This document discusses corporate image, identity, and reputation. It defines corporate image as a reflection of an organization's reality, while identity is the visual manifestation of the image through branding elements. The document then provides examples of how two organizations approach identity and image. It outlines key steps to manage identity, and provides a case study of how General Electric conducted an identity audit and worked with Landor Associates to develop an innovative new identity strategy to better represent the company's diversity.
2. What Is Corporate Image & Identity ?
• Corporate Image is a reflection of an organization’s reality.
• Many different Images can exist for an organization depending on which constituency
is involved.
• Thus, to understand image means to know what the organization is really about and
where it is headed.
• Corporate Identity on the other hand , is the visual manifestation of the image as
conveyed through the organization’s logo, products, services, buildings, stationery,
uniforms and all other tangible bits of evidence created by the organization to
communicate with a variety of constituencies.
• Constituencies then form perceptions based on the messages that companies send
out in tangible form.If these notions accurately reflect an organization’s reality, the
identity program is a success.
“While image can vary among Constituencies, identity needs to be consistent.”
3. Examples Image & Identity are dealt by two
different organizations
• We work with the British Airports Authority, starting from before privatization, to
change the culture away from a brown army of civil servants, to a more profit-
centered, customer-focused organization… Developing an identity can be a catalyst
for all sorts of changes internally. It can signal to an internal audience that ‘we are
changing’……We often work alongside management consultants who are looking at
restructuring, and it can help their work to be realized.
- John Lloyd , director of the corporate identity consultants Lloyd Northover.
• Visual symbols are only visual symbols. There are a way of communicating certain
things, basic fundamental things. They often need to be looked at where an
organization, is changing for some reason, what it does, the way it does it. It is often
all about change, changing management and how to communicate that. One aspect
of that and quite a small aspect of that, is the visual.
- Charles Seaford,
Consultant with Wolff Olins
4. Importance
• Using Image and Identity to Strengthen the Corporate Communication
Function.
• Building a Solid Reputation
• Corporate Identity emerged as a Trend & continues to be very important till
date
5. How to manage the unmanagable
• Step 1 . Conduct an Identity Audit
• Step 2 . Set Identity Objectives
• Step 3 . Develop Designs & Names
• Step 4 . Develop Prototypes
• Step 5 . Launch & Communicate
• Step 6 . Implement the Program
6. Case Study – “GE”
• Richard Costello, manager of Corporate Marketing Communications at GE, reviewed
images gathered from across GE’s wide range of business – images of advertising,
packaging, in-house publications, brochures, stationery, etc.
• It was in 1985, and Costello had recently become responsible for the GE monogram, a
responsibility he had pursued believing that the trademark drove the company’s image.
• Even though Costello knew it was time to review the use of GE’s 100-year-old logo, he
was surprised at the range ad lack of consistency in the images being projected.
• He began to formulate the case he would make to his superiors, and ultimately to GE’s
chairman, Jack Welch, to fund a re-examination of the corporation’s identity.
7. • He began to formulate the case he would make to his superiors, and ultimately to GE’s
chariman, Jack Welch, to fund a re-examination of the corporation’s identity.
• Managing the identity of the largest diversified multinational company in the world was no
small task.
• Founded by Thomas Edison, GE became a public company in 1892, about 20 years after
the development of the light bulb. By the early 1980s GE held the number one or number
two position in each of 14 key businesses ranging from aircraft engines and kitchen
appliances to light bulbs , medical systems, and financial services.
• The company had 300,000 employees and grossed over $50 billion a year.
• A 1991 article in Fortune magazine described GE this way:
Few Corporations are bigger; none is as complex. GE makes 65% light bulbs, 400,000-
pound locomotives, and billion-dollar power plants. It manages more credit cards than
American Express and owns more commercial aircraft than American Airlines. Of the 7
billion pounds of hamburger Americas tote home each year, 36 % keeps fresh in GE
refigerators, and after dinner, one out of five couch potatoes tunes in GE’s network, NBC !
8. Vice-President About GE Identity
Paul Van Orden, former Vice President of GE’s consumer sector,
describes the motivation for the company to reconsider its identity:
We had done some research over time that indicated, first of all, that
some aspects of the monogram and the identity program appeared
less up to date than we would like. Two, there was subjective feeling
among some of us that the “General GE Electric” approach
appeared kind of old-fashioned, And the third element was the wide
variation of application of terminology and business cards,
letterheads, all that sort of thing. It was clear that everybody did
pretty much as they pleased, so we were a long way from
presenting any kind of a consistent face to our customers or to the
public.
9. Research & Results
• In addition the company had become so diversified, that the name
“General Electric” no longer appropriately expressed the range of
the company’s products.
• During the first 6 months of 1986, the project team carried out
extensive analysis of GE’s identity situation by Landor Associates.
• Conducted interviews with executives covering 23 cities of U.S. and
in every continent in which GE was involved, 21 operating units,
selected ad agencies, and GE’s public relations firm.
• Conducted the extensive audit for the same.
• Surprisingly found that GE had a phenomenally high awareness
level among business and consumers – a very strong asset to play
upon.
• It was found – it was old fashioned, still known basically as a.
10. appliance & a light bulb company, as it remained unchanged since
its introduction in 1986.
• On comparision with other top companies of AT&T, IBM, 3M, the
research showed the perceptions of GE were high on the quality of
reliability but fell short in terms of dynamism & innovation. Even
though the company was involved in wide range of businesses, it
was not being given credit for them. Improving preceptions of GE’s
diversity became a critical objective of the program
11. Landor - Innovative Identity Strategy Developed
• “GE War Room” was named as it was the first time in
100 years that the company had reviewed its identity.
• Landor presented comprehensive examples of typical
media – package designs, letterhead designs, truck
designs etc…
13. Conclusion
Most managers underestimate its value – ‘Corporate Identity’. They
need to be aware of the tremendous impact of image, identity, and
reputation and they must learn how to manage this critical resource.
Success in this area is catalyst for and a symbol of change the
dynamic process that keeps companies thriving . Success also
matures in to pride and commitment – among employees,
consumers, and the general public – irreplaceable assets in an
intensely competitive global business environment.
Thank You !
