Branding, Logo, Corporate Identity
Potato, Pour-tato….
YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR BUSINESS LOOKS IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE. YOUR CORPORATE IDENTITY IS HOW PEOPLE RECOGNISE YOUR BRAND AND THE REPUTATION YOU HOLD. YOU ALSO NEED TO REMEMBER THAT YOU DON’T OPERATE IN A VACUUM AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE CORPORATE IDENTITY OF RIVAL FIRMS IN YOUR INDUSTRY.
THERE ARE SOME ELEMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO HAVE WITH YOUR CORPORATE IDENTITY, INCLUDING:
- VISIBILITY
- CONSISTENCY
- DISTINCTIVENESS
There are a number of ways in which you can improve your corporate identity and the following tips will put you on the right path.
GET EVERY DEPARTMENT INVOLVED
When it comes to your corporate identity, every department has a part to play and this means that actions should be delegated. Making people aware of their need to represent the company in the right manner, and making sure someone is responsible for carrying out this activity is important.
UTILISE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE YOUR BRAND
Everything you use or have in business can carry your brand so it is important that it is on message. From ensuring your website is up to date and consistent with your identity to things like staff uniforms and vehicles, everything that a person sees and associates with your firm can be used to promote your corporate identity.
IF YOU CAN AUTOMATE, DO SO
When it comes to running effectively, you want to use your time as best you can. If there activities you can run in an automated style, make sure you do so. This will be an excellent way to save time and improve the consistency of your brand. Whether it is sending messages to customers or using templates to set correspondence, the more items you have that are taken control of, the better.
PASS INFORMATION ON
If you are looking to have a consistent approach across all areas of your business, make sure that every department in your business can communicate with each other. If you’re disseminating information, it needs to be passed on to all relevant parties, preferably at the same time. Corporate identities will often fall apart if there are divisions in the ranks, so it makes sense to minimise any divisions if you can.
CONSIDER THE MARKET AROUND YOU
One of the things about a corporate image or identity is that people will see it and think of you. This means it is helpful to consider your identity with respect to your industry and marketplace. Is your identity the correct one for your industry? Are there other firms in your industry imitating your identity and perhaps trading on your good name or image? If part of the success around your image and identity is about unique in the market place, you need to review the marketplace to ensure that you remain unique.
REVIEW YOUR IDENTITY ON A REGULAR BASIS
Corporate identities can change over time and there is a need to keep tabs on how you are perceived. It may even be that nothing within your identity or image has changed but due to changes in the industry or marketplace, you are perceived in a different manner. Again, there is a need to properly evaluate your corporate identity with respect to your entire industry as well as your own business.