Corporate Communication

UNIT 14 : CORPORATE IDENTITY AND

IMAGE MANAGEMENT1
Structure
14.0 Introduction
14.1 Learning Outcomes
14.2 Corporate Identity
14.2.1 De¿nitions – Corporate and Corporate Identity
14.2.2 Importance of Corporate Identity
14.2.3 Elements of Corporate Identity
14.3 Corporate Image
14.3.1 De¿nitions
g
14.3.2 Signi¿cance p
of Corporate g
Image
Foormattionn of Image
14.3.3 Formation
14.3.4 Bene¿ts
Beene¿t
¿tss of Corpo
Corporate
p ra
po rate IImage
m ge
ma
14. 4 Im
magee Ma
Image M naggemeentt
Management
114.4.1
4.4.1 Importance
mporttancce ooff Im
1 Im Image Management
mage Ma
M naggemeent
114.4.2
2 How
4.4.2 Hoow too Measure
suure Corporate
Measu orporaate Image
Cor Imaage
14.5 Corporate
144.5 C orpo Identity
oratte Iden
enti V/ss Co
titty V/
V Corporate
Corp Image
rpooratte Im
mag
age
114.5.1
4.5.1
1 Difference
Dii
114.5.2
4.5.2 Related
2 Re Terms
elated Te
Term
rmss
rm
14.6
14 Celebrity
C Management
elebbrityy Manage
eme
ment
nt
14.6.1
14.6 What
6.1 Wh
W at is Celebrity Management"
14.6.2 Importance
144.6.2 Im ncee ooff C
mportan Celebrity
ele Image
lebbriityy Im
le Imag
a e Ma
ag Management
Mana
naggeme
na geme
ment
nt
14.6.3 In
Interrelation
nterrelattio between
on be
betw
twee
tween Ce
ee Celebrity
Cele
lebbritty an
le Corporate
andd Corp
C orp
rpor
orat
oratee Im
at Image
mag
ge
Management
M
Ma nagemement
me nt
14.7 Let Us Sum Up
14.8 Check Your Progress: Possible Answers
14.9 References and Further Readings
14.10 Glossary

14.0 INTRODUCTION
With so much competition in the free-market and open policies, consumers
go through loads of information on a daily basis and it becomes dif¿cult to
recall all of it when required. That is why Corporates strive for top of the
mind recall so that while making the buying decision or at the time of a
crisis, customers think of them ¿rst or at least can differentiate them from
others.

Unit 14 Writer : Alka Rawat

298
Corporate communication is the blanket under which corporate identity and Corporate Identity and
image work in a synchronised manner. Corporate identity and corporate Image Management
image work as communication tools to create uniqueness, which helps a
company stand out. Corporate identity works with logo, colour palates,
fonts etc. whereas Image management is more about public perception. It
also provides a framework for senior management and employees to work
towards uni¿ed goals and objectives.
In this unit, we shall discuss and explain various aspects of corporate
identity and how it helps a corporate in creating exclusivity. We will also
cover how to create corporate image, its importance and how to maintain it.
The difference between corporate image and celebrity image management
will also be explained here.

14.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After working through this unit, you should be able to:
Ɣ Corpoorate IIdentity’
Describe the term ‘Corporate and Corporate dentity’
de
Ɣ Discuss the importance and elements off Cor
rpo
pora
rate Identity
Corporate
Ɣ Dee¿n
¿nee Co
De¿ne Corpor
orat
atee Im
Corporate Image and its bene
e¿tss to th
bene¿ts he C
the orpo
poratee
po
Corporate
Ɣ Difffer
eren
enti
tiate be
Differentiate betw
tween co
tw
between orp
rporatee iden
corporate ntity
y andd cor
identity rpooratee imag
corporate ge
image
Ɣ U de
Un derstaand
Understandn thhe differe
the enc
n e bbetween
difference etweeen ccelebrity
eleebrityy im
mag
ge ma
image anage
g meent aand
ge
management nd
co
orporrate imag
corporate age manage
image eme
m nt
management n

14.2
14
4.2 CORPORATE
CORP
PORATE IDENTITY
IDEN
NTIT
TY
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wordrdss, a C
rd Corporate
orpo
or porate iiss aan
po organisation
n org
rgganisatio h ccertain
on with erta n llegal
tain
tain egall bbindings
eg in
ndi
ding
nggs
entirely
entiire ly ddifferent
rely ifferent from itss ow owner or owners. Corpora Corporations
rati
ra t on are
onss ar maintained
re ma
mainin
ntaain
ined
ed
by their sshareholders
hare
ha reho
holdlder ((investors)
erss (i nves
nv e tors)) oonn pro¿t sharing basics
shaaring bas
sic created
icss cr
crea
eaated though
ted th
thou
oughh th
ou the
he
he
¿rm’s
¿rm’ aactions.
m’’s ac tions.
A corporate has to have a lawful presence
presence. It can purchase
purchase, trade
trade, acquire
acquire,
make a contract, sue someone or can be sued by (persons or businesses) just
like an individual. It can make either pro¿t or loss and any offence will be
punishable under the law. And all the business related communication done
by a corporate comes under corporate communication.
What is Corporate Identity"
Let us look at some of the popular de¿nitions of Corporate identity: The
visual manifestation of the company reality as conveyed through the
organisation’s name, logo, motto, products, services, buildings, stationery,
uniform and all other tangible pieces of evidence created by the organisation
and communicated to a variety of consistencies (Paul A. Argenti, 2007)
More recently it has been commonly agreed that corporate identity is a
multidimensional concept that includes corporate culture, business strategy,
the philosophy of key executives and behaviour (Melewar, 2010).
We can say that de¿ning corporate identity is just like de¿ning an individual’s
299
Corporate Communication identity. For instance, what differentiates one person from the other, are the
speci¿cs like personality, character and the way they express themselves
through behaviour, language and even clothes.
In the same way, a corporate differentiates itself from others through
individual corporate identity, collaterals like brochures, logo, colour scheme
etc. It is a way for the corporate to communicate its culture, beliefs and
values. Corporate Identity states its brand personality and sets it apart from
the competition.
Anything a ¿rm uses to make a visual statement about its identity and
beliefs like, its name, logo, font, colour scheme etc. collectively come under
corporate identity. It is a long-lived symbol of how an organisation wants
the public to perceive and recall it.
Corporate identity (CI) is more about being in open and in the face. It is
meant for sensory experiences like visual (seen) and audible (heard), that’s
why it includes everything from merchandise, decoration to even the
uniform of the eemployees
mplooye
yees in some cases. This is a longterm concept which
does not changee as frequently
frequuently as new collections or pro¿t /loss.
Corporat
Corporate atee iddennti
t ty ccould
identity ouldl bbee stro ong
n , w
strong, eak
ak, ha
weak, half-hhas
a sled
half-hassled d oorr welll -d
ll- e¿nned.
well-de¿ned. d.
Howeve
However, er, it cann n ot bbee ppositive
cannot ossitive
vee orr ne
nnegative
gativve lik
ike th
ik
like the C orp
rporat
rp
Corporate a e Im
at Imag
Image.ge. T hee
The
corp
co r orat
corporate ate ha as fu
has full co
ontrrol ove
control er its Id
over IIdentity
en
ntity
ty annd ca
and an hhire
can iree exxpert sservices
expert erviices to
o
crea ate
createt a uniq quee iden
unique ntity
identityy too stanandd aapart
an
stand partt in
n thee ma arkett cr
market row
wd.
crowd. d AAtt thee saamee
same
time,i
ti ,it iiss nott cas
time,it a t in ston
cast stonene aand
nd can n bbee cchanged,
hanngedd, usuuallly onl
usually nlyy in diree nneed
nl
only eed
d or
in
n wake
wak
a e of cchange
ak haange in the ccorporate
orrpo
p raate bbelief
e ief system(merger or acquisition).
el
Th hat iss w
That whyhy it iss perceivedd as more or lless ess a permanent identity.
Co orporrate id
Corporate dentit ty is wh
identity what
at ddrives
r vees th
ri thee ccompany
omp
mpananyy to
an o pperform
erfo
er form
form hhigher
ighe
ig herr andd up tto
he o
thhe ma
the mar
mark rk an
nd aatt the same
and m tim
me imee at
im
time attrtrac
tr
attractactt thee be
ac bes
bestst ttalent
st alen
alent with
en th
hin
within n tthe
he m arke
ket.
ke
market.t A
w ell-p
- la
-p l nneed ide
well-planned d ntity co
identity oncer
erns
er
concerns n aall
lll tthat
hatt ad
ha dds val
adds lue
ue.. It
value. I iincludes
nclu
nc lude
lu des andd ca
de care
ress fo
re
cares forr
thee co
consumumer,
m ta
consumer, alents, systems that permit making value, the set of products/
talents,
sservices
se r icess tthat
rv hat leve
v rage tho
leverage hosee ttalents.
ho
those allen
nts
ts. It It aim
imss to
im
aims o rraise
aise
se tthe
he w
he orth
or
worthth ooff th
thee comp
mpan
mp
company ny
in thee m arket an
market nd the mi
and mindds of tthe
minds he ttargeted
arrgete
tedd aaudience.
te uddien
ence
en ce.
ce
14.2.2 Importa
14 ance of Corporate
Importance Cor
orpo
pora
ratee Identity
Ide
denntitty
Corporate Identity provides an opportunity for the corporate to have a
distinguished identity in today’s competitive market. Other than logos,
design and merchandise sometimes it also includes corporate culture.
The market is an ever-changing phenomenon and evolves at a fast pace.
Users have unlimited options and the power to choose. This scenario inspires
corporates to build a strategy to make their presence felt. Corporate Identity
is imperative to have a unique identity and create a strong consumer base.
Another advantage of a well chalked out Identity is that it gives direction
to the employees and motivates them to work in line with the corporate
philosophy. If the employees can understand the uniqueness of their
organisation, they can surely help in maintaining it.
Corporate Identity helps in building Corporate Personality, Customer
Loyalty and Business Development (BD)
Corporate Personality: When we meet a new person, his/her ¿rst impression

