Identity, Image and Reputation

Identity, Image and Reputation

Corporate Identity

“A company’s identity is the visual manifestation of the company’s reality as conveyed through the organization’s name, logo, motto, products, services, buildings, stationery, uniform and all other tangible pieces of evidence created by the organization and communicated to a variety of constituencies”.

Corporate Image

“Corporate image describes the manner in which outsiders perceive a company, its activities, and its products or services. It is the organization as seen from the viewpoint of its constituencies”.

•Depending upon which constituency is involved, and organization can have many different images.
•Organizations can get a better sense of their image by conducting research with constituents.
•While image can vary with constituents, identity needs to be consistent.
•Company’s identity and image is the only difference that people can use to distinguish one company from another in this era of globalization where companies face intense competition.

Shaping Identity

Things that contribute positively to corporate identity are:
•An inspirational corporate vision – Most central to corporate identity is the vision that encompasses the company’s core values, philosophies, standards and goals. Corporate vision is a common thread that all employees and other constituencies can relate to.

For example, the website of FedEx (http://www.fedex.com/us/) helps the constituencies conclude that the company does very well in all the fields towards building a strong identity.

•Names and logos – A company’s value can be significantly influenced by the success of its corporate branding strategy. Companies often institute name changes either to signal identity changes or to make their identities better reflect their realities. Logos are another important component of corporate identity because of their visual nature and their increasing prevalence across many types of media.

For example, the Coca-Cola brand is considered the most valuable brand in the world (www.coca-cola.com).

•Consistent self-presentation – An organization’s vision should manifest itself consistently across all its identity elements from logos and mottos to employee behavior.

Experience - When I worked for ICICI Bank, the building had the big logo on its roof, the same entrances with dark carpets and the logo on them, and the same decorations, take-away and mottos hanging on the walls. The consistent portrayal of the image through the various organizational settings helped me forming a good image of my company in my mind. As the identity needs to be consistent, I think that it is necessary that the logos and mottos of organizations do not change.

Identity Management in Action

•Step 1: Conduct an identity audit - The company should find out how the public views the organization and what its symbols represent to different constituencies.
•Step 2: Set Identity of Objectives - The goals should be set by senior management and must explain how each constituency should react to specific identity proposals.
• Step 3: Develop design & names -The company should ensure that name and logos continue to reflect the company's reality.
• Step 4: Develop prototypes -Consultants develop models using the new symbols or name, e.g. business stationery, t-shirts, and pens.
•Step 5: Launch and communicate - Reporters should be informed about the new identity.
• Step 6: Implement the program - Consistency is important.

Image in the eye of the beholder

•An organization's image is how constituencies perceive the organization based upon all messages it sends out through names and logos, self-presentation, employees, etc.
• The image of the organization develops over a period. Organizations should try to build the image by concentrating on strategic moves.

For example, from my point of view, MTR Foods in Southern India has the image to be consistent and reliable in their quality of their products. People in other part of the country could believe that it is a very conservative company, as their management thinking is often conservative and has never been upfront of the media.

• Image is formed from some or many out of intended communication, unintended communication, word-of mouth reputation and transaction and post-transaction experience.
• Organizations should seek to understand their image not only with the customers but also with other key constituencies such as investors, employees and the community.
• Company’s image in the mind of the employees is important as they play a vital role with the company’s other constituencies.

For example, Arthur Andersen firms around the world formed a new organization focused on consulting and technology services related to managing large-scale systems integration and enhancing business processes called as Accenture. Now to build up their image and identity Accenture is coming up with a tag “High performance. Delivered.” With brand ambassador Tiger woods.
http://www.accenture.com/home/default.htm

Building a solid reputation

• Reputation differs from image because it is built up over time and is not simply a perception at a given point of time. Reputation is based on the perceptions of all constituencies.
• The reputation is the spirit of the corporate in the society. It is base on the good identity, image and good products and service, which are provided by the corporate.
• Every corporate want to build up the good reputation in the market to help them to do the good business. However, some times, if the corporate did a wrong thing in making the product or providing service, it could break their reputation.
• When an organization's identity and image are aligned, the foundation for a solid reputation exists. Reputation is built up over time; it is a product of both internal and external constituencies.
• A strong reputation is important for a firm because it calls attention to a company's attractive features and widens the options available for its managers.
• Based on the reputation, they can charge higher or lower prices, but reputation can also help companies to handle crises more effectively.

For example, Johnson & Johnson was able to get out of the Tylenol crisis because it had the good reputation of caring for patients and consumers, and not only looking for financial success.

• The reputation framework would consist of employee image, investor image, customer image and community image.
• The organizations reputation would completely depend on the communication between the different parties.

• The organization should always try to win the confidence of their employees, inform the investor about the changes and the ventures and plans, ensure quality in products and services and provide social service to the local community.

For example, companies like Microsoft, Infosys, Tata, Toyota, Coors and Red Cross enjoy high reputation for serving the society and delivering quality service