Corporate Identity
 From the visual identity perspective, the graphic design is the one in charge of the conception, development and elaboration of the elements that constitute the company’s identity, and the operative arrangement of its practical application. From the conceptual identity perspective, the company’s cultural personality is the one in charge of the identity content; cultural personality is the group of the identity basic features, just as ideas and thoughts that form what the company is and the field where it works.
The elements that form the image are recognition, strength and content. By recognition we mean the public level of awareness (spontaneous or not) of the company’s products. Without recognition there would be no image. So a company may enjoy a good image even if it is recognized by a small group of individuals. The strength of the image has to do with the speed and spontaneity that takes the association of a product or brand or company with a stimulus provided by them: a short distance image is quite strong and a log distance one is not; the strength and recognition of an image is in a way related.
The content of an image are the characteristic attributes that are associated with the product or company. The image never arises from the thorough study of each individual’s conduct in front of a concrete company and its specific necessities. The image is the result of every individual’s experience in front of it. This is why, in some cases, the image that a company intended to transmit is distorted by collective or individual prejudices, different interests and attitudes. For this not to happen, the company must know all the communication rules needed. For this reason it is important to turn to specialists in this field who will study and build the company’s image program. Their job consists in the development of an authentic conduct code called the Image Manual. This manual contains all the operative rules that the company must follow.
The coordinated design of the different communication elements will allow the correct transmission of images and messages. The “company’s personality” will configure its differentiation, brand positioning and the entrepreneurial strategy bases and it will be manifested through its “own culture”.
The corporate identity alludes to the features and attributes that make a company identifiable. The visual image is important among the communication resources that a company has. In fact, today, the visual image is the most important way to manifest the “company’s personality”, or better yet, its identity.
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