300
lasts on us. We form an opinion about that individual. Similarly, CI tries to Corporate Identity and
build a perception in a user’s mind when he/she comes across the company’s Image Management
logo/colour scheme/ print material, even before actually using the product
or services.
Customer Loyalty: Customers like to use the products or services they can
identify with. Thoughtful and well-designed Corporate Identity gives them
a chance to understand the values, belief and philosophy of a corporate.
This helps in creating a long-lasting bond between customers and corporate
entity.
Business Development (BD): Corporate Identity inÀuences customers and
their decision to buy or not to buy a product or service. A strong Corporate
Identity can create a lasting impact on the buying decision of consumers
and obtain good business not only on trial basis but repeatedly.
Let’s understand this with an example: You see that almost every day a new
beauty product is launched in the market. When you go to the supermarket,
you will ¿nd shelves full of beauty products. An And,
A d,, if
if you
y u are not sure what
yo
to buy, you will bet on the most trusted corpo corporate’s
p ratee’s pproduct.
po roduct. Because you
remember all the iidentifying
d ntifying marks ooff th
de corporate
thee co atee like tthe
orporrat h llogo,
he ogoo, col
og colour
lou
o r
scheme,
scheme e, th packaging
the pack c ag
ging an and
nd all. Even iiff it iss a new pro
product your
oduuct you ttrust
ourr tr
ou ustt in the
corporate’s
corp vvalues
rpporate’ss va l es aand
lu ndd pphilosophy
h losooph
hi p y of pproviding
roviidid ng best
n bes st to their
heir cconsumers,will
o th onsuumeers,w will
prompt
omptt yyou
pro
pr ou to pippick
ck up that pproduct
roduuct among
c am others.
mongg thee othe ers.
14.2.3
2.3 Elements
14.2 m ntts of Corporate
Eleme
me Corporatee Identity
Ideent
n ity
Corporate
Co Identity
orporatte Id
den
e tityy cconsists
onsi
sist
si various
s s off var ious ccarefully
rio arref selected
e ully selec
eccte
t d and pl pplanned
anned
which
elements, wh
whicichh al come
all com ttogether
ome harmony
o ethher in harm
og monyn to create an exexclusive
clusive
l and
memorable
meemoraabl identity.
ble id
iden Below
e tity. Beelow are tthe elements
he el
elemen Corporate
ents of Corporo ate
or Identity,
te Iden
enti
entitty, few
ti w orr
all of them
o thhem cann be usedd to crcreate brand
reatte a br
bra iimage:
and im agge:
LLogo:
ogoo: Itt iiss a graphical
g ap
graphi representation
hiical re
repr res
esenta tati
ta tiion ooff thee corporate or its products. It
might
migh
mi g t co
gh contain
ontain either er oone
ne oorr a co
ne combination
mbinattion of ttext,
omb image
ext, ima
mage
ma ge aand
ndd iillustration.
llus
ustrrat
us a io
ion.
n A
well-designed
we ell
l -d
des
e ignedd lo go nnot
logo ot onlyy drdraws
draaws at aattention
tention bbut leaves
ut alsoo lea
avess a lolong-lasting
long
ng-las
ng astting
as ting
iimpression.
im presssi
sion Sometimes
on.. So
S ometimemess a st
me strong
rong llogo
str o o can be m
og much
uch mo
more impactful
re imp
mpac
mp actf
ac tfuul th
tf than
hann th
thee
nameme of the co ccorporate. Usually,
rporatte. Usual ly, the simplestt onesare tthe
allly memorable
he most memorab ble
too as tthey
heyy ar
he are
re ea
easy understand
sy too un d rstand as well asrecall. Example: the logo of Nike
unde
de
iis a simple
i l mark k off a Tick,
i k and d iit hhas bbecome synonymous to excellence ll iin
sports apparel. Adidas, its competitor has just three slanting lines. Puma,
another major sports brand has image of a fast running animal as its logo. All
these are close competitors and a recalled and differentiated by their simple
Logos even before you can read their names on a store or merchandise.
Colour Scheme: Colours have their own language and effect on people. A right
colour can provoke a targeted impact on both psychological and emotional
level. By carefully selecting a unique colour palate, a company can distinguish
itself from its competition in the marketplace. Example: McDonald’s usage
of red and yellow is so vivid that children relate to it even from far distance.
Among competing banks, you can recall a bank by looking at the colour.
Like Red &Blue would remind you of H'FC, a Particular shade of Blue of
6BI or a particular shade of Green will make you think of I'BI. Similarly,
in mobile telecom services, Red, Green, Pink, Orange, Yellow all will help
you identify different competing brands like Airtel, 5eliance, 9odafone,
301
Corporate Communication Hutch, Idea and so on
Unique Type/Font: You have to understand how typography has to blend
well with other elements of CI. One can use pre-existing fonts or create its
own new font. Status of the font,patent or non-patent, has to be kept in mind.
Usually, when a corporate creates a new font, it also gets it patented so that
no one else can use it. This gives the whole identity an edge over others.
The unique manner in which the name of a company is written becomes
symbolic at times. The font of Amul would make someone recognise the
brand even if they can not read. Styles of fonts become more important even
than the words of the name.
Writing/printing material: You have a lot of options when it comes to
printing material like letterheads, business cards, catalogues, invoices,
envelopes, corporate literature, house journal and others to name a few.
Anything with the company’s name printed on it, for internal or external
audiences, comes under this. The symmetry and consistency of font, colour
scheme, logo etc creates a strong identity. Other materials which can be
included are:
Ɣ Posters
Po
P sters
st
Ɣ Booklets
B ook
o letss
Ɣ Flyers
Flye
yers
Ɣ Packaging
Pack
ckagin Material
ng Mate
teeriall
Ɣ Price
Pricce list
Merchandise:
Me handisse: Corporates ar
ercha are
re ususing
usining
ng merchandise products since long to
promote
pro omot their
otee theeir iidentity.
dentity
y. Yo
Youu mu must st hhave
av re
ave received
ece
ceiv ed vvarious
ived
iv ario
ar ious
io us pproducts
rodu
ro ducts wh
du while
whil ilee
il
attending
at ttenddin
ing wworkshops,
ork
kshops, semseminar
emin
em nar oorr ev
events.
ents. It ccould
even
en ould
ou ld bbee a pe n, nnotepad,
pen, otep
ot bag,
e ad, ba
bag g,
ccap,
ap, TT-shirt
-shirt
r oraa mug tha
rt that
hatt yo
ha you ca cann ususee on a ddaily
aily
ai ly bbasis.
asis
asis. IItt ma
is makes
ake sense
kess se
sens
nsee
ns
because
beca cauuse they
ca th
h act c as a constant reminder of the corporate and enhances the
ttop
to p of theh mind
he d recall. E Evenen oother
ven herr ppeople
th around
eopplee ar
eo arou nd yyou
ound
ou ou ssee
ee tthe
he mmerchandise
erch
erch
chan
andi
an d se
di
aand register
nd re corporate
egister thee corpora identity
raate ide
denntit
de indirectly.
ityy in
it ndirrect
ctly
ct might
ly. It m
ly ighht inc
ig include
nclu
nc de eextra
ludde
lu xtra
xt ra ccost,
ost, bbut
ut
it hhas
as a long sh shelf-life
helf-lifee aand
nd ggreater
reeate
ater exposure.
er exp
xposur
xp uree. W
ur While
hile
hi le ttaking
ak
kinng yo
yourur llunch
uncch bbox
un ox
ttoo of¿ce in an Ar Archies’
A chies’’ carry bag, for instance, you are carrying the Brand’s
promotion all the way.
Advertising: When we talk about advertising for enhancement of Corporate
Identity, we include all mediums of communication in it i.e. print, TV, radio,
outdoor and even websites and mobile advertising. Simply put, advertising
has a great value when it comes to Corporate Identity. It communicates a
corporate’s message and goals to a larger audience. It is a very signi¿cant
element of Identity as it is a uni¿cation of all the elements like logo, colour,
font etc. With careful planning, it can connect the consumers with the brand
at an advanced level.
Few more elements are :
Ɣ Uniforms
Ɣ Transportation
Ɣ Interior design(décor of the of¿ce)
Ɣ Images on vehicles (comes under Transit Outdoor Advertising)
302
 Ɣ E-mail templates Corporate Identity and
Image Management
Ɣ Online Banners
Ɣ Websites
All these elements are important, and the Identity of an organisation is
the sum of what it stands for, what it does and how it does. It should be
meaningful and give the employees and stakeholders a framework to do the
business.
After careful planning and ¿nalising all the elements of Corporate Identity,
a style guide is created for reference. It is a kind of rule book with all the set
parameters and thorough guidelines for future usage. It has templates and
examples of correct style and usage. However, even while the guidelines
are framed, a corporate is like a living organism, which evolves with time
and requirements. And with the evolvement in needs, the road map might
get altered to suit and ¿t in with the newfound needs. It is always wise to
listen to the feedback and assess the requirement of change when needed.
Especially in today’s scenario when every dayy something
some
meththing new is coming in
the market, the Corporate Identity has to keep evolving
p evo
olv
lvin
ing too.
Check your Progress
yoour Pro
r grress 1
Note:
No
ote Use
se the
te: Us the space
sp e below
belo
be w forr your
low y ur answer
yo annsweer
Compare
Com
Co aree your
mpar youur answerss with
yo withh those
thoose give
giive at the end
nd of
en of this
hiss unit
thi
hi un
1. Complete
Coomplletee the sentence.
he sen
ente
ent nce.
Corporate
rporate identity
Corp
rp iden
entity helps
nti e ps too build
hel ildd _________________________
buil _______
_____________
_ _______
_____
_____________,____________and__and _______________________
_______________,_______________ ____
_ ___________
_______
__ _______
2. List
Li the various eelements
n s ooff ccorporate
lemeent identity.
orrporaate id
dentity.
..............................................................................................................
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. .................
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....
. ......
. ..........
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114.3
4.3 CO
CORPORATE
ORPORATE IMAGE
IM
MAGE
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Corporate images are selectively perceived mental pictures of an organisation.
The sum total of these perceived characteristics of the corporation is what
we refer to as the “corporate image”.(=inkhan, Ganesh, JaMu, Hayes
Achumba (2000) posits that Image is an impression the publics have about
the organisation’s products/services and its behaviour to a relevant audience
that is customers, employees, stakeholders and the communities where it
operates.
(]enwa(2005) de¿nes Image as the perception of relevant stakeholders
about the identity and conduct of an organisation.
Corporate Image is how people perceive or think about a corporate, its
products or services. It comprehends the perception that the public has
about certain corporates. For example, Xiomi Mi has an image of pocket-
friendly phones unlike the image of Apple, which is associated with chic

