The design process, at its best, integrates the aspirations of art, science, and culture.” — Jeff Smith
corporate image
It is said that image is everything.
It is also said that perception is reality.
This is not entirely cynical. What people perceive an individual to be (whether accurately or not) ends up being their reality. It becomes true in the eye of the beholder, based on the signals the person sends out.
To project this dynamic to a whole company — an entire collection of people whose livelihoods rely on such perceptions — it becomes even more crucial.
What Corporate Image in its manifold aspects sets out to do, is to create and control the signals and perceptions a company radiates. The total image.
To do so is no mean task and requires the expertise and experience of specialist designers. What they set out to do is analyse what the company does and what it stands for, then synthesise key elements, the centre point of which is often the logo, trademark, emblem or symbol of the essence of the company image in concentrated form
The intention will be to firstly, differentiate the company image from others which compete in the same business category.
But it is also wise if the designers endeavour to create an image that is distinctive in all spaces. In other words, one which can stand out amongst a panoply of brands of any type.
Consumers don’t go around thinking in product categories, and their lives are busy. The headspace is limited.
Someone once said, products are made in a factory, brands are made in people’s minds.
Prospects will mentally decide whether a company is a worthy parent of a brand, or whether new products or line extensions are true children of the parent, or a poor cousin to whom they may be reluctant to be introduced.
Corporate image then, is the place from which perceptions cascade; determining price, loyalty, share, success and resiliency against setbacks.
It has to be done as well as possible.
