What is a corporate identity?
A corporate identity, also known as "brand identity," is the way a company or brand presents itself to the outside world. It is a collection of design guidelines and elements that a company uses to make itself recognizable. Think of a logo, color scheme, typography ... A corporate identity is often used in all of a company's communications such as flyers, websites, social media and advertising campaigns.
A corporate identity creates a consistent image of your company and increases your recognizability.
Importance of a good corporate identity
A corporate identity is very useful for a number of good reasons:
Become recognizable to your target audience
Do you consistently format all your brand communications in your corporate identity? If so, your target audience will recognize you. At just a glance, they will know that a photo on Instagram, a TikTok video, a flyer ... comes from you.
Do they have a good impression of your brand? Then they are much more likely to read your message. A huge advantage if you're betting on paid ads, for example. People often just scroll past those.
Consider, for example, an ad from CocaCola. Seeing the red color and their typical typography makes you recognize them immediately.
Appear professional and trustworthy
You know the drill. Instagram accounts of "companies" that post ad random photos. The feed of their Instagram page looks cluttered and unprofessional. What impression do you get? Right, pretty unprofessional. Pull your corporate identity through in all your brand communications and your brand will come across much more professional.
Building trust with your target audience is a long-term process. Do you bring out all your brand communications in your corporate identity? Is your corporate identity perfectly aligned with your target audience? Then you speed up this process considerably. If your target audience trusts your brand, the likelihood of a purchase is much greater. Often the purchase amount then also increases.
So definitely worth the effort.
Differentiate yourself from your competitors
You have a website and accounts on social media platforms, you send out a monthly newsletter, hand out flyers ... good job. The only problem is, so is your competitor. Who should your target audience choose now?
Your target audience chooses the brand they feel most connected to. In other words: the corporate identity that suits them best. Do you have your corporate identity down to the last detail and tailored to your target group? Are you bringing out all your brand communications consistently?
Then your target group will begin to recognize, trust and distinguish you. This is how your corporate identity contributes to the growth of your business.
What are the components of a corporate identity?
Are you starting to work out your corporate identity? Then grab this checklist to make sure you've thought of everything:
- Logo
- Color scheme
- Typography
- Icons and images
- Tone-of-voice
- Detailed instructions on how to use your corporate identity guidelines
Don't choose these components just because you like them. Do research on what your target audience wants to see.
Also take a look at what your competitors are doing. But don't just copy everything. That is not only forbidden, but also not unique.
Go for a corporate identity that clearly conveys your brand values and supports your mission and vision.
How do you choose a corporate identity?
The right corporate identity conveys the value of your brand to your target audience in a clear and powerful way. So it is especially important that you know your target audience inside out and know what you want to tell them.
In addition, it is also important that you choose a unique corporate identity. Only then can potential customers distinguish your brand from that of the competition. Match your corporate identity to your brand values.
Choose a timeless corporate identity. Go for a style that you can easily apply to all your communications and use for a long time. Don't focus too hard on trends because they will blow over again.
Choose a corporate identity that suits your target group
Finding the ideal corporate identity does not happen overnight. Many brands start from what they like. A good first step, if your target group feels the same way. That's why it's best to do research.
- Analyze demographic data: research the gender, occupation, education level and location of your target audience. This information will help you form a clear picture of your target audience and find out where they are.
- Create surveys: in these surveys, ask targeted questions about their interests, problems, priorities and preferences.
- Conduct a user test: observe how your target audience interacts with your products, website, social media posts ...
To test if your branding is working, it's best to run A/B tests. Run 2 campaigns simultaneously and analyze the conversion rate. You can do this for paid ads, email campaigns, landing pages ...
Test down to the smallest detail. Change the color of a button, change the filter of an image ...
What is a good corporate identity?
A good corporate identity:
- Is unique and sets you apart from your competitors
- Is relevant to your business and target audience
- Is consistently applied in all communication and marketing efforts
- Is flexible and time-proof
- Is visually appealing and attracts attention
- Tells a clear story
- Appears professional
How do you create a powerful corporate identity?
Think about what you want to convey with your corporate identity: what is your identity and image?
- Determine your identity: who are you as a company and as an entrepreneur?
- Determine your image: what do you want to convey to your target group?
Are you a driven young woman who makes dream bouquets? Then a bright, friendly image is obvious.
