What is a Corporate Identity?

Asking the internet for a definition usually gives you a lot of surface-level jargon.

While sites like Wikipedia offer informative answers about corporate identity, diving deeper and getting to know it is important.

They explain it as: “How a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public. The corporate identity is typically visualized by branding and with the use of trademarks.” (source).

This is a fair explanation, but it’s not much use for those who want to know how to build a powerful corporate image around their business.

So what is Corporate Identity, and what does it do?

What is Corporate Identity Design?

At its core, corporate identity, or corporate image, is about creating a consistent and recognisable image for an organisation.

It involves strategically using various elements, such as logos, colour schemes, typography and messaging, to convey a specific identity that resonates with the target audience.

The corporate identity should reflect the company’s values, mission, and culture.

Visuals play a huge part in this.

Iconic logos like Apple and Nike have become synonymous with their brands, and anything associated with them is instantly recognisable.

So, while it does include visual elements like branding and trademarks, it extends beyond this to product design, advertising design, public relations, and more.

But corporate identities are so much more than just looking the part.

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All the Gear, No Idea

A well-perceived corporate identity is more than the sum of its parts.

It has those all-important elements like logos, branding, and staff uniforms, but these alone do not guarantee a fully functioning corporate image.

The quality of this identity becomes even more apparent when thinking about its role in public relations:

How people see and interact with an organisation.

• Are you managing your image?
• Can you maintain a good reputation?
• Do you demonstrate ethics, social responsibility and transparency?
• Is your corporate identity consistent within all external communities?

It might be more than just the logo, but that’s still important.

Above is a short video from Michael Bierut about logo design.

Consistency is Key.

Don’t cop out and let the “creative licence” creep in.

Keeping messages consistent across all outlets, from signage to business cards, can be a pain yes, but it’s worth it.

The key is not just having a corporate identity guide but actively using it daily to ensure everyone involved knows what to do with it.

Many corporate identity guidelines are created initially but end up on a shelf, gathering dust. Make sure you use it!

It ensures that every interaction someone has with your brand, whether through a social media post, a product, or customer service, reinforces the same message and core values.

Every member of your team, from designers to marketers, should be well acquainted with the brand identity guidelines and know them like the back of their hands.

People like dealing with something familiar and trustworthy, so help them build that relationship with your business.

Do You Have a Corporate Identity Guideline?

Now, let’s apply this new knowledge to your business and brand.

Do you have a guideline? Is It being used by everyone correctly?

Creating a corporate identity guide is just the beginning.

Here’s how you can use a valuable asset (not a dusty booklet) as a living, breathing part of your brand:

1. Education and Training.

Make sure executives and new hires understand the importance of the guide.

Conduct regular training sessions to familiarise employees with the guidelines and how to apply them in their work.

2. Consistency Checks:

Frequently check that all internal and external communications adhere to the corporate guidelines.

This includes everything from marketing materials and media to uniforms and office signage.

3. Feedback and Updates:

The guide should evolve as your brand grows and changes.

Encourage feedback from employees and customers to identify areas where things could be improved.

Be proactive in making necessary changes to keep your brand relevant.

4. Internal Management:

Foster your employees’ sense of community and pride in the corporate identity.

When your team understands the importance of consistency, they become your advocates, helping maintain brand integrity.

Design Your Guideline Today

The Proof is Out There.

If asked to name some great brands, the usual suspects include Apple, Nike, Mcdonald’s, Coca-Cola, etc.

You just have to walk down your local high street to see it.

As recognisable as their logos are, every one of them is genuinely remembered because they mean something to their customers:

That has a level of engagement way beyond the superficial.

Every one of these businesses has fit their corporate identity into even the most minor parts of it.

It’s everywhere, from products to marketing campaigns to customer interactions and employee culture.

Corporate identity isn’t just about having a nice logo; it’s about creating something that profoundly impacts your audience.

The Road to a Strong Corporate Identity Starts From Within.

Corporate identity is more than aesthetics, so move beyond the definitions and embrace the concept.

Take the time to reflect on your goals in the business world and develop a plan.

Crafting something that truly resonates with audiences requires blood, sweat, and tears, but the rewards of brand recognition and loyalty are worth it.

So, what do you need to do to get your Corporate identity sorted?

The answer to this really depends on what part of the journey your brand is at.

• Start-ups
• Early growth stage
• Scaling stage
• Established stage

The key to a successful brand identity is to invest the time (and budget) in getting it right from day one; sure, it will evolve over time, but evolution is much better than revolution as it shows you got it right in the first place.

Smaller businesses and start-ups.

It can be sufficient to just get the basics nailed; logo, colours, fonts, logo use guidelines, and so on can be enough for start-up businesses.

You may not need a 50+ page identity document at this stage as so much of it will be guesswork – but you can lay down some stylescapes to govern what marketing collateral should look like at the top-most level.

Early growth stage.

By now, you have the website, the decks and probably more significant marketing collateral, so here, your corporate identity can be used to strengthen everything you’ve got to date.

A corporate identity review and evolution is required at this stage to make sure everything still works.

At this level, you may go beyond the basics of logos, fonts, and colour schemes, so now you may venture into the tone of voice, image use and so on.

These additional steps help to further nail down your identity as you develop more public-facing collateral.

Scaling stage.

Now that you have a larger customer base, another review of your identity is required. This time, you may wish to invest in canvassing your customers to gain additional insights into what they really think about you. This sort of project costs money, but once you have over 5,000 customers, their nuanced opinions can push your identity forward.

Established stage.

Trends change, and depending on your sector, you may be able to sit tight and build on the equity you have built in your identity or you may have to evolve it again.

We’ve found that service-based businesses are more able than trend-based businesses to maintain an established identity, so how you proceed must be considered.

Whatever your sector, gradual improvement over time, also known as the Kaizen concept can serve you well.

I’ve worked at the top level with many brands, helping to plan identities and steer the creative team at Toast.

In my experience, whilst there is a defined process to approaching identity work, no two brands are the same, so I don’t treat them as such.

Before any creative work starts, it’s important to get to seed of what you are and how you want to be perceived by your audience; these are the fundamentals that will not change a great deal over time; where creativity can come and go, the things that make your brand tick should be set in stone.

Examples of Brand Identities we’ve created at Toast.

We designed and produced the brand identity for The Elton John Foundation.

We helped IMRG completely refresh its brand guidelines.

Branding and identity work for Cabooble.

Branding and identity work for Chiltern Natural Foods.

If you would like to find out more about the topics covered in this blog post, here is some further reading and reference material.

Further reading.