303
Corporate Communication and sophisticated.
Both the companies are providing the same product (Mobile Phones), but
their perception is poles apart. So, this means an image can’t be created
overnight or randomly. Many products with the same usage can have
different images and cater to very different Target Audience accordingly.
Creating an Image is a planned and on-going activity, which is in line with
the organisation’s goals and philosophy. It is a delicate balance between
marketing communication and the interpretations by the public.
Let’s discuss different types of Images that a Corporate can thrive for:
Desired Image:
It is the image a corporate wants to communicate and wishes to replace
the actual image with it. It is a carefully designed appearance in sync with
the corporate’s identity to ful¿l its various purposes. It is not a standalone
activity; a lot of factors should be kept in mind like market conditions,
competition, cul
culture
ulture etc. while crafting the Desired Image.
Actual Image:
The Act
Actual Image
tual Ima
mage what
g is wha at the public
he pub thinks
blicc thi about
inkss abo
bout
bo corporate
ut a cor
rpora
raate real
eal ttime
t in the re imee
frame.
f ame. IItt is aan
fr n oover
ver the top recall
op re pphenomena
ecalll ph ennom
men and
na an an bbee ch
nd it can changed
han
ngedd wwith
ith
h
proper
o er pplanning
prrop lann right
ningg and righht eexecution desired
xeccutionn off thee des
sired image.
d image
gee.
The
T e de
Th ddesired image
sired imag very
a e iss veery ccrucial
ruciai l as
a it will cr create
reate a bbond between
ondd bet ween yyou
twe ouu aand
ndd
the
th
he pupublic, which
ubllic, w hicch wi
willll llead
eadd to lloyalty.
oyal
oy alty. It iiss im
imperative
imperaati
tive
ve to ha
have Corporate
ve a C orporate tee
Image
Immage bbecause
ecauuse if you don’t create
’tt creat one
te onne for yourself, the market/public will
create
creeate oone
ne for
foor you
you and it might
migh ghtt be
be totally opposite
totally opp pposite of what youy u stand for. In
yo
absence
abssencce of a pla planned
anned crecreation,
eat ionn, a ddefault
atio
tio efau
ef image
ult ima
m ge w
ma will emerge,
illl em
il emer
errge and
ge, an might
nd it mig ght att
times
tiimess bbee imp
impossible
m osssible to bbreak
mp ak iit.
reak Hence,
t. H ence
en from
ce, frrom thehe bbeginning,
eg
gin
i niing company
ng,, a co
ompan anny or
o
brand
bran nd mustt decdecide
cide whatt iitt wawants
w ntts to bbee perc
perceived
rceiveed as and
rc nd mmake
ak well
ke weell pplanned
lann
la nned
nn ed
attempts
atte mpts tto
tem
te achieve
o achihiieve it.
A favourable
u able image
favoour image hhelps consumers
elpss con
onsu
on sume
su merrs inn trusting
me trrusti
ting
ti ng yyou
ou aandnd buying
buy
uyinng your
yo
product/services
prodduct/services without
e witho ut hhesitation.
out esittat
es atio
i n. FoFor
or eexample,
xaamp
mplele, iff yyou
ou w want
antt tto
an o bbuy
uy
packaged water,
p ckaged water
pa one
r, which on
ne wi
will ou pprefer
ll you ooutt of tthe
reeferr ou many
he m a y co
an ccompeting
mpet
mpetin brand
ng brran
and
available in the market" ... ,Baslerr or 5ail Neer" Kinley or Ganga" Aqua¿na
or Himalyan"
Hi l " All th these are exactly the same product
tl th d t–W Water
t iin a PlPlastic
ti
Bottle. But the Images are different. Let us see a couple of them Bisleri
portrays itself as pure and safe drinking water whereas 5ail Neer is more
about the availability of clean water in a train or on railway stations, where
you don’t have many options. So, it is right to say, if you want pure and
safe water and you to havea choice too, you might pick Bisleri over Rail
Neer. Kinley banks upon the Emotional Quotient whereas Ganga rides on
the image of being Indian thus, kindling the patriotic feeling.
The image can be described as young, social, honest, corrupt etc. Usually, it
takes its cue from the type of product, target audience and corporate identity.
Competitive business environment pushes a corporate to work hard and to
create as well as maintain the image. Being an intangible asset,sometimes
corporates overlook the image and pay heavily for the neglect, later. High
employees’ turnover, loss of major customers, falling value of stocks,
poor relations with government and other stakeholders are the signs of the
unfavourable image. And if it is left unattended, it can affect the corporate
304
adversely in future. Corporate Identity and
Image Management
Corporate Image is created by what we do and how we do it. It is not built
overnight but can be destroyed with a single unfortunate incident. Therefore,
it is of utmost importance to constantly build it and address any adversity
that might hamper it, immediately.
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The image is an intangible asset, which can turn into pro¿ts if used correctly.
Value of Corporate Image has increased immensely in recent years due to the
free market and the swelling competition. Corporates are adopting creative
and innovative strategies to promote their image to the desired public.
Acceleration of product lifecycle, globalisation and fast information
exchange are a few catalysts responsible for the increased need for strong
corporate Image. Also, the growing trend of Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) is pushing corporates to be more aware of their image not only from
a pro¿t/loss perspective but also for being sseen een as socially responsible.
Customers consider the image and beliefs off a co corporation
orp
rpooration before buyingg
products.
their prod odduc
u tsts. Corporates
Corprpor
orat
or a es
at e now understand
undeerstan nd the
t e power
th powwer of of being
ng socially
soociaallyy
responsible
resp onsible when
pon whe itt comes
omes too image.
co image. By By doing
do oingg so theyy are
they arre harvesting
sttingg better
haarvest beetter
results.
resu
re sults. S
su Some
om
me co companies
comp panies ar positioning
aree po
osi their
s tioniing th whole
heirr who image
ole im
ima age on ththe
he coconcept
onccept
ooff “we
w care”.
we caare”.. Fo example, Fab
Forr ex Faab India’s
In d a’s whole
ndi whholee concept
concceptt is to
to promote
omote Indian
prrom Inddian
khadi
khad a i an
ad and
nd ccatering
ringg tto
ateeri tthee “Ind
o th “Indian-ness”.
dian--ne
ness”. The h visvision
isio
ionn of F Fabb IIndia
ab n ia sta
nd states
ate
tess
“promote
“ppromotee the ddevelopment
evel
ellop
opmeent n of hhandloom
anddlo
loom and handicraft
ndd handicraf fabrics
ft fabr
b ics m made
ade in
India”.
In Their
ndia”. Thei whole
eiir wh
w hol image
olee im
mag
a e is based
i bas sed oon concept.
n thiss con
onncept.
14.3.3
14 . .3 Formation
4.3 ation of Image
Forma Im
magee
Let’s
Le
L t’ss understand
unnde
d rstan tthe
tand
and process
he pro ocess ccreating
sss off cr n aan
eatiing effective
n effect appropriate
tive andd appropri iate
corporate
co
orp
rporatatee imag
at image.
ge. The ssteps
teps
teps tthat you
hat yo cover
ou cov while
ver wh hil doing
ng soo aare:
i e doin ree:
Ɣ Understand
Understandd aand
Un dyy tthe
ndd study market
he mar
rke want
k t you wa
w operate
nt to op
operat
ate in
at n
Ɣ Research
Resesear
ear h aand
a ch nd ¿nd
¿nd out yyour
our actual ima
ou image
age (If yyou
ou aare
ree nnew,
ew skip tthis
w, sk his
hi
step)
step
st e )
ep
Ɣ Decide the desired image based on corporate philosophies, beliefs
and values. Create a Mission Statement which gives an answer to
questions like what you do, who is your public and what makes you
exclusive.
Ɣ Implement suitable strategy: Depending on the size of the target
public and budget, make an appropriate plan
Ɣ Choose a suitable message: Use corporate identity tools like name,
logo, colours scheme, typefaces and mascots, etc
Ɣ Elect suitable media: Again, depends heavily on budget and
requirement
Ɣ Start implementing it at both spheres - internal and external: For
the internal publics, a training programme can be implemented
for employees and other stakeholders. For external publics, use

