Design Creative LabWhen a company tells me "we want to refresh our corporate identity," they are almost always thinking about the logo. And the logo is only one part. Corporate identity is everything your company is and the way it shows it: what it believes, how it speaks, how it looks and how it treats people.
I have been designing identities since 1994, and this is how I explain it to my clients before we start.
What is corporate identity?
It is the set of traits that make a company recognizable and different: its philosophy (mission, vision and values), its visual identity (logo, colors, typography), the way it speaks, its culture and the experience it offers.
Put simply: it is your company's personality and everything it uses to express it.
What is the difference between corporate identity and corporate image?
- Corporate identity: what you define and show. It is in your hands.
- Corporate image: what people perceive and remember about you. It lives in your clients' minds.
Identity is the cause and image is the result. When your identity is clear and applied the same way everywhere, the image people form looks a lot like what you want to project. When it isn't, everyone walks away with a different idea.
Is corporate identity the same as brand identity?
They overlap a lot. Brand identity usually refers to a specific brand or product (how it looks, sounds and feels), while corporate identity refers to the company as a whole, including its philosophy, culture and behavior. A company can have one corporate identity and several product brands.
What are the elements of corporate identity?
- Philosophy: mission, vision and values. Why the company exists and where it's going.
- Visual identity: logo, colors, typography, photography and icons. How it looks.
- Verbal identity: name, tagline and tone of voice. How it speaks.
- Culture: how the team works, serves and solves problems. How it behaves.
- Experience: offices, website, packaging, social media and every touchpoint. How it feels.
If you're interested in the visual side, I explain how to choose colors in How do I choose my brand colors?
What is corporate identity in graphic design?
In graphic design we talk about corporate visual identity: the system of logo, colors, typography and usage rules that makes everything the company publishes look like part of the same family. That system is documented in the identity manual, so any designer, printer or agency can apply it the same way. I explain what it should include in What should a brand identity manual include?
Why does corporate identity matter?
- It makes you recognizable: people identify you before they read your name.
- It builds trust: a company that looks organized signals that it works in an organized way.
- It sets you apart: without a clear identity, you compete on price alone.
- It organizes your team: everyone knows how to communicate without asking every time.
- It saves money: you don't redesign every piece from scratch.
Which companies are examples of strong corporate identity?
- IKEA. Its philosophy of affordable furniture shows up everywhere: the blue and yellow, the product names, the one-way store layout and the furniture you assemble yourself. Read about IKEA
- Grupo Bimbo. A Mexican company that keeps its bear mascot, its family tone and its presence in every corner store, recognized in dozens of countries. Read about Grupo Bimbo
- Coca-Cola. Logo, color, typography and a message about sharing moments, applied consistently for decades. Read about Coca-Cola
How do I know if my company needs to work on its corporate identity?
Some signs: each department uses a different version of the logo, your social media doesn't match your website, your team describes the company in different ways or clients confuse you with someone else. You don't always need to start over; often it's enough to organize what you already have and document it.