Corporate Identity: What It Is And How It Defines Organizations
The business environment is tremendously competitive. Thousands of companies are continually born and die, with only a relatively small percentage of them remaining and standing out. The reasons why some survive and others cannot can be very varied, ranging from the presence of insufficient initial capital, a very small-scale projection or the absence of added value that allows the product itself to stand out from those of the competition. .
Another aspect that can make a company maintain itself is that it is a coherent organization, with a clear structure and objectives and that projects a positive and attractive image for its target audience. and one of The essential requirements for this are to have a clear corporate identity
We understand by corporate identity the set of characteristics that give a company or company its own personality differentiated from that of the rest of the companies.
It is one of the most important elements when it comes to generating a coherent company, since it includes the set of elements that allow employees to be part of a whole, make the company’s objectives clear and generate a structure and hierarchy. clear organizational.
Among other things, the corporate identity provides a framework within which the members of the company carry out their activity , with a specific action plan and in a manner consistent with what the institution is and does. In other words, it defines what and how things are done in the company, as well as the way in which they are projected outside.
Another of the most relevant aspects from the outside, and which in fact often identifies the brand without taking into account other factors, is the set of visual and physical elements that are identifiable and perceptible by the client or user.
However, in this case we would be talking about the visual identity, which although it is an important part of the corporate identity, it is not its entirety: within the corporate identity the set of elements that structure and define the operation of the corporation
Main elements
The concept of corporate identity is relatively simple to understand, but creating said identity means taking into account and generating the large number of elements that make it up.
Specifically, the main aspects and elements that are part of the corporate identity They are the following.
1. Corporate philosophy
Corporate philosophy is understood as the company’s way of seeing and understanding reality in relation to what is expected: that is, its orientation towards the future, as well as how it relates to the world. Also includes the main values ​​defended by the company and the type of long-term objectives that you seek to achieve.
2. Corporate culture
Corporate culture is the set of non-tangible elements that explain how the corporation currently works. Norms, beliefs guiding the activity and values ​​present in daily life They are some of the main elements of the company culture.
3. Organizational climate
This aspect refers to the type of environment present in the company. To the emotional, motivational and relational elements. We are no longer talking about the culture or how the company is governed but rather about aspects such as the feeling of belonging, the type of bond and relationship between employees and the perception of workers regarding their role in the company.
The work plan is the creation of a plan of the activities to be carried out by the company and how to do them. Includes objectives, methods, ways of observing progress and tasks to be carried out
5. Visual identity
Visual identity refers to the set of visual and physical, tangible elements that allow the brand or company in question to be identified. Within the visual identity we can find elements such as the name of the company or brand, the logo and slogan, the colors or even the organization and decoration of the facilities or employee uniforms. Although it may seem like something accessory, the truth is that this aspect must be carefully planned.
6. Communication strategies
An aspect of great importance is the type of communication strategies that the company has. That is, how it is communicated or projected outwards. In this sense we must include communication methodologies and protocols such as the use of blogs and web pages, brochures or press conferences.
7. Corporate identity manual
This is the document in which the set of characteristics that make the company something different : the rules of the institution, objectives and operation, the instructions regarding how to use the logo or visual identity.
8. A big advantage
The presence of a strong and clear corporate identity is very useful in making the company in question more understandable and unitary, making its corporate image (that is, the way it is perceived externally) more reliable and making it easier for potential clients or users to notice it
And not only externally: it facilitates the management and organization of the company and ensures that employees have a connection with the institution, improving productivity and facilitating its survival.
