| What your customers or potential customers think | | | | the company’s brand equity, its marketing initiatives |
| about your company reflects the impression they have | | | | and its range of products or services offered. |
| in their minds about your company. This impression is | | | | Not just that, a well crafted and well communicated |
| created by your product positioning, client servicing, | | | | corporate identity wins you loyal customers. It provides |
| your attitude towards customers and society in | | | | the much desired niche for your products or services. |
| general, your marketing campaigns, third party sources | | | | And if Tata’s case is anything to go by, it goes a |
| such as newspaper articles etc. This impression is | | | | long way in winning you partners that relate to the |
| called corporate identity. | | | | aspirations articulated by the identity. |
| While the corporate logo helps people remember the | | | | Effectively, your marketing costs come down |
| company it stands for, it does not help in creating an | | | | drastically if your target customers know about you |
| identity for your company. It is your actions and your | | | | – did you notice Microsoft hardly ever needs to |
| conduct as a company which decides how you are | | | | advertise itself? |
| perceived. | | | | Building corporate identity |
| Take the case of Tata, the Indian corporate | | | | The following five points are keys to successfully build |
| powerhouse and Arcelor Mittal, the world's largest | | | | and manage your corporate identity: |
| producer of steel controlled by billionaire Laxmi Niwas | | | | 1. Project the personality of the corporation: This |
| Mittal. Both Tatas and Mittals were involved in high | | | | projection should be authentic and believable, and it |
| profile mergers. While Mittal took over steel behemoth | | | | should reflect in the daily conduct. Take the case of |
| Arcelor, Tata bought Ford’s two premium luxury | | | | Starbucks – they claim to be environmentally |
| auto brands - Jaguar and Land Rover. But where as | | | | conscious and their corporate practices actually are. |
| the takeover of Arcelor by Mittals was bitterly | | | | 2. It should be spontaneous. If McDonald’s project |
| opposed by the company’s labor unions and even | | | | themselves as a fun place to have a snack, their |
| some political parties, the Tatas’ story was that of | | | | mascot actually looks like he is having pots of fun. This |
| smooth transition. In fact Tata were recommended by | | | | example buttresses the need for messages, logos, |
| the labor unions. | | | | mascots, even products or services taking cue from |
| Why this difference particularly when Mittal’s are a | | | | the established corporate identity. |
| well known success story in UK while Tata’s till | | | | 3. Go back to the drawing board: Don’t imitate. You |
| recently were relatively unknown entity there. The | | | | as a company are unique. Go to the drawing board, |
| Tata corporate house came into the limelight only after | | | | unlearn all the things that are already out there, find |
| it bought Tetley. | | | | your uniqueness and go all out to communicate that |
| The difference actually lies in the manner in which the | | | | uniqueness. |
| two corporate houses are perceived by people. The | | | | 4. Don’t waiver: Once you have determined the |
| Tatas are renowned for their social responsibility and | | | | values and the principles you want your company to |
| values, where as Mittals were viewed as ruthless | | | | adhere to, stick to them whatever the lure or situation |
| operators who can go to any lengths to cut costs. | | | | is. Don’t get attached with products or services |
| Clearly, corporate identity has a major role to play in | | | | which do not gel with your identity. |
| strategic matters. Let’s now discuss it… | | | | 5. Be there, always: Whatever you do should |
| Corporate identity | | | | communicate your corporate identity. If Apple say they |
| Corporate identity is reflection of what a company is | | | | are next generation, everything they do – products |
| and how it is perceived by outsiders. It is the set of | | | | and services offered, people working with them, their |
| values and principles held by the firm. It is also the way | | | | stores, even their press releases are next generation, |
| these values are communicated - whether verbally, in | | | | if not better. |
| writing, visually in the form of marketing and third party | | | | Finally, find one or a handful of words which besides |
| media, or graphically as corporate logo and brand | | | | being descriptive and meaningful should convey your |
| colors. All these elements together project the image | | | | identity. Take the case of Hewlett Packard which has |
| of the corporation - its corporate identity. | | | | built its corporate ID around the word “invent” or |
| If crafted and communicated well with help from | | | | Jaguar which has its corporate identity around the |
| reputed branding firms specializing in branding | | | | word “gorgeous” - a true reflection of its cars. |
| corporate identity, the corporate identity gives life to | | | | |