The business identity of an organization is the aggregate of perceptions, attitudes and expectations that key stakeholders have toward the firm. It is composed of several factors: logos, branding materials, formal and informal communications, and even the values and attitudes of the employers of the organization convey something about the identity of the firm. A good identity management strategy can assist in the creation of a favorable reputation.
Instructions
1. Assess the current situation. Even if an organization has not made a conscious effort to shape its corporate identity, it will have one. It can be revealed by means of traditional consumer behavior research, using surveys to reveal the external image projected by the firm. Internal surveys and interviews should be carried, too, in order to determine how employees and key stakeholders perceive the organization: The attitudes, values and perceptions of the employees will have a strong impact on the identity of the business.
2. Work out the ideal business identity for the organization. The quest for closing down the gap between actual and ideal corporate identity is at the core of the identity management strategy. There are two main approaches for discovery of the ideal identity of an organization. The first is based on interviews of the organizational leaders, looking for the core values they want for their firm. The second is based on interviews of the customers and stakeholders, looking for unique, distinctive benefits that are import to them and that can be provided by the organization. The ideal business identity should align the core values of the directives with the benefits and values that are most important to the customers.
3. Design a visual identity. Originally, corporate identity was thought to be nearly synonymous with visual design: logos, packaging materials and advertisements were thought to be at the core of the customer's perception. Although the role of the visuals has become less prominent in recent decades, it is important to look for consistent visual communications that convey something about the firm by means of symbolism, subtext, or simply gut reactions (e.g, bright colors for communicating energy, or dark blues for communicating professionalism).
4. Design a communication strategy. This can reinforce the image of the organization. When developing a new voice for the firm, the first step is definition of the communication objectives, followed by segmentation and selection of key audiences and the best channels for reaching them. The key messages of the corporate identity program will arise naturally from this knowledge of what to say and how.
5. Foster a strong organizational culture. The identity of an organization also is revealed through the behavior of its personnel. If said behavior is at odds with the visual identity and the corporate communications, the customers are likely to detect and resent the discrepancy. In order to align the corporate culture with the corporate identity, it is important to establish a guiding vision and its corresponding mission. Effective employee communication should be used to nurture the values and beliefs that support the corporate mission and strategy, particularly in the case of customer-facing personnel.
