Corporate identity development

Corporate identity companies are also called identity. Identity is a young science that is often confused with branding. But this is wrong. It's like confusing the end and the means. In this case, branding is the goal, and identity is the means. 

Branding is what people see and hear. These are the values ​​that reflect the company's actions. Key images and elements of the brand are collected in an important book called a brand book.

 Corporate identity is the means by which we achieve our desired branding goals. This is color, image, sound, shape and much more, even smell. One of the most successful is a corporate style that is catchy and reminds of the brand, its purpose, and the role it plays in the lives of potential and existing customers. A set of corporate identity rules is listed in the guidelines, which describe all options for using corporate design in advertising.

Creating a corporate identity is a complex process that requires deep knowledge in both design, marketing, and psychology.

Corporate identity and why it is needed 

Corporate identity is the image of a company, how it looks in the eyes of the target audience. All elements serve the same purpose and therefore they should be created in the same style. Before understanding the number and appearance of graphic elements, you need to answer one question - What tasks do the corporate identity elements perform? 

1. They increase the recognition of the company and products. Even if it is difficult to find new shapes and impossible to find new colors, only their competent and interesting arrangement is remembered and provokes the emergence of associations.
2. Trust in your brand increases significantly in the eyes of both consumers and your partners. Developing a corporate identity is only a small part, because by presenting it to people, you thereby expose and form into one whole the principles, views and character of your company. But, it is important to understand that even a color that is a little duller than necessary can change everything.
3. Set your company apart from competitors. If you have a zest, your own feature, this will play into your hands very well, because these kinds of elements are very etched in the memory. Even an unobtrusive but memorable melody will successfully help you stand out among other companies (insert a picture from a Coca-Cola New Year’s ad or some other one for a good example of a memorable ad).
4. Branding makes your advertising more effective. It's much easier and cheaper to advertise when you have a reputation and recognition. In an age of information overload, it is important to correctly present your offer so that it does not sound like market enticement.
5. Enhances your company's image. This is a very sensitive moment, since it is often forgotten, because corporate identity is not an image. This is one of its elements that also needs to be correctly conveyed to customers.
6. They simplify the launch of new products and the promotion of old ones. The well-known company Apple can sell a phone with a cost of $200 for $500 or more. And why? Because this company is trusted and loved. She is an example of how progress, movement, constant presentations, and communication with clients can be translated into absolute awe on the part of fans of the brand.
7. Corporate identity protects your products from copying and maintains their authenticity among a large number of counterfeits.

What elements make up a corporate identity?

It’s not enough to just draw a logo and attach it to a business card, folder or T-shirt. All designed graphic elements should form a single image of your brand. 

Corporate identity will help not only leave a positive impression, but also develop the brand much faster.

So, corporate identity consists of the following elements:

1. Company name. Bright, understandable, memorable. Or something so simple and ordinary that it will make you original. A registered company name is a key element in promoting a brand. This is what allows you to distinguish similar products or services.
2. Logo. It is a key element of branding, since based on its size, color, font, shape, other graphic elements of the corporate style are created.
3. Color scheme. The choice of color palette for your corporate identity should be taken seriously. A competent and harmonious range of colors evokes the necessary emotional state and helps to correctly perceive the brand. Most companies can be recognized only by their color palette, and this once again confirms that correctly chosen colors can increase recognition and play a significant role in promotion.
4. Style-forming graphics. This could be patterns, fonts, photo style, etc. The presence of such attributes distinguishes a company from its competitors and makes it unique.
5. Corporate character. An important element that forms the key image of a company can be a character. People work with people, not companies, so portraying a hero in your branding style will increase trust in the product and company.
6.   Carriers of corporate identity. Creating a corporate identity begins with the design of a logo, slogan, color scheme and style-defining graphics. This is the basics. Then you can transfer the style to media: business cards, envelopes, forms, folders and other promotional products.

