Corporate image
Every company has an image. Every company from Bob’s Cabs to IBM. But is this image the one they would actually choose?
Corporate image is the impression that we have of a company. Individuals, customers, employees, the city, all have an their own image of the same company. The image is an accumulation of the company’s past and present. First impressions are fundamental to how we see the company later on, and difficult to change. Future encounters with the company or product add to the mosaic already constructed in our mind, rather than replace it.
Corporate identity
Corporate Identity is one way of influencing image - from the choice of name, to the colour of the building or the way in which the phone is answered. As graphic designer, we can form corporate personality through use of colour, choice of typeface or other device. The logo is the most significant part of the identity.
Time to change
Fashions change, companies evolve, and logos date. Good design aims to be timeless, although a designer can often tell when a logo was created, just by looking at it. Identity should be assessed periodically with market research, which forms the design brief. Such research enables a company to favour evidence over emotion - but at a price. Is a subtle change needed, or an entirely new start? For smaller businesses, the design process ought to be kept simple - some of the best known logos started life this way. For a large company, the final logo can be just the tip of the iceberg of a corporate identity project!
Quick fix
If a new identity is a daunting task, it can often be refreshed by redesigning stationery.
Roll out
Once completed, the ID can be ‘rolled out’ gradually, enforced by guidelines. Without consistency, the identity is ineffective, possibly damaging.
Some companies perceive astronomical costs, or just don’t care that their corporate communications look like the office dog ate them. Others slap a logo on everything in sight. Many household names wouldn't exist without painstakingly designed schemes that we as consumers seldom consciously consider. Sainsbury’s is certainly tasting better. It took designers nearly three years to lose the ‘J’ and find a replacement for the orangey-beige. While you’re there, you might remember that not many years ago, Tesco looked a little like Kwik Save does today. If you skimp on the presentation of your company, think how much you spent on your best suit.
If you are considering updating your company logo, ask customers, suppliers and friends for feedback. We can provide you with a valuable critique and some good ideas.
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