Definition of a Corporate Identity
The saying goes, “You never get the second chance to make a first impression.” That’s why having a stellar corporate identity is so important! Your organization’s corporate identity embodies what consumers and outside parties can expect when interacting with your company. This image and the actions behind it should be consistent – and this consistency results in a solid reputation and first impression for your organization. If your business is in the Maryland, Washington, DC or Virginia area, The Sutter Group can develop a strong, unique corporate identity that will help you stand out from the crowd of competitors in your industry!
But what exactly is a corporate identity?
Many think a corporate identity is just having a recognizable logo that represents the quality and values of your organization; however, that’s only one piece of many that make up a strong corporate identity! A strong brand identity conveys your brand’s personality and values – and it extends into every marketing medium and tactic your organization puts into place.
Forward-thinking brands capture this personality and visual direction in a corporate guidelines document, which describes your organization’s identity in depth and outlines rules so your image is always presented in a consistent manner. All of these pieces together will create the unified image that’s at the forefront of your organization and ensures your first impression is always a good one.
Importance of a Strong Corporate Identity
Strong corporate branding is critical because it shapes how a consumer feels about your brand, even if they don’t consciously know it. From the moment they interact with the brand identity, their feelings about a brand are solidified, even subconsciously. These feelings often stay with a consumer throughout their entire life!
Need a solid example of an established brand identity that really works? What fast food restaurant is in over 120 countries and seems to be everywhere? You got it – McDonald’s! One of the reasons McDonald’s is so successful is that it has a highly recognizable brand identity. You know no matter where you are, if you go to a McDonald’s they’ll all look relatively similar, the menus look similar, your food will be of the same quality and taste as it is anywhere else in the world—and you might even run into Ronald McDonald, their mascot. The amazing brand consistency is part of the reason why McDonald’s is one of the biggest brands of all time.
This same consistency can ensure the success of your organization’s corporate identity and brand. Proper (and unique) representation of your product is key. Your product deserves an identity that reflects its quality and values in the best way possible. Don’t know where to get started? Put our team of corporate identity designers to work – we’ll create a corporate identity that’s perfect for your organization and will make sure your product always has its best foot forward in your target audience’s eyes.
Identity Branding Development
TSG focuses on increasing your brand recognition through our comprehensive process. It starts with internal research to learn more about your company’s background, situation and values. We examine what employees think about your company and what they perceive the value proposition to be.
We then move on to analysis of external audiences. Here we define different target audience groups and what they value and desire, as well as their purchasing habits. Defining these factors will not only allow you to communicate more effectively with your consumers, but will also allow you to align your corporate identity with the expectations of your target audience.
Part of our identity branding process also involves taking some time to thoroughly research the competition. The way we look at it, it’s important to know what the competitive landscape is in order to create a unique corporate identity. We feel you have to know how competitors are positioning themselves in order to properly understand how to create a uniquely positioned brand.
Armed with this initial research, our corporate identity team develops a creative brief that distills all of our research into one document. This creative brief culminates with a brand positioning statement that clearly defines how this brand will be articulated through words and images. Our corporate identity designers then put all of their energy towards executing the corporate identity concepts graphically and incorporating strong marketing content and text.
Finally, we ensure the corporate identity we’ve created gets propagated throughout the entire marketing program, keeping in mind this identity needs to be reflected internally as well. Remember, one of the keys to a successful corporate identity is the organization needs to embody its identity before anyone on the outside will believe it – to that end, we often provide corporate training on the new brand, to ensure all company representatives understand what this new brand means and how to embody it themselves.
Examples of Strong Corporate Identities We’ve Developed
Our corporate identity designers have developed a countless number of strong business identities over our 24 years. Here are a few of our more recent examples:
Corporate branding for RegenX
ReGenX Biosciences, a life sciences startup company, came to us to create a strong, credible corporate identity for them that would create recognition in their competitive industry – one that didn’t make them look like a startup. Read all about the RegenX corporate identity development project.
Corporate branding for Winvale
Winvale, a government sales consultant, wanted to redefine their brand and create an updated, fresh corporate identity that encapsulated their redefined brand positioning as young, energetic, aggressive and different. We did a great deal of research and strategic planning to uncover a corporate identity that speaks to their industry leadership. Read the Winvale corporate identity development case study.
Corporate branding for SKYLouver
A division of Maryland Brush Company, SKYLouver came to us with a product, but no corporate name. They needed a corporate identity that positioned them as a player in the high-technology, sustainable industrial skylight market and gave them the credibility they needed to go to market. This is an ongoing project, but the materials and standards we have developed so far have provided a modern, attractive baseline for further development. Learn more about the SKYLouver corporate identity development.
Contact TSG today to learn more about our corporate identity and branding services in the Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia area!
