• It’s a type of project

• Requires change management

Creating identityTop

management involvement

Employees’ engagement

Monitoring the process and problem-solving

Motivating

Common vision of new organization

Current information about work progressTrainings of necessary

competencies

Institutionalization by structures, systems and

strategies

Communicating information about starting this project

Building vision acceptance

Stages of creating identity

I. Decision

II. Analysis

III. Planning

IV. Projecting

V. Implementation and control

I. Decision

• Long-term, complicated and involving all members of organization process

• Requires clear decisions on the top management level

• a base for performing an analysis

II. Analysis

• Diagnosis of actual or desired future identity – based on environment expectations

– Actual state of organization

– Management expectations

– Employees’ expectations

– Market conditions

– Previous image

III. Planning

• Setting directions and goals

• Setting tasks and their structure

• Verification of resources owned

• Time range

• Budget/Schedule of tasks

IV. Designing

• Creating and testing projects

• Effectiveness of communication, alignment, reception and associations caused by VIS

• Specific projects of symbols and elements of non-visual elements of identity

Design includes

• attributes of visual identity

– name, trade mark, logotype, business cards, headed paper, brochures, stationery, information leaflets, labeling and appearance of an institution, etc.

• elements of non-visual identity

– behavior of organization’s members, reputation, strategy and philosophy

Effective design of identity, and visualization design in particular,

• distinguishes the organization from competition,

• underlines its individual character,

• ensures easy noticeability and high probability of remembering

V. Implementation and control

• Changing previous elements of identity– Usually starts with visual elements

(easiest to change) and end with non-visual

– Process of implementation is supported by communication and training processes

• Control – up-to-date– Researching the perception of

organization and its products by the environment

Components of corporate identity

Symbols

Visual Identification System

• Estates

• Products

• Presentations

• Publications

Buildings, sales offices

Attributes of products and services

Packages, tags, bags, labels

Advertising and PR materials

Examples

• visualidentityguidelines-160405082749.pdf

• HGSE_BrandGuidelines_ed-links-11-14.pdf

visualidentityguidelines-160405082749.pdfHGSE_BrandGuidelines_ed-links-11-14.pdf

• Effective VIS – shapes the company’s image – the products’/services’ image –perceived quality of products –possible price strategy

• Decision – what features of a company should be promoted

• Symbols – mirror features

• Objective of VIS - visual presentation of

abstract features

• For example: dynamism, trust,

professionalism, energy, calm

VIS Guidelines

1. Clear and specific

2. Accurate – for a specific company

3. Functional – easy to adapt by branches of a company

4. Originality and standing out

5. Eye-catching

AIDAModel

Examples

Creating a Corporate Identity_ Virgin`s Branding Strategy.avihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZZt7bgwffo

The Heineken Visual Identity Film.avihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX9nPK1VhOo&t=1s

Creating a Corporate Identity_ Virgin`s Branding Strategy.aviThe Heineken Visual Identity Film.avi

Company name

• Main differentiator of a company

• Present on all the elements of VIS

• Key decision – choosing a name

Possible choices

• Name related to :

– Industry/product/service,

– historical/mythological character associatedwith a certain industry

• Name should be:

– original

– Easy to pronunce

– Offer a quick association

• 25 Famous Company Names And Where They Came From.avi

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMYquxedvZM&t=7s

25 Famous Company Names And Where They Came From.avi

Recommendations

• Choosing a Great Business Name for your Limited Company.avi

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk3iD0nqZXE&t=141s

Choosing a Great Business Name for your Limited Company.avi

What to avoid

• Mistakes To Avoid When Naming Your Company.avi

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAuYWq2ec2M&t=24s

Mistakes To Avoid When Naming Your Company.avi