Corporate image - What is it? elements, types, importance, and more

Corporate image

Visual representation of a company to the world.

What is the corporate image?

The corporate image, or corporate identity, is the visual representation of a company before the world ( employees, customers, suppliers, investors) that is provided through different elements of communication, such as product design, logo, advertising, page web, corporate brochures, brochures, etc.

This image is not only found in the organization, but is also present in the perception of the corporate image that society builds through opinions, ideas, sensations, or value judgments.

Corporate identity has to do with how the company wants to be perceived by the public, while corporate image refers to how it is actually seen.

Elements of the corporate image

The most important elements that shape the corporate image are the following:

• Name of the company: one of the most important factors to take into account, since it is the presentation of the company to the world. The name must be short, easy to remember, and must be written as it sounds so that it can transcend time.
• Logo: the typographical representation and the visual icon that reflect the corporate image must be easy to reproduce, scalable to the desired size, distinguishable, avoid confusion, and impressive so that the public will remember it. Apple's apple, Nike's pipe, and Audi's 4 rings are examples of some famous logos.
• Slogan: the phrase that accompanies the brand must be creative, not too long, and memorable. For example, "Impossible is nothing" by Nike.
• Music: many songs, compositions or musical sounds manage to become representative hallmarks that the various audiences immediately associate with the company, strengthening the concept of corporate image.
• Website: the company must have its own domain. The design of the web page must be functional, attractive, easy to navigate, and be consistent with the image that you want to convey.
• Social networks: just like the website, the care, and presence of the brand's profiles on social networks is a great element that makes up the corporate image today.
• Public relations: depending on the size of the company, there is usually an institutional communication area to deal with external agents, such as the media, unions, non-governmental organizations, etc.

Types of corporate image

The types of corporate image are the following:

• Type of corporate image disseminated: the image that the company transmits to clients, suppliers, or the media and investors, and which aims to generate a good institutional perception.
• Type of perceived corporate image: represents the opinion that the various publics have about the company. Many times what is intended to be conveyed is not what consumers and public opinion perceive.
• Type of desired corporate image: the image that the organization intends to convey. Managers seek that the public in general, and the internal team in particular, share the corporate culture through an ideal corporate image that can be communicated efficiently.
• Type of subjective image or self-image: the image that employees have of the organization itself. It is subjective because it is conditioned by the feelings and perceptions that each one has of the company. It is important to work on it because, consciously or unconsciously, it will be communicated to the outside.

Importance of corporate image

The corporate image will be the way in which consumers will perceive an organization, which is why it is one of the most important concepts to take into account. A good or bad association of the brand in the minds of consumers will have a direct impact on the success or failure of the company.

The media, interest groups, forums, groups in social networks, often influence public opinion, changing the perception of the population. Globalization, along with other variables external to the organization, has become so relevant that companies dedicate more and more resources to the area of ​​public relations or institutional communication, to meet the new challenges that arise.

Another fact that demands attention from the corporate image is the growing expectation of society regarding more responsible consumption, which takes into account the environmental damage generated by the company in the production of its goods and services. Thus, many consumers require an environmental image of the company.

In short, the corporate image is the letter of introduction to the public. It will be important to work on the different characteristics that are part of the image, to strengthen the entire company and pave the way towards achieving the objectives.

Examples of corporate image

Below are some of the most famous corporate images in the world:

• Apple Inc: the American company that designs and produces electronic equipment has the well-known “bitten apple” as its logo. Designed by its founder Steve Jobs, it is said to be a tribute to mathematician Alan Turing, who committed suicide by biting into a poisoned apple. The company has managed to transmit its culture through the apple, which has become synonymous with high standards of design and technological innovation.
• Mc Donald's: another emblematic example is the fast-food restaurant franchise. The golden arches that make up the letter “M” are the isotype that unequivocally identifies the fast-food chain in all the countries where it is located. Behind the brand are associated with the speed of service and the standardization of production processes.
• Nike – The multinational company that manufactures and distributes sports equipment (clothing, footwear, accessories) was founded in 1964 by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. The isotype called “swoosh”, for the sound that was heard when running represents one of the most famous brands in the world. The name, derived from the Greek goddess of victory Nike, has become a symbol of self-improvement through advertising campaigns such as "Impossible is nothing" (nothing is impossible), in which internationally famous athletes showed part of their daily training, motivating potential and current clients to exercise.

 

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