Corporate image: the importance of consistency
Published by Incomedia in Web marketing · Thursday 13 Jun 2019
A strong company identity helps to reinforce the image of a brand, product, or service in people's minds, and supports your marketing activities. In fact, since standing out in the market is essential, a corporate image makes a big difference in your efforts to do so. But what do we mean when we refer to corporate identity and why is it important to have a good, consistent image across all communications channels? Read this article to find out.
What is a corporate image?
When a company presents its identity consistently, it creates a positive and lasting impression of the company in people's minds. The value of a strong company identity is immeasurable: think about giants like Apple and Nike, for example. Today, these brands don't even need to use their names anymore: all we need to see is the apple or the swoosh symbol and we immediately associate them to their company. But like every company in the world, even these two examples once started from scratch. Over time, what helped set them apart was their ability to maintain strong relevance throughout all traditional and digital communications channels. And this is where a corporate image comes into play: the ability to come across coherently using communications elements that correlate with each other. This kind of consistency can be attained through the use of logos, colors, and typefaces on both offline communications channels (brochures, business cards, etc.) as well as online (website, blog, or online store). Basically, your company's corporate image is the key to identifying your activities on the market, where you have many competitors, and can be the critical factor for standing out.
A website corporate image for food businesses
As we've seen, a corporate image helps a company achieve its goals of standing out and being rememberd by its target audience. Consider, for example, a business in the food service sector. How can a bar, bakery, or restaurant stand out from the masses, while also maintaining consistency between its website, the menus on its tables, and its business cards?
- Logo.
The logo is the most visible part of the company's identity. A good logo represents your organization and differentiates it from the competition, offering you maximum visibility. It should be original, and have the same colors anywhere it's placed. The logo you placed on your menu must be the same as the logo on your website's homepage and every other communications platform.
- Colors.
If you've chosen specific colors for your business, these colors would ideally be reflected on your website. Using the same color palette is an easy way to create a corporate image. - Typeface (or font).
Using the same typeface across both offline and online text helps develop a sense of consistency for your brand. Choose your fonts and use them on all your digital or paper materials. - Images.
Your website should include real photographs of your company, which reflect the essence of your business. A photo of the tables, the storefront, details of your furnishings... Your website is your window to the digital world, meaning it should match the appearance of your real-world business.
Corporate image: advantages
In the minds of consumers, a strong company identity says that your brand is "here to stay." It's a sign of longevity, which affirms that you aim to become (or already are) a reliable leader in your field. A corporate image that works well shares the ideals, motivations, and goals behind your company: a deeper understanding of what your business is.
There are countless advantages of creating a strong corporate identity, here are the three most immediate ones:
- a unique visual identity for your company that's consistent and clear;
- your business is perceived as a professional, reliable, and up-to-date organization;
- immediate recognition, even across different media.
In conclusion, having a corporate image and unrolling it across all channels (from social media to your website, and even onto your restaurant's menu) can help you become more recognizable, allowing you to stand out from your competition and become a real "icon" for your audience. Ready to build a website for your food service business? Follow this link: start for free with WebSite X5!