305
Corporate Communication traditional, online, and social media etc. Internal could be more
manageable whereas external is non-controllable.
Ɣ Keep evaluating: With the help of a marketing information system,
measure the effectiveness of the corporate image.
Ɣ Counteractive steps: Make required modi¿cations to the above steps
if the actual image doesn’t match the desired images.
When it comes to the internal publics, many factors can be manipulated at
various levels. However, with the external publics,a lot of things are not
in the hand of the corporate, thus you need a focused strategy to cater to
such unprecedented and unknown factors. Let us understand this further
When we talk about the internal scope of forming an image, we talk about
Corporate Identity, Corporate Advertising, Employee Relations and website
management etc. Corporate has almost full control over these factors and
it can be ¿ne-tuned as and when required. However, the external scope is
limited when it comes to control. It includes industry
y image,
g , country
y ((where
you originally ccome
o e fr
om from),
from
o ), media and media relations and very imperative
but hugely uncon
uncontrollable-
o trol
ollabble- word of mouth.
We must
musst un understand
nde
d rs that
r tandd tha
hat imimage
mage is nott a con constant
nst phenomenon.
stant ph
phenom om
menon. It IIt’s not
’s no
ot a
tangiblee asse
asset, which
et, wh
w you
ichh yo
ou m make
ake once
ke onc and
ncce an forget
nd forg get aabout.
b utt. It is a Àuid
bo Àuid co concept,
oncept,,
which
w ich kkeeps
wh changing
eepss ch hanginng w with time
itth timme an and
nd ssituations.
ituaationns. A lott ooff thi
things can
ings caan iimpact
mpactt
mp
the image,
i age, llike,
im market
i e,, mar
ik conditions,
rkett coondit ittio
ions
ns, ne
ns new
ew comcompetition,
mpetitionn, ssomeo e ma
om man-made
an-madee orr
natural
ral ddisasters
natura isast
sterss etc.. Wee have vee to bee uup-to-date
p-tto-d keep
datee and kee ep a cconstant aand
onstant an
on close
d cl
los
oe
eye
ye onn all
ey the
he ffactors,
all th a tors, whic
ac which can
ch ca an chchange
hangge the image of a corporation. It will
help
hellp inn bbridging
ridggingg the divide be between
betwt eenn ththe actual and desired image.
Industry crisis
Inddusttryy cri
risis always ys aaffects
ffeectss tthe
ff corporate
he cor rpo ratee iimage.
pora
ra mage
ma ge. On
ge Onee ha has to o bbee
prepared advance
prreparred inn ad dvance fo for the
or thhe prproblems,
proboble
ob lem
lems, wh which
whic
ichh ar
ic aree pprone
ronne to iits industry.
tss ind
dus
ustr
tryy.
tr
For
For example,Airlines
e ampl
ex p e,Ai
pl Airlines m
Ai must
ust aalways
lwa
ways
wa ys bebe prepared
prrep
epared
edd for
for possibility
pos
ossi
sibi
si biility of
of a crash,
cras
cr ash,
as h
highjacks,
high
ghjjacks,
gh any
s, or an
ny other mishaps like these. In a case where the actual image
is
i too stained
too statained oorr really
ta y ffar
ar ffrom
rom
ro m ththe
he dedesired
des
sirred image,
red im
imagagee, the
ag he ssituation
itua
ituati
ua on sshould
tion
ti houl
ho uldd be
ul
considered
consididered a cri
id crisis
riisis andd aappropriate
ppropopri
op riat
ri atee st
at steps
tep should
ps sh
shoou d bbee take
ould ttaken.
ake
ken.
n.
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An image is a thoughtful con¿rmation of nature, culture, and structure of
a corporate. It includes of all the optical, oral and behavioural factors that
make a corporate.
So, if you ask why the image is so important despite being intangible. The
answer would be it can be sold as an actual tangible asset. It also helps a
corporate to differentiate itself from competition and give the consumer a
drive to buy the product/service.
A strong corporate image helps the internal public in understanding a
company’s goals and work accordingly.
Corporate Image can act as an effective marketing tool and can be used for
promotional activities as well. A likeable image can inÀuence the buying
decision of the consumers.
A good image brings credibility and integrity, and it makes the market share
stronger and bottom line greater.
Corporate Image establishes con¿dence, trust, and loyalty. These factors
306
further strengthen the client relations as it provides a strong sense of security. Corporate Identity and
Image Management
If you want to attract more business and investment, a good corporate image
can be your biggest tool. It has the dual bene¿t of not only keeping the
existing public loyal but also attracting new consumers. Any business which
is looking for growth can not overlook the power of the corporate image.
One of the signs of a good image is that it will stand the ups and downs of
the market and still hold its weight.
A study by Opinion 5esearch Corporation O5C) found that Corporate
Image is very important to market their company and products and services.
97 respondent from the senior executives and middle agreed that image is
the signi¿cant measurement in achieving or failing.
Much before the industrial revolution, the most important factor required
to establish any business was an Image. Villages/towns were famous for
their particular products and any association with it would naturally bring
business. Association with an established place (lane/town/city) was
trade.
standard that needed to be sustained to be in tr
rad From
a e. From then to now, it’s all
ro
about the image and identity.
For example,
exam mplp e, ttake
ake Ko
ak Korean
ore
r an
a beauty pr products; South
roduccts;; Souuth K Korea
rea iss ffamous
ore
re a ous forr
am
innovation,
innovav tion,, hi
va hhigh-quality
igh
g -qua
gh uali
lity
li nd eexotic
y and ingredients.
xotic in ngreddient
n s. TThey
heyy aare
re tatakingg ovover
ver the
beauty
bea
be autyy iindustry
n us
nd ustr y in countries
try
tr counttriries like
e lik US,
ikee US
ik S, UK K and
and
n eveven
ven India.
In Every
ndia.. Eve ery bbeauty
eaauty
website,
w i e, aactors
ebssit (Public
ctorrs (P
(Pub opinion
ublic opinio io leaders),
on leada errs), be
ad beauty
eau blogs,
uty blo YouTube
ogs, Yo ouTub bursting
ubee is bu
ub urstting
with bene¿ts
th thee benne¿e¿tsts and
andd quality
quality ooff K-K-Beauty
-Be
Beauty (short
y (shhort fo South
forr Soutth KoKorean
Korerean bbeauty
eaaut
utyy
products).
pr
roductss). This
) Thi hiss imag
hi image
ge of bbeauty
ag products
eautyy prod started
oducts sta country,
arted with a coun trry, bbut
untr ut now
corporates
orporatess aare
co coming
r com
re mingg with same
th the sam me kindnd ooff innovation aand nd iingredients.
nggre
r dients.
Soon,
Sooon, corporates
corp
rpor
rp a es like Inn
orrat Innn is free,
free,, Etude
Etuude House,
Hoousee, Laneige,
Laneeig e, etc.
ige, tc. will
etc w ll be
wi be known
know
ownn
ow
forr theirr own nname rather
ame rathe than
er tha just
an ju being
ust be carpet
eing caarpete image ooff K-
K-beauty
K-bebeau
be auty
au ty pproducts.
ro uct
rodu cts.
s.
Check
Ch
C ecck Your
Yo Progress:
Pro
r grress: 2
Note:
N
No Use
tee: Usee the
the space
spa cee below
pace below forr your
elow your answer
an
nsw
s er
Compare
mpare your answers
Comp
Co mp ansswe rs withh those
wers t ose givee at the end
th en of this
hiss unit
thi
hi un t
11. De¿ne co
ccorporate
rpor
rp orat Image
ate Imag
ge
..............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
Fill in the Blanks :
2. The image is an _________ asset.
3. Corporate image is not a__________ phenomenon; it keeps changing
with time and events.

