A great amount of creativity and thought lies behind any logo design. A logo reduces every aspect of your organization into a symbol or a visual. So, all organizations tend to build their logo is a manner such that it is memorable and unique.

While designing a logo, certain minute and delicate details should be taken into account, such as spacing, fonts and color. Often every millimeter matters! This logo ultimately represents who you are, across all communication channels that you use, namely television, print media, website and the like.

But in reality, the logo is simply a physical expression of the brand; it is not the brand itself. There are a lot of aspects revolving around a logo that imparts meaning to it, all collectively designated by the term corporate identity.

What exactly is corporate identity made up of?

In simple words, corporate identity is the manner in which a company sees itself. With the use of the appropriate strategy, this should be conveyed to the customers, business associates and employees. The identity is built up by combining a number of elements such as mission, vision, values, history, culture and philosophy. The identity gets reflected in the service standards, the product performance, technical sophistication as well as staff motivation, all converging to form the logo’s visual statement- who you are, your name, your brand image. In short, corporate identity implies how you are recognized by the masses.

The strategy of corporate identity

The company may use a combination of strategies to build positive impression and an effective brand image that will position it favorably in the marketplace and attract more customers. However, through the process, it must ensure that a constant and clear corporate identity is maintained.

The following must be taken into consideration:

  • The representation of colors, fonts and logos must be consistent throughout all reproductions
  • The house-style should be meticulously followed
  • Proper attention is given to taglines, tones and language
  • Details are of immense significance and so must not be ignored
  • It is crucial to maintain uniformity in appearance
  • Customer confidence can be gained by rendering a perception of continuity
  • Simply issues such as a wrongly-sized logo can have a negative impact on the organization’s image and position

Corporate identity and brand personality

While corporate identity is your physical representation differentiating you from your competitors, brand is the bridge between the physical and the emotional perception. The brand is not simply the logo, but it is more than that. It is an expression of the character and personality of your business. To gain customer confidence, the brand must not only be consistent in appearance, but also in delivery.

If a well-known company with a potent corporate identity participates in a social responsibility program, it enhances customer confidence and a favorable feeling is associated with the logo. Each time the logo appears somewhere, impressions are strengthened and identity soon becomes synonymous with the brand.

The balance between business and branding

The consistency of the brand image cannot be expressed solely with a logo. To build stakeholder commitment, it is important to strategically manage corporate identity. Marketing the visual identity is just the initial step. You need to reinforce your identity through client service and product quality, which are integral parts of your business. A great logo does no good if your product is faulty.

Eventually your business is customer satisfaction, high standards and ethics. The logo is there to create this impression in everybody’s mind. Brand image and corporate identity revolves around the value you deliver.