Are you a lawyer in criminal law? Then a professional, reliable look is appropriate.
Based on your identity and image, choose an appropriate logo and typography
A logo is the graphic expression of your identity. It is the first thing your target audience sees. So go for a logo that reflects your identity and desired image and fits perfectly with your corporate identity.
Typography is about the style of your texts. What font do you choose? How big should that font be? Again, go for a typography style that matches your corporate identity. A graphic designer can help you with this.
We'll take a quick look back at the previous examples. Do you make dried flowers? Then you should choose a logo that incorporates flowers. The ideal logo is colorful, but also reflects tranquility. For your typography, choose an elegant but legible font such as Sans Serif.
Are you a lawyer? Then it's best to choose a clean and simple logo. Think of your name on a plain background. For your typography, choose a clear, bold font such as Arial Black.
Doing something completely different? That can work, too. Test it with your target audience.
Choose brand colors that match your brand values
Your target audience associates your brand colors with your brand values. They evoke a feeling or emotion and have an interesting effect on people's moods. So your colors play a crucial role and make your visitor stay, or drop out anyway.
Match your images to your brand colors
Make sure your images infographics and icons match your brand colors. This way you create a cohesive whole. To achieve this, you can use free stock photos or hire a photographer for professional images.
Continue your corporate identity in all your communication tools
To fully utilize the power of your corporate identity, you must extend your corporate identity into all your communication tools. From business cards to your website, newsletter, messages on social media ...
This way, your brand comes across as reliable, recognizable and professional.
Changing corporate identity
Are you changing your target audience? Have your brand values changed over the years? Is there a new marketing manager? There are several reasons why you may want to change the corporate identity of your brand or company. In some cases a good move, if you do it right of course.
- Analyze your current corporate identity: What's working? What is not working?
- Investigate whether the needs of your target audience have changed
- Establish your new brand values
- Opt to engage professional help
- Inform your customers of the changes so they know exactly what to expect from you in the future
Identities of major brands
Looking for inspiration or curious how the big brands do it? Brands like Apple, Starbucks, Nike and Chanel have a very clear and consistent corporate identity.
Apple's goal is to appear professional, quality and reliable. While for Chanel, it is more important to come across as elegant, luxurious and classy.
Analyze the communications of these companies and delve into the world of professionals.
Who can help me with my corporate identity?
Would you like to get professional help to get your corporate identity right? There are several professionals who can help you. Above all, choose someone you feel comfortable with and who has the right knowledge and experience in your industry.
- Graphic designer: he or she is responsible for designing the visual aspects of your corporate identity (logo, color scheme and typography)
- Marketing and communication agencies: often offer a complete range of services.
- Branding agency: they specialize in developing brands and corporate identities. (Recommended!)
- Freelance graphic designers and branding experts: individual professionals who offer their services flexibly. Often a good option for smaller companies or start-ups.
Before proceeding with a collaboration, it's best to ask for a portfolio first. That way you know what to expect.
Tips for a good corporate identity
- Get to know your target audience inside out
- Reflect your brand value in your corporate identity
- Go for a unique, professional corporate identity that makes an impact
- Opt for a timeless style
- Go for an easily applicable corporate identity
- Establish your corporate identity guidelines and apply them consistently
Difference between corporate identity and branding
The terms "corporate identity" and "branding" are often used interchangeably. But, there is indeed a big difference between the two.
Your corporate identity is a collection of visual elements. Think of your logo, colors, imagery and typography. Together, these elements form an image of your company. Your corporate identity is used to give a visual identity to your business and in communication and marketing efforts.
Branding is a much broader term. Branding is about creating, developing and maintaining an image of your company in the minds of consumers. It is about the emotional and valuable relationship between your brand and your target audience.
Corporate identity: realizations by Bonito.Studio
One of our clients was about to launch a book. So we urgently needed to work on her corporate identity. In 2 sessions we found out who she was, what her values are and what her personality is.
This is the final result:
Even much earlier in the process, a small adjustment to your corporate identity can make a world of difference. For example, take a look at the logo we developed for LABCES. Chemical pharmacists with their own laboratory. That's clear at a glance.
Corporate identity design with Bonito.Studio
Need a corporate identity design that increases your impact on the world? Bonito.studio is a branding studio led by women that supports world changers to make a difference.
Book a virtual coffee with us to discuss your project together.