The fact of the matter is that when an organization has a clear idea about itself,
what its business is, what its priorities are, how it wants to conduct itself, how
it wants to be perceived, its identity falls fairly easily in place.
(Olins 1979, p. 60)The visual expression of brand identity becomes much easier if identity is also
embedded in a common corporate behavioural standard. Signs and symbols of
identity are merely myths, but they can become reality if they also act as catalysts
for change. They need to act as symbols both internally and externally of the
corporate identity of the organization. Hence corporate identity can not be
confined merely to the visual expression, it is also the way people who work in an
organization think, behave and work. The focus is still to ensure the right
expression outwards as opposed to the organizational identity, where the goal and
focus are to ensure the right behaviour, culture and expression inward.
The strategic school focuses on the central idea of the organization (mission,
vision and philosophy). The strategic school links the corporate strategy with brand
identity; how it can be expressed and communicated to ensure that it is reflected in
the corporate image and reputation. The strategic school of corporate identity
focuses on defining internal aspects of the corporate identity: who they are; what the
core competences are; and how these can be utilizedto ensure the right expression of
brand identity externally. The strategic school of corporate identity emphasizes that
behaviour to a greater extent than appearance determines corporate identity.
Corporate identity hence contributes to brand identity in two ways. First, it
ensures that input from strategic management – the vision and mission the corpo-
ration has for the brand – is implemented in the creation and management of brand
identity. Second, it ensures that the brand identity is represented visually through
management of product design, logo name and so on, encompassing all visual
representations of brand identity. Recently the acknowledgement of the impor-
tance of behaviour has been underpinned by research pointing out how difficult it
can be to translate managerial and strategic vision into brand identity. To ensure
that this process is done accurately, deep insight into organizational behaviour and
culture is needed. This is hence the next supporting theme of the identity approach.
Supporting theme: organizational identity (internal)
The second supporting theme of brand identity is organizational identity: it refers
to the behavioural and cultural aspects affecting brand identity. Key concepts are
organizational behaviour, culture and structure; these are all elements affecting
how organizational members perceive who they areand what they stand for as a
company or organization. The organizational identity provides a cognitive and
emotional foundation on which organizational members build attachment. It also
sets the scene for how employees create meaningful relationships with their
organization. Organizational culture is closely linked to employee commitment
and performance, which is why organizational identity is so pivotal for
consumers’ evaluation of brand identity.
The identity approach 57