Before crafting its brands for individual products, a company first needs to develop their corporate identity. Such an identity should encapsulate what it seeks to achieve in the business, what its target market is, and what its values are as an organization.
A company’s corporate branding will determine the kind of business partners it will attract in the industry, what products and services it will offer, what its standards for quality are, and what segment of the population it will appeal to.
The development of a corporate brand entails a two-fold process. During the first phase, the company’s decision-makers discuss the following: What logo and brand name do they want to be associated with? What colors and symbols would best represent the organization and its suite of offerings? Is there any particular niche that it seeks to cater to?
This step is supposed to lead to the creation of the basic set of corporate identity materials – from the logo, to the headers for office stationery, to the business cards, brochures, and signages. Internally, the meaning and importance of each of these assets should be communicated to every employee, who then becomes the corporate brand’s best ambassador.
The guidelines for the production of these materials should be summarized in a communications manual, which describes in detail the desired overall look as well as the specifics, including the colors in the pantone, the typefaces, the sizes, even the preferred paper thicknesses and finishes. It is this document that the company and its partners and suppliers should strictly refer to when printing materials for the corporate brand.
The second step involves conveying the corporate identity to the public, through various promotion materials, such as print and broadcast advertisements, the website, and the social media. Activities like company anniversary parties, product launches, company-sponsored fairs, trade events, and press briefings may also be conducted in support of corporate brand promotion.
A brand manager takes care of ensuring that all these outputs are aligned with corporate standards. From time to time, materials may also need updating, to coincide with changes within the company, its product or service offerings, and its industry.
For guidance in building and maintaining or updating corporate identity, companies may enlist the services of agencies that specialize in providing a full range of marketing solutions. These organizations may also provide the help of graphic artists who can develop unique and visually appealing designs.