14.4 IMAGE MANAGEMENT

14.4.1 Importance of Image Management
After understanding, what is Corporate Image, how to establish it and its’
signi¿cance, we need to learn a very important lesson, how to manage it.
Establishing a corporate image is only half work done; managing it in today’s
unpredictable market environment is a battle. Always remember, the image
307
Corporate Communication can be quashed in a day if it is not managed cautiously and strategically.
Senior management and marketing department always keep an eye on it so
that if anything happens, proper steps can be taken to rectify the image.
Now, let us talk about the management part of the corporate image. For this,
we need to understand what Image Management is"
Any deliberate effort by a business, organisation or an individual for
managing the image is image management. Any strategic communication
with stakeholders, public or even government to maintain the alignment
of desired and actual image comes under image management. This
activity majorly comes under the Marketing and PR department,but senior
management too has a great inÀuence over the whole process.
Every business needs to hold onto their stakeholders (who have invested in
the company). And the image they perceive of the business will inÀuence
their decision to continue or withhold their support.
Government agencies are also a major stakeholder of corporates; they have
the authority to o make po ppolicies,
licies, which can positively or negatively affect
business. Thesee agencies
agen ncies are required to observe and standardise businesses
practices as per law.
err laww. T Theyhey hhave
avee th
av the power
he powe werr to m monitor
onitor and nd rregulate
egulate th
eg thee
operating
operatin business
ng off thee busi inesss byy the law country.
w off thee coounntr However,
t y. Ho
H w ver,, ggovernment
we over
e nm
er mentt
oof¿cials,
of ¿cialss, as pper
er rrules
uless doo hahave
ave ssome discretion
omee dis screetionn andd if th corporate
the corprporat image
atte im
magge iss
sincere
siincere and hhonest
one
n st rereparations
eparrattionss could severe.
ld bee less seve eree. OOther
thher th consumers,
than co onsuumers,,
image
imagage m
ag management
anaage
g me
m nt is im imperative
mpeeratitive
tive tto the
he ppublic
o th like
ubllic lik the
ke th bboard
he bo directors,
arrd of dirrecto
tors,
eemployees,
em o ees, ssuppliers,
plloy upppl
p iers distributors
rs,, di istribu t rss eetc.
buto
bu tc.
The
Th public
he puublic w will associate,
illl only assoc
ciate,
ia fufund,
und, oorr buy from the business if the image
is ppositive
osittive and
nd strong.
an s rong.
st
Apparently,
Apppare e y kindd ooff pu
r ntly, ever
re every public
ublicc hhas somewhat
as a som mewwha different
hatt di
diff
ffer
ff eren
er perception
nt pe
percepepttion ooff the
ep he
corporate
co
orporo ate ass the
or they
ey see it ffrom
romm a ddifferent
iff
fferent an
ff angle
gle
gl aand
l an d wi t a ddifferent
with ifffere
if ferent motive.
n mo otive.
oti
Like
L ikee oone
ne pperson
ersonn could be per perceived
erceiv
i ed
iv d aass frie
friendly
endly bby set
y a seet of ppeople
e plee an
eo andd att tthe
he
he
same time,
me time he/she
e, he/sh
s e is seen very
sh y pprofessional
rofessional byy others.
Corporate
Corpor
Co organic-
rate is org
ganic- itt mmoves,
ovves grows
es, gr
grow
owss an
ow does
andd do
doees nnot
ot sstand
taand sstill time.
tiilll inn ti
time
me. Sam
me Same
ame
am
is with
ithh the image,
wit a e, it iiss m
imag multi-dimensional
ul i-ddim
ulti imenensiionnal andd eachh pu
en public
publ
blic
bl icc aapproaches
ppro
pp roacchees it
ro
from
fro
fr om its own iinterest.
n erest. F
nt For example,
or exa
xaamp
mple cconsumers
le, cons
le o sum
umerrs ar
aree ininterested
int sted iin
tereested the
n th price
he pr rice
ic
and quality of the product. Employees look for stability and remunerations.
Stockholders look for overall performance and ¿nancial gain gain. So while
managing the image, we need to understand these different needs of different
publics and craft the strategies accordingly. At the same time do not get
deviated from the image you crafted for the corporate as a whole.
Image management is an act of balance. You need to stay focused on
maintaining the constant image (corporate) and at the same time take care
of its various facets for the sake of all the public. Any inconsistency can
create confusion which can lead to a distorted image.
The role of Board of Directors, Management and Staff in managing the
image:
Board of Directors
Ɣ Promoting best performance and complete growth
Ɣ Safeguarding stakeholders and ensure satisfaction among them
Ɣ Sustain favourable corporate climate and promote coordination within
308
 the industry Corporate Identity and
Image Management
Ɣ Built appropriate competitive advantages on the global level
Management
Ɣ Through its day-to-day work, management ensure transparency and
liability.
Ɣ Management helps a corporate in evaluating itself from within and if
required critically, to assess its procedures through corporate audit or
corporate self-appraisal.
Ɣ It helps a corporate in understanding its current position and the
direction it’s moving in at present.
Ɣ Whether they are meeting the pre-decided objectives, or if there is a
requirement of any change in the plan to meet them.
Ɣ For a complete assessment, a corporate should do SWOT analysis of
its each functional area like marketing
g ¿nance,, research,, PR etc
Ɣ Also, consider the responsibilities, motivations
moto ivattionss and even biases of
ot
top executives as they are the ones whoo exec
execute
ecut
utee the image, and their
outlook
outloo can
ookk ca make
an ma
m difference.
k a whole lot off di
ke diff
ffer
e ennce.
Ɣ The time-to-time
The time
me-t
me- o-ti
time appraisal
me appra
ais responsibility
ponnsibility ooff m
i al is thee resp management.
annagem
mentt.
You
Yoou must
must rremember
e em
em mbeer that a ccompany’s
o pa
om objectives
pany’ss objeectivev s aand
nd pplans
lan
ans to achieve
t ach them
hievee th
hem
will
will bbecome
e ome ou
ec ooutdated
tdated
t if you do d nonot
ot kkeep
eep rreviewing
evi
viiewinng aand cchanging
ndd ch an
ngi
g ng ththem
hem
m as
perr the ccurrent scenario.
urreent scen narario
i . Strate
io Strategies
egiess to maintain
o maaintai image
a n immag
age ne
needed tto
o be
b upupdated
pdat
ated
ed
in aaccordance
ccorda
dancee w
da with
ith ppolitics,
oliticcs, economy,
s econ nomy technology,
y, tech
hnolol gy, and so
lo society.
oci
c ety. T The
he cchanges
hanges
start
staart from within;
witithin; self-audit
self- a ditt provides
f-au p ovvid
pr i ess the
the base
a e to meet the mission
bas miss
mi ionn of image
ssio
management.
manageme
ma ment
me ntt.
Staff
Staf
aff
Ɣ Every member
ber off ccorporate
E erry memb
Ev rporatte stafff iiss thee Àag bearer of the corporate
orp
rp
image.
imag
age.
ag
Ɣ Employees
Employees can do a llot
mpl ot whenn it comes tto managing
agingg tthe
o mana he iimage.
magge.
ma
Ɣ Everyday
Everyd a aactivities
yday
ay ctiv
ctiv
vit
i ies like::
Ɣ Dressing
Dr
Dres
essi
sing
ng
Ɣ Punctuality
Ɣ Attitude toward public
Ɣ Morals
Ɣ Productivity, count.
All the above activities can enhance or refute the image by and large.
The overall look, attitude and presentation of an employee can help in
maintaining the corporate image
For example: If you visit a government bank and a private bank on the same
day, you will see the difference in terms of dressing. Employees in a private
bank might be wearing uniform/smart formals whereas,in government
banks, such rules are not applicable. Lunch breaks are timed in private
banks, whereas government employees usually stretch their breaks. In the
case of private sector banks,the customer is always right and in government
banks, it is all about the following the procedures. Now all these instances,
309
Corporate Communication are the result of the Image that we have in our minds about the government
versus private banks. These might or might not be the actual reality, but they
are the received reality i.e. The Image.
Some professionals stress that due consideration should be given to the
management of the image. And for this, they propose making a separate
department for establishment and management of the corporate image. The
department should have senior management so that it can take the required
steps and decisions without being delayed due to hierarchy.
After putting so much effort, you must learn how to protect your precious
corporate image. Precaution is better than cure, so be prepared with the
plans for dealing with a crisis even before it happens (might never happen).
The success and growth of your business will bring challenges like jealous
competitors, dissatis¿ed consumers and they can attack you any time and
stain your image. Be prepared for the following dangers and the procedures
to address them well in time:
Rumour/Gossip
Rumour/Gossip: p: It Àows through grapevines and is dif¿cult to pin point its
origin. In this ca
ase, fo
case, follo
ow the following rules:
follow
Ɣ Do not ann
n ounc
nn ncee the
announce t e rumour
th ru
umo
m ur
u from
fro
romm your
y urr side
yo sid
idee
Ɣ Sa
ay th
Say he op
the oopposite
possite off whhat
a rrumour
what u ouur sstates,
um tates
e , bu
es bbutt withhoutt me
without ent
n io
oni
n ng itt
mentioning
(a
any m
(any enntion ooff th
mention he rum
the mour iss lik
rumour ke ggiving
like ivin
ng it imp porrtancce)
importance)
Ɣ Give a tan
Give ngible pr
tangible rooof off w
proof haat you ar
what re sayingg
are
F
Fact P
Fact roced
dure
ree: Inn ccase
Procedure: ase off a m
as ista
istake mad
mistake adee bby
made y you
ou::
you:
Ɣ Ad
A mitt it aand
Admit nd say youu aare
re sorry
Ɣ Tr to giv
Try ve perspe
give pect
pe ctiv
ctivee
iv
perspective
Ɣ O ffer a solution
Offer soolution too re
ect
ctif
ifyy th
if
rectify thee mi
m sttak
akee or tto
mistake o st
stop
o iitt fr
from
om hhappening
appeeni
ninng
aagain
gainn in ffuture
u ure
ut
Ne
egaativee to
Negative to positives:
poositives: Help
p the transition from nega
g tive to po
negative osi
sitive
positive
Ɣ D
De fuse the
Defuse h negattiv
ve an
negative andd st
stop
op iitt befo
fore
fo re iitt do
before does
es aany
ny ssevere
ever
everee ha
er harm
rm tto
o your
yo
image
Ɣ Make a str
t ong and close relationship with the public (person) who feel
tr
strong
wronged by you. Personal touch always helps in grievance resolution.
14.4.2 How to Measure Corporate Image
Feedback: It is imperative when it comes to management of the corporate
image. It is only by feedback, a corporate can ensure how they are being
perceived and what adjustments are needed to manage the image. Feedback is
a contentious process. A regular update from salespersons, staff, customers,
and other public can help modify the plan or methods of execution of those
plans. If required, a proper study can be conducted. We will go through the
formal methods of feedback in the next Section of this Unit.
The process of image management includes: establishing a positive
identity and procurement of feedback from the various publics to be sure of
the execution of plans. An incorrect image can beam ended by adjusting the
planning part as per the requirement. And in special cases, we might need
to modify the corporate identity itself.
Corporations need to assess their image as much as policymakers do. This is
310
usually done using the Survey method. Either they hire a research company Corporate Identity and
or appoint an internal researcher to conduct the survey. For research purpose, Image Management
an appropriate sample of the target public is selected and questioned.
Telephonic interviews are one of the most common ways to collect data.
After collating data, statistical tools are used to ¿nd out the result and
observations. At the same time, corporate also takes hard sales and pro¿ts
into account while measuring the image. Most of the time, these surveys
are the result of the reduced sale or lukewarm media responses.
Remember, a well-informed public/media will help a corporate in achieving
the bottom line as compared to an ignorant public. Also, sometimes, the
public is not only ignorant but also ill-informed. This is a dangerous situation
and needs special attention. If they carry a negative image of a corporate,
they can propagate it through word of mouth. This could lead to the loss of
current business and future prospects.
Check Your Progress: 3
Note: Use the space below for your answer
Compare your answers with those give at
a thee end
end of this
is unit
1. Wh
hat
a is im
What mag
ge ma
image mana
nage
g ment"
management"
..........
. ....
....
.....................
.....................................
. ...................................................
..............................................................................................................
.........
. .................................
. ........................................................
. ......................
.............................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................
2. _________
_ ____
__ _ _______
_ _______,, a corporate
________________________, corp
rporrate can ennsu
s ree hhow
ensure ow
w they
thhey are
bein
in
ng perceive
being vedd and wh
perceived w at iiss thee curre
what ent eevaluation
current valuation ooff co
ccorporate
rp
porrat
atee image
3. Wh hat
Whata aare
r the step
re ps a ccorporate
steps orpo
poratete cou
uld
l ttake
could ake af
fte
terr a mi
after m sttak
akee m
mistake adee bby
made y
th
hem wh
them hich can hharm
which arm
m thee iimage"
maage
g "

