How can a corporate visual identity support your company’s reputation?

Every company has a certain personality, thanks to which we can set it apart from other businesses. It usually refers to the company’s values (along with its mission and vision), the adopted brand archetype, the organizational culture accepted by all employees, the way of interacting with the public and its corporate visual identity (CVI). The last mentioned area has a huge impact on the way audiences perceive the brand. In today’s post we will explain why it is so important from a business perspective. Read on to find out more.

Corporate visual identity – table of contents:

1. What is a corporate visual identity?
2. The elements of a corporate visual identity (CVI)
3. Why does a corporate visual identity matter?
4. Summary

What is a corporate visual identity?

A corporate visual identity includes all graphic, typographic and other elements (e.g. Netflix’s iconic “ta-dum” sound) that the company uses on a daily basis and which have been created to distinguish it from other entities operating in the market. These elements are exploited in everyday communication (on the company’s social media or website), and in many other situations – e.g., when shipping products (packaging), at events (business cards, company gadgets) or during meetings with customers (sales presentations).

A corporate visual identity includes the following elements:

• brand name
• logo (its shape, font, color and other features)
• color scheme
• slogan or claim

Of course, your company can choose to add other elements to its corporate visual identity, but without the above-mentioned components, it will certainly not be as strong and effective.

The elements of a corporate visual identity (CVI)

The aforementioned elements in the case of most companies are – or at least should be included – in the so-called brand book. In this way, they are available to all employees and there is no doubt how to use them in the external materials prepared by a particular department (application documents in the HR department, sales offers in the sales department or publications in trade magazines in the marketing department).

It’s worth stressing that the company’s visual identity is subject to change. Many companies decide to carry out a rebranding even after many years of existence in the market – both due to the internal factors (changing the company’s mission and vision, repositioning) and external factors (mergers, acquisitions etc.). However, any major change needs to be carefully thought through and communicated to employees, partners, contractors and customers. Recipients need time to get used to it.

Why does a corporate visual identity matter?

The company’s corporate visual identity is an essential tool that is used for creating a brand image in the market. First of all, it allows the company – thanks to visual consistency across all activities and channels – to be easily set apart from its competitors.

Also, it lets recipients identify the brand by name, logo or even sound. The greater such awareness is, the easier it is to reach potential customers and deliver the right message, which is undoubtedly very important in times of dynamic competition in the market.

What’s more, a corporate visual identity reflects the true essence of your brand (e.g., through the right color choice), indicates its values (the colors brown and green are always associated with ecology) or its mission (e.g., in a claim), thanks to which recipients interested in a particular area or identifying with specific values are more likely to interact with the brand.

It should also be emphasized that companies with a coherent corporate visual identity are considered more professional and trustworthy in the eyes of consumers, which is particularly important in the first contact between the recipient and the brand.

Why does a corporate visual identity matter?

Now that you know how a corporate visual identity can support branding, ask yourself if you’re achieving this goal. You may come to the conclusion that a rebranding is necessary as the elements used so far are inconsistent with each other or with the message you would like them to convey. In such a case, a change may be a good idea – however, think it through as it may be difficult for your audience to get used to the new situation. If you approach the subject strategically, you will soon see satisfactory results.

Read also:Where to create business cards?

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