5 Successful Corporate Identities In The 21st Century In the modern economy and in this state of consumerism, corporate identity is regarded as the integrated scheme to make a company send their message that is consistent with their objectives.

	Defining Corporate Identity Corporate identity, or corporate branding, refers to the reputation, reach, and projected personality by a corporation.  In the modern economy and in this state of consumerism, corporate identity is regarded as the integrated scheme to make a company send their message that is consistent with their objectives.  Today, consumers are more sensitive with a company’s corporate identity when they buy a product.  If the consumer can generate a positive feeling with one’s corporate identity, it can translate to affection for the product which leads to more sales and long term growth.  Most business startups in the past ten years have been mindful of having a powerful corporate identity so much so that they hire talented people from media and advertising to create a custom corporate identity for them.  There are many firms that provide consultation and services to help build a custom corporate identity to enhance public image. Aspects Of Custom Corporate Identity The primary aspect of corporate identity is branding.  This starts with the aesthetics that the company can identify with.  Firms specializing in custom corporate identity start by developing a company logo, since the logo is the one image where all company branding will come from.  Company branding also includes creating a color scheme to project a look and feel that consumers can associate with.  Branding provides uniqueness to products, so the consumer can easily pick them out from other competitors. Branding is only one aspect of corporate identity.  The identity of the corporation must also be seen in things beyond the product.  This includes things like how the company treats its employees, the charitable activities that companies engage in, celebrities associated with the company, and even the working environment of employees.  All this should work together so the corporate identity is reinforced in everything that a company does. The litmus test in judging the effectiveness of custom corporate identities is the consistency of identity.  Consistency of corporate identity is just as important as consistency in branding.  If a consumer does not feel the same affection with products from the same company, then we can say that corporate identity is compromised. One other dimension in creating a custom corporate identity is the quality of communications.  This dimension involves advertisements, press releases, marketing campaigns, promos, features, and more.  Companies often work to present a consistent message and make sure that they are placed in a positive light.  This is also the reason why successful companies invest a lot of money in building up their brand through advertising campaigns. The most successful corporate identities in the last 50 years include companies like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and McDonald’s.  Their success is not only measured by sales figures, but also how they were able to present a clear and consistent message even when dealing with customers across the globe.  Other top brands that started their global campaign in the 90’s are Nike and VISA. Let us look at the 5 of the most successful corporate identities in this decade and how they evolved into what they are today. Google™ Google™ started in 1996 when two Stanford University graduate students built a search engine for the university.  The search engine was different from all other search engines during the early times because it could analyze back links to determine the relevance of a particular website.  Google™ was a word play of Googol, meaning 1 followed by one hundred zeros.  The Google™ brand went on to become the most recognized search engine in the world.  Just how much are they successful?  Google™ managed to became the household name for search engines that people candidly say the word “Google™” to mean search. Apple® Apple is an old company dating back to 1976.  However, nothing in their corporate identity suggests how old the company is.  Apple’s brand resurgence started with the attempt to steal some of the market share that Microsoft had.  To do that, they did more to differentiate themselves from Microsoft, so people regard Apple computers as altogether different from a personal computer.  The Mac vs. PC campaign effectively bundled Windows machines as PCs,  when in fact Apple is also a PC.   These efforts made Apple the most iconic brand in laptops, desktops, and digital media players. Nokia™ The mobile phone market in the United States may be dominated by Apple, Blackberry, or Motorola; but no one beats Nokia™ in the global stage.  Nokia™ sells eight times as many smartphones as the iPhone™, and its market is still growing especially in emerging economies.  The Nokia™ brand has been so successful in Asia and Europe that most consumers in these regions are familiar with the interface of their mobile phones, making it hard to convert these consumers to other smartphone interfaces. Disney™ The old animation studio outfit found new ways to increase its presence into the minds of children and their parents.  After a string of blockbuster movies like The Incredible, and the Academy Award winner Wall-E, Disney™ showed its marketing savvy when they released the High School Musical.  This is one of the most significant steps that made Disney™ more prevalent to the 12-15 age demographic. Starbucks™ Although they may seem saturated in the U.S. market, Starbucks™ is not yet done saturating the global market.   Starbucks™ reinvented itself when the company had to close down stores to cut revenues, but it also made a mark in other countries by introducing the café experience especially in Asia. Creating and managing corporate identity is a serious business for startups who want to have a mark in the global market.  Firms and freelance specialists can become a great source of input for companies struggling to find an identity.  In fast-changing markets, it is hard to become distinct and unique with new competitors coming up.  Building a custom corporate identity will help you build the distinction that consumers will identify with.  It does not matter if your company is against a competitive industry or not.  What matters is that consumers should be able to identify you not only from your products, but also as part of society.

Bookmark/Share This Page: