Managing Corporate Identity Programmes - Managing Corporate Identity Programmes.pdf · ‘Corporate identity is another name for an organisation’s personality, culture and purpose.

Managing CorporateIdentity Programmes

For Managers Commissioning Design Projects

DBA Guide Two2003

Copyright Design Business Association 2003

Contents

Contents

Managing Corporate Identity Programmes01 Introduction03 When do Corporate Identity Programmes Arise?05 Assembling the Project Team07 Appointing a Design Consultancy09 The Corporate Identity Process15 Setting and Maintaining Standards17 Sources of Help and Advice

This is one in a series of five guides prepared by the Design Business Associationfor managers involved in commissioning design projects.

Managing Corporate Identity Programmes should be read in conjunction with the firstguide in the series, ‘Choosing and Appointing a Design Consultancy’. It covers key issuesincluding: managing the use of external design resources; preparing an outline brief;assessing proposals; how design consultancies charge; agreeing terms of business;and copyright and intellectual property rights issues.

Other design management guides available in the series:Guide One – Choosing and Appointing a Design ConsultancyGuide Three – Managing Interior Design ProjectsGuide Four – Managing Packaging Design ProjectsGuide Five – Managing Product Design Projects

Introduction

Introduction

‘Corporate identity is another name for an organisation’s personality, culture andpurpose. It defines what the organisation stands for.’

Corporate identity is made manifest in the many different ways the organisation comesinto contact with the outside world, such as the quality of its products; the efficiency ofits offices and factories; the attitudes of its employees; its PR profile; and the tone ofits advertising.

Every organisation has a strong interest in controlling and managing its corporateidentity so that it can be developed as a corporate asset and a management tool.

It goes without saying that the visual expression of an organisation’s corporate identitymust reflect its ‘true’ identity. A dull and conservative organisation will not become livelyand innovative just by taking on a new visual identity. On the other hand, if an organisationis committed to change, and its management have taken the necessary steps to achievethis, a change of visual identity can be used deliberately to stimulate and express the realchanges that have taken place.

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When do Corporate Identity Programmes Arise?


‘Because images communicate more powerfully than words, design is one of themost effective ways of expressing or changing an organisation’s corporate identity.’

The need for a corporate identity programme arises at different times during anorganisation’s life, particularly at points of growth, development and change.Principle triggers are:

Launch of a new organisationIn order to establish itself quickly and effectively in the eyes of customers, competitors,employees and all other ‘audiences’, a new organisation needs to begin by developinga strong visual identity that can be readily recognised and will form the basis for all othercommunications activity.

Merger and acquisitionThe coming together of two or more organisations into one business will usually befollowed by the development of a single new identity to reflect and communicate the neworganisation. Where a business has diversified by acquiring a series of well-known brands,it may require a corporate identity programme to clarify how these relate to the overallexisting identity.

DiversificationOften, organisations begin life in one type of business then diversify as marketopportunities change and develop. This may result in the corporate identity becominginappropriate to the current business.

Re-launch or repositioningA new visual identity can be a powerful launching pad for the re-positioning or re-launchof an organisation. In the case of smaller organisations, where ‘the company is the brand’,the new visual identity may play a key role in re-positioning or re-launching the entireproduct offering.

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Changing corporate cultureSometimes, often as a result of new management, a series of changes are introduced toimprove corporate performance. Many of these will be concerned with management andorganisational structures, staff training and development, investment in new products, etc.Alongside this activity, a corporate identity programme may be initiated with the objectiveto reflect the newly invigorated business accurately and to stimulate and reinforce theintended change.

International developmentOrganisations with international ambitions may find their corporate identity is inappropriatefor expansion into foreign markets. This would be the case if the company’s name hadoverly nationalistic associations, was accidentally very similar to a key overseas competitoror, in the case of UK-originating organisations, would be difficult for non-Britons torecognise or understand.

For companies operating internationally, a powerful visual identity can overcome someof the problems of cultural and linguistic differences.

03

Assembling the Project Team

Assembling the Project Team

‘Major corporate identity programmes require a design consultancy that specialisesin this type of work.’

Choosing the right consultancyEven the smallest start-up-company should consider future implications whencommissioning its first letterhead. A poor or ill-considered company name, symbolor logo is not only a lost opportunity, it could also create negative impact and be costlyto undo. Great care should be taken when selecting a design consultancy. Look for aconsultancy with a successful track record in corporate identity work for organisationssimilar to your own in size, complexity and culture.