114.5
4.5 CORPORATE
CORPO
ORATE
E IDENTITY
IDENTITY
Y V/S CORPORATE
IM
MAGE
IMAGE
14.5.1 Difference
14 Diff
Di ffer
ff eren
ence
ce
Till now
ow w
wee have stu
studied
udi
died
e aabout
ed bout corporate identity and corporate image.
Now we understand
N d t d th thatt bboth these llead
th th d tto an upsurge iin th
the sales
l and
d
enhance the bottom line. Both these are directed towards one common goal,
but they take separate paths to reach the destination. Now let us see what
sets them apart.
Difference between Corporate Image & Corporate Identity
1. The basic difference between the two is that corporate image is non-
tangible whereas corporate identity is tangible.
2. Corporate image is a mental picture and corporate identity is a
physical picture.
3. Corporate image is the actual public perception and corporate identity
is how the company wishes to be perceived.
4. Corporate image is not in full control of the company, but corporate
identity is completely under the control of the management.
5. Corporate image is an emotion and corporate identity is an expression
311
Corporate Communication of emotion through colours and images.
6. Corporate image is about perception whereas corporate identity is
about visuals.
7. Corporate image is about how the public thinks about you, and
corporate identity is actually the core value of the corporate.
8. Corporate image can be different from the intended/planned image
due to improper perception, but corporate identity remains the same
regardless of the perception.
9. Corporate image is delicate and should be maintained with high
caution. However, corporate identity is very solid and once decided it
remains unchanged for a long time.
10. Corporate image needs constant attention whereas corporate identity
once ¿xed only needs a careful maintenance.
11. Corporate image includes the actual image and the desired image.
Corporate
Corporat identity
te iden
nti
tity
ty includes a logo, colour scheme, illustration etc.
12. Corporatee hass papartial
parrtial control over image whereas it has full control
over
ver iits
ov identity.
t ide
ts d ntitty.
14.5.2
1 .5.2 R
14 Related
ela d Terms
ated Term
ms
In this
h s section,
thi on, llet
sectio deal
et uss dea with
al w few
ithh a feew mmore terms
oree terrms cclose corporate
losee too co
orpporrat identity
ate idden
ntityy
and im
an iimage. When
age. W you
heen yoou tatalk
alk aabout
b ut ccorporate
bo o pooratee ide
or identity, corporate
entityy, coorpoora image,
rate image g , br
ge brand
rand
an
identity,
id
den
e tiity brand
t , brannd iimage
mage all se seem
eem like
m lik similar
ke sim milar terms. Sometimes people even
usee them interchangeably,
em inte erch
hangeably, bu butt they aarere different terms and to know the right
usage
usaage le read
let us rea
ad the fo following
oll
llow
owin
ow ing de
in dde¿nitions
¿nit
¿n i nss ooff th
itio
it tthese
esee te
es tterms.
rm
ms.
Corporate
Co orppor Identity:
o ate Idene tity: ThThe co corporate
corp
rpor
rp orat
or identity
atee id
at den
entitity
tity iiss whwhen
w enn aan organisation
n or
orgganisa
saati
tioon
ppurposefully
urppos
osefully plans
l pla
ly focused
ans a focus d rrepresentation
used
us epre
rese
re sent
se ntat
nta ionn of
at itself
o its elff to ccreate
sel reat
re unique
que iidentity
atee a uniq
at dent
de ntit
nt ityy
it
in the
the mind
nd of the
min the target public. It is associated with visual components of
a oorganisation.
an rgan
nisation.
n When pl
n. pplanning
nning ffor
an corporate
or cor
orpo
or pora
po te iidentity,
ratte dent
de ntit
nt ityy,
it y, a ccorporate
orpo
or pora
po rate
ra works
te w orks
or ks oon n
logo,
g , colour schemee aand
its logo
it go collaterals.
nd coolllat
ater
eralls.
er
Corporate Image:
Co mage: It iiss th
Im pperception
thee pe rcceptioon ooff th
epti
ti the corporate
he co
corp
rpor
rporatee wi
or th iits
with ts vvarious
ts ario
iouus
io
public. Various stakeholders of a corporate are tied with it for distinct
reasons and a corporate is tied with them for its own reasons reasons. They both
keep an eye on each other and have perceptions. The key stakeholders
are consumers, suppliers, vendors, banks, market analysts, stockholders,
government, NGOs, employees and the overall public.
Brand Identity: It is the overall value proposition that an organisation
presents to the public. It is a sum of bene¿ts, performance, service, quality,
support and the values of the brand.
Brand Image: It is what the consumer thinks about the brand and what
feeling it associates with the brand. It is a sum of consumer’s overall
experience with the brand. It could be good, bad, average and even neutral.
This can be measured and recti¿ed (if needed) with appropriate planning.
To understand the above-stated terms fully, you need to get a clear idea
of what is corporate and what is a brand" We have already talked about
corporate in detail. So let’s now discuss Brand.
The Brand is an extension of a corporate. In simple words, these days
312
big corporates work on various products and services and to differentiate Corporate Identity and
between them, corporates create brands. To understand this completely, Image Management
comprehend this example. We all know the corporate name TATA and a
brand name Tanishq. TATA is the parent company, also the corporate here.
Tanishq is the brand name they use for their jewellery business. Both have
a different set of the logo, colour scheme etc. However, the basic values
and beliefs remain the same for both. If you watch the latest advertisement
for Tanishq, they are talking about how they have modern designs/business
model and the promise of a 100-year-old corporate- TATA. With this
advertisement, the brand name (Tanishq) is sharing the stage with its parent
company so that it can also enjoy the trust, which public has in TATA.
Reputation: It is the result of the company’s actions like CSR, corporate
culture, creating jobs etc. The public opinion formed as a result of the
above-stated attributes forms the reputation of a corporate. How do people
see a corporate, like a good guy or a bad guy; the answer will be it’s the
reputation.
All these terms are frequently used synony ymouusly
synonymously. y. However, they are
different from each other even as they serve tthe he sam
ame purp
same rppos
osee off ccreating
purpose reatin
ingg
a uniquee iidentity
d ntit
de tity an
nd im
and imag
age so that in
image n thee end
n , all ca
nd
end, an bee mer
can rge
gedd in
merged nto thee
into
growwth of th
growth he co
the ccorporate.
rpor
orat
ate.
at
Ch k Your
Check You
Yo ur Progress:
Pro
r grress: 4
Note
t :U
te
Note: se the
Use thhe space
spa
pace
ce below
bel
e ow for your
yourr answer
an
nsweer
Coomparre your
Compare urr answers
answe
w rs wit
we ith those
with th
hose give
giive
v at the end of thi
is unit
this
Fiill
l in the bl
Fill bblanks:
an
nks
ks::
1. Co
Corporat
ate image is a ___
Corporate _____
___ pi
________ icturre and co
picture orpor
orat
oratee id
at
corporate den
enti
tity iiss a
ti
identity
___________picctu
ure.
_________picture.
2. C
Co rporate imag
rp
Corporate ge is
image i aabout
boutt __________
_________ w hereas corpo
whereas p raate identity is
corporate
abouut ________.
about ____
______.
3
3. C
Co rpor
rporat
or
Corporateate imag agee is aabout
image bout how
bo ow the publi
ic_
c ___________
__ , aand
public___________ nd cor
orpooraate
or
corporatete
identiity iiss ac
identity act
tually the _____________
actually ___________ ofo the corporate.
4. Corp
por
orat
atee ha
Corporate hass __________ control over image whereas it has ______
control over its identity.
5. Corporate image is an _________ and corporate identity is an
_________ of emotion through colours and images.

