There are plenty of good and bad ideas that will dictate the direction of a corporate identification program. Putting the pieces together properly and staying on track requires leadership and commitment. Most importantly, involving the right type and team of individuals at each stage of development is crucial.
This article isn't for a firm or company attempting to do the entire project in-house. It's not written for anyone seeking a bare-bones shortcut to creating a company or product name and/or its visual support. It's intended to help you understand the process and the things that can work for you and avoid mistakes that can work against you.
Identify your audiences before planning. Many people are influenced by the message of your corporate identification. Your visual will appear on many materials in many places, including signage, brochures, trucks, stationary, Web sites, and bulletin boards. Many audiences see it: your company president, customers, employees and their families, prospects, competitors, banker, vendors, board members, and future partners and potential investors.
Unfortunately, some corporate image programs end up focusing on a single audience. This isn't good. Input and critique are valuable, but ego-driven needs compromise the effectiveness of the activities. Understand from the beginning that what matters is your target audiences, not someone in the company with a favorite color or shape.
Understand the purpose of corporate identification. Corporate symbols, logos, and marks support a company in gaining market share. Powerful visuals help communicate a leadership position, convey credibility, or demonstrate the vision, energy, or the firm's other internal and external strengths.
Consider whether it's time to change. Every new product or service carries an opportunity, but not necessarily a need, for a new corporate name and supporting visual identity. Many factors can be indications that it's time for the company to change: a new direction or strategy, new niches, changing markets, the competitive nature of the field. It could be that the company's visuals look outdated and suggest the company itself is behind the times
Teamwork is essential. In creating a company's identifying visual, the company and its marketing agency have to work together. Too often companies don't recognize the significance of their visual identification, and they try to take shortcuts during its development. An identification program won't work if the company gives it a low priority. Begin the initial process by involving the appropriate people within the organization.
Involve and evolve. When everyone involved understands that the identification development process is a partnership, the process stays focused and the creative energy moves toward visually interpreting the company's goals. Some argue that too much company involvement leads to a lack of clarity for the designers, but a collaborative effort benefits everyone involved.
Corporate identification is art and science. Developing a corporate look is both art and science. Research, planning, and design are all significant components of the completed package - for good reason. Ownership of a visually powerful corporate identification has tremendous value to a firm. There are more than 690,000 trademarks now registered, many for unusual names or symbols that are clearly worth protecting. Some companies go a step further: Owens-Corning registered the color of its pink insulation, as did Coca-Cola with the shape of its Coca-Cola Classic bottle, and NBC applied for registration of the sound of its chimes.
Design has value. In addition to objectivity, an outside marketing services firm brings its understanding and knowledge of the subtleties of design. Graphic artists, illustrators, designers, and art directors can conceptually interpret a company's goals while attending to the small details, which can be quite powerful. They scrutinize the design for balance, unity, cohesiveness, composition, and reproduction value. They understand the implications of specific colors and select colors accordingly, also giving careful consideration to the warm and dark tones they use.
Give the planning stages their necessary attention, maintain communication with all involved parties, define your company's goals, and select the best leaders to direct your corporate identification implementation program. With everything in place, you'll avoid identity crisis and present your company in the best light.