The role of other advisersA change in the corporate visual identity will affect all areas of your organisation’scommunications activity. This means that all your communications advisers, includingyour advertising agency and PR consultancy, need to know about the project as soonas it is conceived. Depending on how you use these outside advisers, they may beinvolved at key stages in the development of the new identity, to help plan itsimplementation and launch.

The in-house teamThe size, nature and complexity of the corporate identity programme will determine howit is managed. While final decisions on design direction and budget authorisation will betaken at board level, day to day management of the project will normally be delegatedelsewhere – probably to a senior person in the public affairs or corporate communicationsdepartment. This individual is likely to work on a formal (ie committee-based) or informalbasis with a range of other managers whose functions will be affected by the corporateidentity changes. These may include:– Marketing, since changes to the visual identity will usually need to reflect marketing

objectives and will be incorporated on packaging and promotional items– Advertising, which may be preparing a new campaign to incorporate the new

identity, and at the very least will need to ensure that the old advertisements work withthe new identity

– PR, which is likely to be involved in the launch of the new identity– Personnel, which may have a key role to play in the launch of the new identity to

your employees– Legal, which will need to run checks on new names, symbols or logotypes or other

aspects of the new designs to ensure they do not breach anyone else’s copyright orexisting trade or service mark registrations.

04

Appointing and Briefing a Design Consultancy


Setting the budgetTry to give the consultancy some indication of the budget available for the project.You may request the design consultancy’s input on this as part of their recommendationsfollowing the investigation stage.

The cost of a corporate identity programme breaks down into two main areas:– design consultancy fees– implementation costs.

Implementation costs will vary according to the speed at which it is decided to replace thenew identity. Costs can be minimised if the procedure is phased, with items being replacedas they become renewable.

The companion guide, ‘Choosing and appointing a design consultancy’ covers thisprocedure in some detail. It suggests that the client prepares an outline brief and asksshortlisted consultancies to respond with proposals incorporating a programme of work,from developing concepts through to implementation – together with a statement of feesand costs.

However, with corporate identity programmes the scope of the project is usually unknownuntil an investigation stage has been completed.

This means that consultancies’ initial proposals are likely to include a programme of workand fees for the investigation stage only. Proposals for further stages of work, includingimplementation, will be produced once the investigation stage is complete and the fullnature and extent of the programme is clear.

The exception to this might be the development of an identity for a small or neworganisation, where it may be possible to assess the scope of the project at the outset.This would enable the design consultancies to put forward proposals for the whole projectbefore the investigation stage.

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Developing the briefOnce a design consultancy has been appointed, you will need to spend time developingand refining the project brief. The sort of information the consultancy will need is as follows:– Why is the corporate identity programme being initiated? (see section ‘When do

corporate identity programmes arise?’ page 03)– Is your organisation’s existing corporate mission (or mission statement) and/or its

corporate strategy under review, and if so, have the new corporate strategy andobjectives been achieved?

– What do you hope to achieve through the corporate identity programme?– Is your organisation committed to changing the identity or will this depend on the

outcome of the investigatory stage?– Which elements of the corporate visual identity are to be included in the project?– What is the timescale for the programme… or is it open ended at this stage?– What budget is available for research, design and implementation?

In addition, the consultancy will need background information, such as:– A description of your organisation’s core business, now and in the future– Information about the corporate structure, including details of divisions, subsidiaries,

regional or overseas branches– Details of brands owned, both active and dormant– A description of the management structure and reporting hierarchy– Details of your organisation’s market position vis-à-vis main competitors– Essential financial information – market capitalisation, turnover, profits, etc– Profiles of key audiences including customers, suppliers, shareholders, media and

opinion formers, etc– Details of employees. As both a key audience for the new identity, and the principle

communicators of it, their commitment and support for the programme are essentialto its success.

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The Corporate Identity Process


Corporate identity programmes break down into the following stages:– Investigation– Development of the design brief– Generation of design concepts– Design development– Launch– Design implementation– Monitoring and development

In practice some of these stages will be combined.

InvestigationThe investigation stage enables the design consultancy to appreciate your organisation’sstrengths and weaknesses, to identify mismatches between the way your organisation isand the way it is perceived and to understand how the chosen corporate strategy is beinghelped or hindered by the current corporate identity. The consultancy must research andunderstand these issues before it can recommend the way forward for the corporateidentity.

The length and scope of the investigation stage will depend on:a) The size and complexity of the project

Are you a multi-national, multi-brand organisation, in the process of fundamentalchange, or a small one-product company looking for a brighter image?

b) The amount of investigatory work already undertaken.Design consultants will sometimes be called in after a period of intenseinvestigation by in-house staff and/or external management consultants. In thesecases a lot of data will already be available and the design consultants’ work canbegin further into the investigation than would normally be the case.

