My intention is to clarify a little the terminology used in the Corporate Identity world because I think that a better understanding of this issue can make a difference in the effectiveness of your business as well as it will serve you personally to understand your business better. The viewpoint: "This is only for bigger businesses" is erroneous. Every business has it´s own identity, big or small. Every business acts in a certain way to employees, suppliers and clients. This all is part of the corporate identity, the companies spirit, the companies identity. My goal is to assist all companies that are in need or want to find their identity and want to visualize it in a unique and well-thought way... Understanding your company will make a better company.
Expressions
Corporate Design consists ONLY of the visual communication of an organization, from logo till facades and fleet of vehicles.
The Corporate Identity doesn't only include visual expressions, it also includes no-visual communications as social, cultural, political or business attitude. Like, for example, how do you comunicate towards your employees or your suppliers. Corporate Identity is the umbrella for corporate strategy and communication in every thinkable way.
Corporate Strategy is the policy concerning the no-visual side of the organization. How do you communicate with your employees, suppliers and clients. They all have their peculiar needs. How do you innovate and develop your products, how do you construct your public relations, comunications, packaging and marketing.
Corporate communication is using the adequate media to get your corporate strategy to your target as effective as possible.
Corporate Identity, corporate strategy and corporate communication are interdependent. Every expression has it's influence in the other...
It's important to know the differences and the similarities of each of these expressions. A nice, esthetic design isn't enough... Behind all this, there must be a clear strategy and a well articulated corporate identity, if not, failure is likely to occur.
Where do these expressions come from?
The corporate philosophy of architect Peter Behrens (1860-1940) and the foundation in 1948 of the movement Communitá by Adriano Oliveti have formed the base of the idea that companies have to take care of not only the sales but also of the social responsibility concerning there employees, suppliers, clients and society as a whole. This philosophy took off after the Second World War. The expression: Corporate Identity still didn't exist at those days! The called it: company style. Around the seventies ever more people were using the term Corporate Identity although the definition changed depending on which expert. Some quotes:
For many companies, above all small ones, corporate identity is an unknown world filled with vague terminology.
- "Corporate identity is a vehicle which projects a coherent and adherent image of an organization... A visual communication without ambiguities"
- "Corporate identity is an emotional cohesioner which unites an organization... It's a mix of style and structure an effects on what you do, where you do it and how you explain what you do."
- "All that a company has, does and says is an expression of corporate identity."
- "Corporate identity is not a logo or symbol. That's an exageration of the function of design. They are only visual plasters."
A proper understanding of your identity will benefit the state your in. Like what was written on the fries of the temple of Delphy : "know yourself". The better you know yourself, the better you can anticipate on unexpected events. This is not only a rule for human beings but as well for organizations. Everything is organic...