| The Corporate image is a dynamic and profound | | | | founded upon modern cooperate identity practices and |
| affirmation of the nature, culture and structure of an | | | | the marketing premise that everything an organization |
| organization. This applies equally to corporations, | | | | does, and does not do, affects the perception of that |
| businesses, government entities, and non-profit | | | | organization and its performance, products, and |
| organizations. The corporate image communicates the | | | | services. These perceptions affect its ability to recruit |
| organization's mission, the professionalism of its | | | | the financial resources, people and partnerships it |
| leadership, the caliber of its employees and its roles | | | | needs to attain its goals and objectives. |
| within the marketing environment or political landscape. | | | | This approach evaluates corporate identity from a |
| Every organization has an image, whether it wants | | | | marketing, rather than a graphic design, perspective. |
| one or not. When properly designed and managed, the | | | | The premise has two predominant concerns for |
| corporate image will accurately reflect the level of the | | | | companies entering the 21st Century: |
| organization's commitment to quality, excellence and | | | | * an understanding that the corporate image is a major |
| relationships with its various constituents including | | | | strategic concern that can have a direct impact on the |
| current and potential customers, employees and future | | | | level of success the organization achieves through its |
| staff, competitors, partners, governing bodies, and the | | | | other marketing and management efforts, and |
| general public at large. As a result, the business image | | | | * an understanding that a coherent corporate image |
| is a critical concern for every organization, one | | | | needs to be integrated into the organization at all levels. |
| deserving the same attention and commitment by | | | | Looked at from a marketing perspective, corporate |
| senior management as any other vital issue. | | | | image management becomes an on-going, synergistic |
| Historically, thinking and writing about the subject of | | | | management tool, rather than a one-time "corporate |
| corporate image has come from the area of graphic | | | | image exercise" as currently practiced by most |
| design, with most attention given to name selection, | | | | organizations and almost all corporate identity |
| typography, logo design and usage rules, color palettes, | | | | consultants. Corporate Identity Management, therefore, |
| uniforms, and marketing collateral. This approach no | | | | becomes a comprehensive and all-embracing process |
| longer suits the global, dynamic, cross-border and | | | | that internalizes a new skill set for managing |
| cross-cultural world in which a growing number of | | | | relationships between constituents at all levels in the |
| today's businesses and organizations operate. What is | | | | organization. Its goal is to enable sustainable relationship |
| needed, instead, is a practice called Corporate Image | | | | advantages to be developed with key audiences. |
| Management. This is a holistic management discipline | | | | Since the process of corporate reputation |
| designed to prepare organizations to compete for | | | | management is on-going, these relationship |
| resources, partners, customers and market share well | | | | management skills are applied to all current, |
| into the early years of the 21st Century. | | | | prospective and future relationships. It applies equally to |
| Corporate Reputation or Image management is | | | | commercial, non-profit and government organizations. |