Corporate identity: what it is and how it defines organizations

The business environment is tremendously competitive. Thousands of companies are born and die all the time, with only a relatively small percentage remaining and standing out. The reasons why some survive and others cannot be very varied, going through the presence of insufficient initial capital, a projection on a very small scale or the absence of an added value that allows the product itself to stand out from those of the competence.

Another aspect that can make a company stay is that it is a coherent organization, with a structure and clear objectives that projects a positive and appealing image for your audience objective. And one of the essential requirements for this is to have a clear corporate identity.

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What is corporate identity?

We understand by corporate identity the set of characteristics that give a company or company its own personality differentiated from 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 clear the objectives of the company and generate a structure and a hierarchy clear organizational.

Among other things, corporate identity provides a framework within which the members of the company carry out their activity, with a determined 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 abroad.

Another of the most relevant aspects for the exterior, and that in fact often goes on to identify 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 Username.

However, in this case we would be talking about visual identity, which although it is an important part of identity The corporate identity is not its totality: the corporate identity also includes 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 such an 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 are as follows.

1. Corporate philosophy

The corporate philosophy is understood as the way of seeing and understanding reality by the company 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.

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2. Corporate culture

Corporate culture is the set of non-tangible elements that explain how the corporation works today. Norms, guiding beliefs of the activity and values ​​present in the day to day 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 about aspects such as the feeling of belonging, the type relationship and relationship between employees and the perception of workers regarding their role in the company.

4. Workplan

The work plan is the realization of a planning of the activities to be carried out by the company and how to do them. It includes objectives, methods, ways to monitor progress and tasks to be performed.

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 seems 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

It is the document in which the set of characteristics that make the company something different: the rules of the institution, objectives and operation, the indications 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 order to make the company more understandable and unified. company in question, making its corporate image (that is, the way it is perceived externally) more trustworthy and making it easier for potential customers or users to notice it.

And not only externally: it facilitates the management and organization of the company and that the employees have links with the institution, improving productivity and facilitating their survival.

Bibliographic references:

• Aldersey-Williams, H. (1993). Corporate identity. Parramón, Barcelona.
• Mut, M. And Breva, E. (2003). From corporate identity to corporate visual identity, a necessary path. Jornades de Foment de la Investigació. Jaume I. University