How to create a corporate identity for a company. Stages 

1. The first step is to analyze similar companies and products on the market, your competitors and target audience. This is done in order to find the strengths and weaknesses in your niche, study needs, problems, remove all sorts of obstacles and shortcomings now and in the future.
2. We formulate a specific corporate identity goal. This is an important point that is often forgotten. You need to analyze what you have now, how and with what elements you will develop, and then, based on this information, accurately set a goal. 
3. We provide an answer to the question “Why choose us?” At the same time, we use truly unique qualities, since the hackneyed “we are unique, fast, smart, with an individual approach” no longer attracts anyone. It is better to prove this with numbers, facts, and graphs. Most importantly, they must be understandable to people.
4. Based on the analysis of all the data, a team of specialists immediately begins to develop the company’s corporate identity. The concept is formed in several versions with the most suitable and individual elements. In consultation with our colleagues, you choose the one you like best. 
5. Presentation. An important stage at which we present the revised version you have chosen with a description and explanation of all elements. Elements of corporate identity are also presented on media in the form of mockups.
6. Additional work before delivery of the project. After completing all stages, the final step will be to discuss and agree on all additional edits. We check the amount of work and bring everything to perfection. If necessary, we will also help you with printing branded products in our partner printing house.

How to develop a high-quality corporate identity?

First you need to find a good performer who will be interested not only in getting money, but also in success, both his and yours. 

The process of creating a corporate identity is very complex and requires considerable experience and knowledge of a whole team of specialists. 

When developing a corporate identity, avoid the following mistakes:

1. Order work from an amateur.

   This is indeed a very common and big mistake, since many, especially small companies, try to save on everything they can, including design. If the performer does not have a portfolio, reviews, and works for little pay, then this is a novice designer who cannot guarantee that he will do the work on time and with high quality.

2. Following fashion.

   Fashion often dictates rules to us and unconsciously influences our choices. However, you need to understand that by succumbing to fleeting fashion trends, you risk that one day there will come a time when your logo will look outdated, irrelevant, and you will have to pay extra for rebranding. Therefore, you need to create a corporate identity based on its uniqueness, then time will work for you and your company will become popular and recognizable.

3. Development of a corporate identity to your taste.

   We see symbols, shapes, colors and their combinations in our own way. But from a psychological, marketing and design point of view, this may be wrong. Therefore, listen to your designer’s arguments, as this will save time, money, and reputation in the future. A corporate identity is primarily created for the target audience and taking into account many rules, breaking which you will make a big mistake. 

4. Difficult to understand elements.

   If the logo has a lot of small details, then when it is reduced, all the details will disappear altogether and the logo will become ineffective. The whole idea and the very concept of the corporate identity will be lost. Therefore, each element of the logo should be easy to perceive and remember.

5. Wrong choice of fonts.

   Novice designers make two mistakes when choosing a font. The first is that font pairs are poorly combined with each other. Or they select fonts that do not suit the company’s theme. The font should be easy to read and not distract attention from other graphic elements.

The second mistake is using a large number of different fonts. The maximum allowed number of fonts is three. There should be no more than two of them in the logo. Otherwise, it all looks like a package sewn from a thousand and one scraps of different fabric. 

Frequently used fonts and font pairs look ordinary and uninteresting. The price for developing a corporate identity with an individual font set is significantly more expensive, but it is absolutely justified.

6. Lack of stylistic connection. There are often cases when corporate identity carriers have similar elements, but are designed differently. This is annoying and confusing. And a poor relationship between the elements of a corporate identity has a bad effect on self-promotion.

7. Garbage. Overload with unnecessary graphic elements, abbreviations and other elements that do not carry a semantic load negatively affects the perception of information.

When creating a brand's corporate identity, it is important to remember that it must be original. This is what sets you apart from your competitors and many other similar companies. All elements must be special, aesthetically attractive and harmoniously interconnected. When creating a brand, it is important to use creativity, new interesting techniques, to be bold and extraordinary. 

Our team will provide a full range of services for developing a logo and corporate identity for your business, taking into account your ideas and wishes, without risks and with a guarantee of high quality and results.