14.6 CELEBRITY IMAGE MANAGEMENT

14.6.1 Celebrity Management
Managing image is vital for every individual. All the social media activities
are perpetually engaged in image building. Almost everyone intentionally
or unintentionally, works on their image building. However, do not confuse
image management with makeovers, new wardrobe, hairstyles etc. It is
much more than this. It is an elaborate process, which involves evaluation,
planning, and execution. Not everyone requires the whole process, but
if you are a celebrity or want to be one, then you need celebrity image
management.
313
Corporate Communication Also, it is important to understand that celebrity management does not only
include movie stars, but it could also be politicians, royalty, businessmen,
public ¿gures, sports persons and even socialites.
14.6.2 Importance of Celebrity Image Management
Image management is crucial for public ¿gures because they cannot
personally reach everyone, and people can make assumptions or be
judgemental on the basis of scattered information. Sometimes, public just
picks one attribute or one incident of a celebrity and base their perception
entirely on it. Image management is a signi¿cant tool for overcoming this.
With the boom of social media, celebrities are under scanner 24x7. This
puts immense pressure on them to maintain their image and for this, they
need a team to plan and execute it appropriately. The team has to be always
ready as, even a simple tweet can create a lot of trouble for a celebrity.
For instance, as a part of the MeToo Movement, actress Tanushree Dutta
accused actor Na N na Patekar of sexual harassment. This was a sudden
Nana
outburst, but it crea ated havoc in the whole ¿lm industry and divided the
created
perceivers into twttwo.
o. S o e off tthem
om
Some hem
he m we
were ssupporting
upppo
port
r in
rt ing Tanush shre
reee and ma
Tanushree many
ny
others were
were backing
back
c ingg Na
ck ana. Many
Nana. Many ¿lm¿lm staars rrefused
stars efus
efused tto o siimply
simply y comm mentt onn
comment
the sam
th me. Ev
same. verryo
y ne wa
Everyone as m
was ak
kin
i g a comm
making mmentt as pper
comment er theeir iimage
their magee andd th heirr
their
im
mag
a em
image anaggeme
m nt tteams
management eamms werre bus
were sy cr
busy raftting the sstatements
crafting tatem
emene tss on thheir bbehalf
their ehhalff
t m
to a ch
at
matchh the
eir
i ppersona.
their ersonna.
14.6.3
14 Interrelation
4.6.33 Inte between
erreelation bet
etwe
etweeen
e Celebrity
elebrity and Corporate Image
Ce
Management
Maana
n ge
g ment
There
Thhere aarere a lott of similarities
sim
mil
ilar
arit
aritie
it between
i s be
ie betw
twee
tw een ce
ee celebrity
cele
lebr
leb it
br image
ityy im
imag
agee ma
ag management
mananage
na gem
ge ntt aand
ment nd
corporate
coorpor
oraate imimage management
magee manage nt aand
ement nd aalso,
lsoo, a ffew
ls ew ddifferences.
ifffe
fere
renc
re nces. Le
nc Lett us uunderstand
nderrst
stan
and
an
ssome
omee ooff the
them.
em.
First
Fi rstt of aall,
irs l , the ooutcome
ll utcomme off bboth could
otth co
oul different.
u d be dif ffe
fere
rent
re Like
nt. Li
nt L ke iin
n some
me cascases,
es, ¿lm
asses ¿lm
stars
st need
tars nee
ne
eed to ma maintain
m intain aan image
n im
imaagee sso that
o tha
hatt th
ha they
hey can n hhave
an ave mo
av more
mor re w
re work terms
orkk in ter
or rms
of movies
movies and endorsements.
endorsem
emen
em nts.. However,
en Howoweveverr, sports
ev sporrtss persons,
sp perssonsns,, political
poli
po liti
li call leaders,
tica
tica leead
derrs,
ro
royalties
o depend
etc. doo not depe image
peend onn im
imag sspeci¿cally
agee spec
ag p ci¿
i¿caall
llyy fo
forr th monetary
the mo
mone tarry ppurpose.
eta urpoose.
A corporate however, depends on the image primarily for monetary
purposes, as it can affect the bottom line. Another purpose for the image
would be attracting new talent, keeping the stockholder secure etc.
Like corporate image building, celebrity image building also needs constant
work and planning.
In celebrity image management, one must encounter rumours almost on a
daily basis. In case of corporates, rumours are not that frequent. Corporates
are more prone to a crisis like accidents, huge ¿nancial loss etc.
Celebrity management is based on attributes like looks, wealth, and personal
achievements of the individual. On the other hand,in case of a corporate,
image works on the value, philosophy and culture they want to portray.
In a corporate, there are several roles, played by various individuals.
Everyone has a speci¿c task to do – Human Resource, Marketing, Technical,
Finance Management, among others. They are expected to perform well
individually as well as a team to make the whole corporate look good.
314
When we talk about celebrity/individual image, it is only about one person, Corporate Identity and
who can be an actor, philanthropist, model, a business person or something Image Management
else. At the same time, they do not have resources like a corporate.
Check Your Progress: 5
Note: Use the space below for your answer
Mark the Following statements as true or False:
1. Celebrity image management is only for movie stars. (T)(F)
2. Celebrity management is all about creating rumours. (T)(F)
3. Corporate and celebrity management are exactly the same thing. (T)(F)
4. Celebrity image is based on attributes like beauty, wealth and personal
achievements of the individual. (T)(F)

