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Corporate identity development and management
Why an organisation's identity is important
Sinclair Design has specialised in identity development and management since the 1980s.Thomas Peters & Robert Waterman, in their definitive study of America’s best run companies, In Search of Excellence, conclude that every ‘excellent’ company they analysed is guided by a clear sense of shared values and identity, and has a strong sense of purpose and direction (beyond mere survival). T J Watson, another author of works considered to be essential reading for students of management studies, believes that technological and economic resources, organisational structure, innovation and timing all weigh heavily in corporate success, but that the most important single factor in such success is faithful adherence to a sound set of beliefs on which a company can base its policies and actions.
When a company is new or small, or both, its identity spontaneously emerges as a direct extension of the founder’s personality, but as an organisation grows and becomes more complex, the corporate personality (its ‘identity’) can easily become uncoordinated, confusing and weak under the conflicting influences of the various factions that control its growth. It is the task of an identity consultant to identify and define the organisation’s spirit and drive, and then give substance to it by embodiment into a visible system of identification that is in keeping with the marketing and positioning objectives of the corporate strategy. Thus everyone — public, customers and staff alike — see a unified picture of purpose, direction and belief in a mission.
Identity management
A strong visual identity system used haphazardly is not nearly as effective as a weak one used consistently. The use of any visual identity system demands as much careful planning and control as its conception if it is going to be effective.
Every item of stationery; every sign, uniform, website and brochure says something about the organisation whose name it bears and if different items are designed by different people, there is a danger that they will give out conflicting messages, albeit on a subconscious level. If this happens, the organisation’s image can become weak and diluted.
This is why the giants of the commercial world take the extreme measures they do to ensure that everything that bears their name looks ‘just so’ and fits in exactly with their visual identity system. It is just this sort of presentation policy that helps these companies to become giants in the first place!
Once a visual identity system is designed and agreed upon, it is wise to make sure that everything bearing the company name has its graphics designed or updated by someone who understands the marketing objectives of the original designer, and who will not add their own artistic interpretation on a whim, in a manner that changes the ethos of the principal message.
Having said that; identity systems should be regularly and professionally reviewed and if necessary, brought up-to-date or modified to suit changes of market climate or corporate strategy.
The scope and aims of an identity project
Corporate identity, by its multifaceted nature, involves a multitude of business disciplines. These include graphic, product, architectural and interior design; marketing; advertising; public relations; organisational behaviour; and human resource development.
An effective identity consultant must have a sound understanding of all these subjects, plus the most important by far: graphic communication.
It is for this reason that most identity consultancies are design-based concerns. Sinclair Design has specialised in identity development and management since the 1980s.
A well designed, strategically implemented and fully supported corporate identity programme fulfils three primary aims:
It enables an organisation to present itself and its goals clearly and comprehensibly.
It embodies the organisation’s character, ethos and attitudes. This encourages staff to act as a team, to share the same spirit, and to communicate that spirit to the outside world.
It is a means of ensuring that the organisation can be differentiated from others operating within the same field or market place. Emphasis can be put on any unique properties of the organisation and its positioning can be precisely controlled.