What is Corporate Identity?

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The Customer / Corporate Relationship: A Foundation for Loyalty  [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Different Types of Corporate Identity

Corporate identity merges strategy, culture, and communications to present a memorable personality to prospects and customers. The term is closely linked to corporate philosophy, the company's business mission and values, as well as corporate personality, the distinct corporate culture reflecting this philosophy, and corporate image.

The main objective of corporate identity is to achieve a favorable image among the company's prospects and customers. When a corporation is favorably regarded this is likely to result in loyalty. If the corporate identity is the self-portrayal of a company, then the corporate image is the perception of an organization by the audience. The closer the corporate image is to the corporate identity; the closer the public's perception of a company is to how the company defines itself, making for superior corporate communication.

For example, most companies have access to the same technology. If they want to further distinguish themselves, the strategy must rely on another factor than technology: the user experience. As the audience's focus changes constantly, corporate strategies must move in the same direction as the customer.

The consumer's impression of a company, or the corporate image, is highly influenced by how he or she experiences the company's products. The product identity, the sum of the products formal and functional properties, will help the user shape a mental image of the product manufacturer. Therefore the corporation needs to carefully plan what it wants to communicate through its product, and how.