14.7 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit, we talked about the basics of cor corporate
rpo
p raate id
identity
dentity and corporate
image. We discussed at length about the requir requirement
rem
e en nt of ident
identity
tit
ityy andd ho
hhow
w we
can createtee iitt stepp byy st
step.
tep
ep. Al
A
Also,
so, variouss elem
elements
men
nts
t of iden
identity
ntity
ty
y weree ununde
understood
ersto
oodd
withh aappropriate
ppropr pria
pr iate
iate exa
examples.
xamp
mples.
mp
We alsalso learned
so le
lea about
arnedd abo out imagee andd it iitss w
worth
orth to corporate
t a corpporaate iin today’s
n to
oday’ scenario
y’’s sc
cenaario
aalong with
lonng wi ith tthe
h process of im
he image
age eestablishment.
mag staablish
hmen Wee deli
e t. W deliberated
libe
b ratedd thathat
at oonly
nly
building
buil iimage
i dingg an im
il age is i notot eenough,
noughh, a ccorporate
orpora manage
rate has to mana nage
na ge iitt co
continually.
contin nuallly.
For
Foor that, we
w learned ed how w to mmeasure
easur image
ure immagee so that wee can cha change
ange the
strategies
str
rategies on ti me iiff thee ch
time cchange
an
nge required.
g iss requ Further,
uired. Furt wee di
r her, w discussed
disc
scus
sc u seed th vvarious
thee va riiou
ouss
bene¿ts
be n ¿tss of a sstrong
ene t ong and posit
tr positive corporate
tive cor rpo image.
p ratee ima age.
We looked
W o keed at tthe
loo difference
he dif r ncee bbetween
ffeere etw
tw ccorporate
weenn co and
rpooratee image an identity
nd id tiity aalong
denti long
lon wwith
ith
various
va related
ariouus reelated terms to o tthe above-stated
hee abo
ove
ve-state topic
ted topi
te p c like brand and reputation.
Similarities
Simi
Si l ritiies aand
mila
mi nd ddifferences
iffe
if fere n es bbetween
renc
re etween
et celebrity
n celebri image
r ty imagge mmanagement
anag
anag
agem men and
nt an
nd
corporate
corppor
o at management
atee image manageme mentnt weree ddiscussed length.
iscussedd at leng gth.
gth
To ssum
um up th whole
thee wh unit,
olle unit despite
t, we can say that desp spit bbeing
ite bein
it e ng us d aass
used
interchangeable
intercha
hang
ngea
eaabl s, ccorporate
b e terms, o po
or p rate identity and corporate image are different
ffrom eachh other.
h Th They work k iin a similar
i il didirection
i bbut take
k separate courses.
Both are used as a communication tool by corporates. Organisations strive
to have an exclusive identity and image, to have top of the mind recall and
to enjoy unique placement in the market.

14.8 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS: POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Check Your Progress:
1. Complete the sentence.
Corporate identity helps to build Corporate Personality, Customer Loyalty
and Business Development.
2. List the various elements of corporate identity.
 Printing material, merchandise, advertising, uniforms,
transportation, Interior design (décor of the of¿ce)

315
Corporate Communication  Images on vehicles (comes under outdoor adv)
 E-mail templates
 Online Banners
Ɣ Websites, etc
Ɣ Check John M. T. Balmer; Stephen A. Greyser (2003).Revealing the
Corporation: Perspectives on Identity, Image, Reputation, Corporate
Branding, and Corporate-Level Marketing, Routledge
Your Progress: 2
1. Corporate Image is how people perceive or think about a corporate,
its products or services. It comprehends the perception that the public
has about certain corporates.
2. The image is a Tangible asset.
3. Corporate image is not a Constant phenomenon; it keeps changing
with time and events.
Check Your Pro
r greess: 3
ro
Progress:
1. An de
Any delibe
b ratee ef
deliberate ffortt bby
effort y a busi
bu
us neess, orga
business, g nisatiion
o oorr aan
organisation n indiv
vid
iduall forr
individual
m anaggingg the ima
managing agee is im
image magge ma
image anageme
m ntt.
me
management.
2. Itt is only
on y byy feedback,
feed
dbaack k, a corporate
coorpooratee ca
an en
can nsuree hhow
ensure ow they y are be
eingg
being
pe erceiive
perceivedv d andd wh
hat iiss th
what he cu
the currennt ev
current valuuationn off corp
evaluation rporrat
rp a e im
corporate imag
ag
ge
image
33. St
Steps a co
orporrat
ate coul
corporate u d ta
ul
could take
ke aafter
fterr a m istake m
is
mistake ade by tthem
ad
made hem
he mwhich ca
which an
can
harm tthe
ha h image:
he
Ɣ Ad
Admi
m t it aand
Admit nd ssay
ay you
ou aare
re ssorry
orry
ry
y
Ɣ Tryy to give pe
pperspective
rsspe
pect
ctiv
ctivee
iv
Ɣ Offe
f r a solu
Offer lu
ution
on too re
solution rect
ctiify
ct if the
rectify th mi
mist
stak
st akee or tto
ak
mistake o stop
opp iitt fr
from
om
happ
p eningg again in future
happening
Ch
C eck
CheckkY our Progress:
Your Pro
r gress: 4
1.. Corporat
te imagee iiss a ment
Corporate m ent
ntal
mentalall picture
picctu
turre aand
ndd ccorporate
orpo
or poora
rate
te iidentity
dent
de ntit
nt itty is
is a
physical
p y l picture
22. Corporate image is about perception whereas corporate identity is
about visuals.
3. Corporate image is about how the public thinks about you, and
corporate identity is actually the core value of the corporate
4. Corporate has partial control over image whereas it has full control
over its identity.
5. Corporate image is an emotion and corporate identity is an expression
of emotion through colours and images
Check Your Progress: 5
1. Celebrity image management is only for movie stars. (F)
2. Celebrity management is all about creating rumours. (F)
3. Corporate and celebrity management are the same thing.(F)
4. Celebrity image is based on attributes like beauty, wealth and personal
316
 achievements of the individual. (T) Corporate Identity and
Image Management
14.9 FURTHER READINGS
Ɣ Aaker, D., 2002. Building 6trong Brands. 1st ed. p.68
Ɣ John M. T. Balmer; Stephen A. Greyser (2003).Revealing the
Corporation: Perspectives on Identity, Image, Reputation, Corporate
Branding, and Corporate-Level Marketing, Routledge
Ɣ Marken, R. S. (1990). A Science of Purpose. American Behavioral
Scientist, 34(1), https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764290034001002
Ɣ Steven Howard; Corporate Image Management: A Marketing
Discipline for the 21st Century (2010). http://howard-marketing.com/

14.10 GLOSSARY
Corporate Audit: A corporate audit is a kind review of ¿nancial/operational/
CSR/image processes at a corporation. It may done
a bee do
ay donne by an in-house or
outside auditing team.
SWOT: Itt iiss a fr
framework
framew
e or uused
orkk us assess
ss a corporate’s
ed to asses pooratee’s pposition
coorpo identifying
osittion by id
denttifyyingg
its Strengths,
s Weaknesses,
Sttrengths,
s, Weaknknes
esse
ess s, OOpportunities
pportunitties aand
pp Threats.
nd T hreats.
Grapevine:
Grap
Gr pev inee: Getting
evin Information
Geettingg Inform
mat tthrough
a ion th informal
rouugh in r al or uunof¿cial
nform noof¿ccia route,
i l ro could
oute,, co
ould
aalso
lsoo be
be calledd gossipor
caalled gossipop r rumour.
rumour
urr.
Bottomline:
Bo
ottomlline:: Re Corporate’s
Referss to a Co
C rporaate’ss nnet income
et in
ncome pro¿t.
m or net pr
ro¿t
¿t.
Monogram:
M onogram m: A typographic
a hicc logoo thatt visua
typoogrrap visualizes company’s
alizzes a companyy’s initialism
ini
niti
tial
alism and
can
ca used
seed in lieu of a fformal
an be use logo
go too rrepresent
o maal log
or epres
esen company.
nt the co
omp anyy. Itt is ccommonly
mpan
an ommo
om onl
nlyy
used
useed byy fashion
fashioon brands suchh as Chanel
Chanenel or Louis
Louuis Vuitton.
Vuitton
on.
on

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