How to Build and Maintain a Strong Corporate Identity?

Maintaining a corporate identity is not merely about having a logo or promoting the company on social media. What is required is an effective corporate identity. Building a corporate identity does not just involve designing a logo. In fact, corporate identity incorporates all the visual aspects of a company. Right from naming, designing logo, stationary, business card, print brochures, product design, packaging, label design, branded promotional items, etc are all part of building an effective corporate identity. A complete corporate identity program needs to deal with all the potential impressions made by the company. Any inconsistent application as far as the identity is concerned can lead to an optimal brand perception. A standard guide can help in implementing and ensuring the kind of impression the company makes on its target audience through its tone, look and manner, thereby, establishing the corporate identity, reinforcing the brand and supporting it.

Managing Your Brand
For effective brand management it is required to include competitive market positioning on the enterprise, its products or services and maintaining the brand’s reputation. It is also significant to ensure that the customers’ experiences with the brand’s services are a positive one. Therefore, it should be consistent and satisfactory. To ensure this process building a corporate identity is not enough. It is vital to maintain it. Once a business has successfully established a corporate identity in tandem with its marketing and communication professionals, it is then essential to choose reliable vendors so that the identity guidelines can be available to them. This needs to happen both locally and globally so that there is consistency in the experience offered to the customers each time they turn to the brand.

A customer is first introduced to the brand usually through an advertisement. This is followed by several encounters, like, the website, social media browsing, email promotion and finally, the purchase of the product. So when the customer is meeting a service provider or a retail location it is important that his experience lives up to the expectations.

Expressing Philosophy and Values Through Corporate Identity
It is essential that a company’s values, mission, purpose and personality get reflected but these are less visible in corporate identity. These are the elements that affect a company’s public image and the perception about the brand. They are also crucial in deciding about marketing strategies and positioning. The more clearly these elements are defined, the better perceived will be the brand.

Building and Maintaining the Corporate Identity
In order to build a brand’s identity the first step is the logo. Once there is a symbol to represent the company it helps immensely to transform the corporate identity successfully. In order to achieve this it also necessary that all the elements must be aligned with company’s purpose and mission. One of the most important elements at the planning stage is to develop the brand and how to promote it to the target audience. This is the first question that arises when it comes to build and design a corporate identity.

In this regard, it is essential to keep in mind certain points. For instance what is the USP of your brand?

Unique Selling Point: Here a company will have to consider all the marketing aspects and then analyze that what makes the business unique for the customers is. In case there is a competitive advantage in these factors, then the USP is apparent. The USPs are immense contributors in establishing a business successfully. Therefore, it must be the central theme of a company’s brand strategy. In order to establish a clear brand message most of the companies opt for those benefits that can be communicated lucidly. Thus, communicating with the target audience about the USP of the brand becomes easier.

Brand Value: These should evolve constantly as it is important to suit the changing market conditions. This also focuses on the future business strategies of the brand. Once these two aspects are taken care of, the next step is to ensure that the customer experience is positive and these factors are reflected in the customer experience. Building a respected brand involves a lot of hard work and commitment from both the employees and the stakeholders.

It is important to note here that a brand exists in the minds of the customers. A company can aim at steering the perception about a brand but it can never exercise complete control over it.

Advantages of a Strong Brand
Firstly, it adds value to the company. Secondly, a strong brand presence requires less persuasion to convince the customers about using their products. Thirdly, it cal also attract business contacts and partnerships. If a company gets both the emotional and practical value of the band correct, it will eventually lead to its growth. In order to ensure a strong brand presence, an equally strong corporate identity is a must.

Thus, it is important for the businesses to focus on strategizing their corporate identity so that it helps in building and marinating a strong brand presence.