corporate identity
By Hugho Deogratius

Corporate identity is often seen as a collection of visual elements, which are used in various applications to promote the image of an organization. Originally, it was synonymous with organizational nomenclature, logos, the house style and visual elements, but in time visual identity and corporate strategy have become inextricably linked.

Some marketing specialists regard corporate identity as the core of an origination’s existence, made up of its history, beliefs, philosophy, technology, people, its ethical and cultural values and strategies. Corporate identity also helps determine the positioning of an organization in terms of its markets and competitors.

The Corporate identity

Academics and marketing consultants concur that corporate identity is not that easy to define. Instead of compiling a definition, academics from the Strathclyde, Erasmus and Harvard Business Schools and leading consultants developed the Strathclyde statement which articulates the multi-disciplinary nature of corporate identity:

"Every organization has an identity. It articulates the corporate ethos, aims and values and presents a sense of individuality that can help to differentiate the organization within its competitive environment."

"When well-managed, corporate identity can be a powerful means of integrating the many disciplines and activities essential to an organization’s success. It can also provide the visual cohesion necessary to ensure that all corporate communications are coherent with each other and result in an image consistent with the organization’s ethos and character."

"By effectively managing its corporate identity an organization can build understanding and commitment among its diverse stakeholders. This can be manifested in an ability to attract and retain customers and employees, achieve strategic alliances, gain the support of financial markets and generate a sense of direction and purpose. Corporate identity is a strategic issue."

"Corporate identity differs from traditional brand marketing since it is concerned with all of an organization’s stakeholders and the multi-faceted way in which an organization communicates."

​why it is important

In the highly competitive arena within which Stellenbosch University has to operate, factors such as the need for consistent visibility and communication, as well as innovative measures to counter escalating media costs are becoming more important. A clearly defined and positive corporate identity is of vital importance for success and growth. Such a corporate identity, by making Stellenbosch University stand out among its competitors, leads to a positive attitude towards the institution, both nationally and internationally. It helps the University to attract teaching staff, students and administrative staff of the highest caliber, as well as commercial and industrial partners.

The danger lies in the assumption that we only communicate when we set out to, and the complacency that Stellenbosch University is well known. Our corporate image is much more than a common visual identity. It is a picture in the eyes of our various stakeholders, made up of jigsaw pieces ranging from visual elements to perceptions of campus culture, language issues, academic standards and service delivery experiences.

The objective of this Corporate Identity Guide is to establish a strong visual identity for the umbrella institution, which is to be applied with the required flexibility in recognition of its diversity. Flexibility should, however, not be mistaken for a laissez-faire application of the visual identity.

The use of corporate identity rather than reputation or image is not without significance. The word 'corporate' denotes an entity that is large and has many facets - something which 'reputation' or 'image' cannot do. It is an internationally recognised term that gives an immediate impression of a large and imposing organisation. That it is a term usually found in the commercial world does not detract from the nature of our organisation as an academic institution. The term corporate identity has the additional advantage of placing the University firmly among its commercial and industrial partners in the modern world

Corporate visual identity management involves the planned maintenance, assessment and development of a corporate visual identity as well as associated tools and support, anticipating developments both inside and outside the organization, and engaging employees in applying it, with the objective of contributing to employees' identification with and appreciation of the organization as well as recognition and appreciation among external stakeholders.

Special attention is paid to corporate identity in times of organizational change. Once a new corporate identity is implemented, attention to corporate identity related issues generally tends to decrease. However, corporate identity needs to be managed on a structural basis, to be internalized by the Efforts to manage the corporate visual identity will result in more consistency and the corporate visual identity management mix should include structural, cultural and strategic aspects. Guidelines, procedures and tools can be summarized as the structural aspects of managing the corporate visual identity.

However, as important as the structural aspects may be, they must be complemented by two other types of aspects. Among the cultural aspects of corporate visual identity management, socialization  i.e., formal and informal learning processes – turned out to influence the consistency of a corporate visual identity. Managers are important as a role model and they can clearly set an example. This implies that they need to be aware of the impact of their behavior, which has an effect on how employees behave. If managers pay attention to the way they convey the identity of their organization, including the use of a corporate visual identity, this will have a positive effect on the attention employees give to the corporate visual identity.

Further, it seems to be important that the organization communicates the strategic aspects of the corporate visual identity. Employees need to have knowledge of the corporate visual identity of their organization – not only the general reasons for using the corporate visual identity, such as its role in enhancing the visibility and recognizability of the organization, but also aspects of the story behind the corporate visual identity. The story should explain why the design fits the organization and what the design – in all of its elements – is intended to express employees and to harmonize with future organizational developments.