Corporate Identity: Logo Design & Templates

Corporate identity is the persona of a corporation.

This personality is established and reinforced through the use of logos, trademarks, slogans and effective corporate Web sites. Although some of the world's most recognizable corporations have great logos, trademarks and slogans, the effectiveness and navigability of corporate Web sites does not always follow suit.

This can be blamed on many things. Some corporations may focus completely on the sale of products and services, while neglecting to focus on customer service, support and business-to-business information. On the other end of the spectrum are Web sites focusing on business-to-business information. In this case, average consumers may feel as though they are simply reading industrial jargon.

In truth, good corporate identity is composed of three parts: corporate design, corporate communications and corporate behavior.

Designing a Corporate Identity

More often than not, designing a corporate identity entails the development of corporate logos, trademarks and slogans. Coming from the Greek work logotipos, a logo is a graphic element symbolizing a corporation through the use of unique typeface and arrangement. In addition to corporate identification, logos are used with products, services, places and organizations in a non-economic context.

The use of company logos deters confusion in the marketplace among suppliers, clients, users and the general public. Complete logos are more than symbolic iconography; logotype and slogans also must be utilized. The logotype consists of text while the slogan describes either the company or the services it offers.

Logos are not simply a way to establish brand identity among potential consumers and stock holders; they also are necessary in a global context. It can be troublesome to translate corporate logotype and slogans into a variety of languages where the corporation intends to conduct business. It can be even more troublesome when translating text into characters. Effective corporate logos and design are arguably the most important part of corporate persona.

The following is a list of guidelines affecting good corporate lidentity ogo design:

• Use color wisely and sparingly. A monochromatic, primary or secondary color scheme is easy to recognize and remember. The red and white color scheme of Coca-Cola and the red, blue, yellow, black and white rings of the Olympic organization are great examples.

• Use vector graphics so the corporate logo will appear the same on large-scale advertisements, like billboards, as it would on smaller advertisements, like brochures or labels.

• Do not use complex imagery. Remember to keep it simple.

Corporate Communications

Thanks to the Internet, corporate communication is easier than ever. Corporations are no longer chained to advertising or promoting on television, billboards and newspapers. Though the Internet has created massive potential for great corporate Web sites, the Web sites themselves have fallen short.

Corporate Web sites tend to cater to one aspect while neglecting another aspect. This is due in large part to the fact that with potentially global audiences it can be nearly impossible to know who is reading what and how they are responding to the site's content. The most important thing a corporation can do is know its audience and precisely target that audience.

To make a good Web site, take a look at the following guidelines:

• Fully engage hypertext capabilities. Information fares better when it is dissected and efficiently organized. Not only does this encourage readability, but it also allows a corporation to target different audiences. For example, a good Web site has separate links for customer support, information on services provided and media kits.

• Web sites should be updated regularly. This could mean the corporate Web site updates new information on proffered services and products, or it could mean simply updating with new software. A corporation has approximately six seconds to capture attention so anything impeding exposure should be axed.

• Make it easy to access and navigate. Never format for specific browsers; this will greatly reduce the number of users who can access the Web site. Site navigation is equally important. Though the number of Web pages will increase with each new product and service, if a user cannot make his or her way through the site, it does not really matter. Include site maps, indexes and a glossary as the need arises.

Corporate Behavior

Last but not least in the trifecta of effective corporate identity is behavior. This is marked by internal values, practices and societal interaction. The more connected an audience feels to the company, not necessarily the product, the more likely it is that the audience will support the product or service. Good corporate behavior within certain communities can increase exposure to and support from those communities.



Sources:
"Corporate Identity." 2 November 2006. Wikipedia. 6 November 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/corporate_identity/Sullivan, Terri. "Effective Corporate Websites."9 August 1996. All Things Web. 6 November 2006. http://www.pantos.org/atw/35281-h.html/
"Logo." 2 November 2006. Wikipedia. 6 November 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/corporate_logo/