Taking these factors into account, the design consultancy’s investigation wouldnormally include:– A series of interviews with key people within your organisation. These will include

senior management whose views on the strengths and weaknesses of the company,and its ability to achieve its objectives might contrast with those of middlemanagement and staff

– Interviews with your organisation’s key external audiences, including suppliers,customers, the media and opinion formers

– A review of existing data about your organisation, its markets, and its competitors.This will come from internal sources and published information, ie trade & businesspress, market reports, stockbroker reports, etc

– A visual audit*, which is an investigation of the way your organisation’s visual identityis currently being applied (see page 08).

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*The visual audit will review the way the corporate visual identity is used for:– Stationary and forms– Corporate vehicles– Signs– Advertising– Packaging– Products– Point of sale material– Annual reports– Printed publicity material– Showrooms– Exhibitions– Factories– Office buildings (interior and exterior)– Corporate clothing

In some cases the investigation stage will include a tracking study which looks at audienceattitudes over time. As well as informing the project, this activity provides a benchmarkagainst which the success of the project can be measured at a later date.

At the end of the investigation stage, the consultants will prepare a report suggesting theway forward.

The design briefIf you accept the findings of the investigation and the design consultancy’srecommendations, the next step is for the consultancy to prepare a design brief which will:(a) Outline what needs to be done in terms of your organisation’s name or names,

including corporate, subsidiary and brand names(b) Suggest how existing visual identity and design schemes should be changed.

Sometimes a complete change is needed, in other cases very minor adaptationswill be appropriate, while others require something that relates to the old identitybut updates it for current circumstances.

Best practice tipResearch which aims to test whether design concepts are likely to achieve the requiredresponses is problematic, and results are hard to interpret and apply. If you want to do thiskind of research, do it with care and make sure your design consultancy is involved inframing the design and interpreting the results.

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Design conceptsOnce the design brief is agreed, the design consultancy can begin creating concepts.Design consultancies vary in the way they work. Some prefer to develop a series ofapproaches for informal discussion with the client team, then focus on one approachonly to present to the ultimate decision-makers.

Others like to present more than one approach, each of which meets the brief but hasa different set of merits.

You should discuss with the design consultancy the approach that best suits yourorganisation’s needs.

The presentation of concepts is usually the first time the decision-makers will have seenany design work. In order for the concept presentation to go smoothly it is important toprepare for the meeting:– Make sure those attending understand the project objectives, the outcome of the

investigation stage, and the design brief. This will help prevent purely subjectivereactions to the design work clouding judgement as to the relevance orappropriateness of the design concepts offered.

– Discuss with the design consultancy the standard of presentation appropriate for themeeting. Sketches will be acceptable to some managers, but not sufficient for others.However, bear in mind that highly finished presentations normally cost more toproduce.

– Always allow the design consultants to present their own work to the decision-makers. This gives them the opportunity to explain the thinking behind their approach,and to experience the response to it first hand.

– Don’t rush the concept presentation. Allow plenty of time for those being exposed tothe design process for the first time to ask questions, and understand the designer’slogic before taking a decision.

By the end of a concept presentation you should have a good grasp of the designer’sthinking and a broad-brush picture of how each concept would work in practice(assuming there is more than one concept).

At this point the design process can go one of three ways. First, approval may be givento take a single concept forward to design development.

Second, the consultancy may be asked to take more than one concept forward todevelopment, so that both approaches can be further assessed (or possibly researched)before a final decision is taken. Clearly, this will be more costly than fixing on one routeat this stage.

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Third, none of the concepts presented may be approved. If this happens, you need to beclear as to whether the designers met the brief functionally, but in a way which was foundaesthetically unappealing. If this is the case, you can ask them to do further work but theymay require additional fees since they have delivered a workable solution which has beenrejected on purely subjective grounds.

If you are presented with concepts that you believe do not meet the brief you shouldexplain where the design failed. If the consultancy accepts that you are right, you areentitled to ask for new and workable concepts within the original fee.

Design developmentDuring the design development stage, work will begin on the preparation of the newcorporate identity manual or guidelines, which will later be used to set and maintaincompany-wide standards for the implementation of the new identity.

This is the stage at which the chosen concept is worked up and applied to a wide rangeof items like stationary, brochures, vehicles, signs and other items as highly finishedmock-ups.

This enables all concerned to see the new identity (or identities, if there is still more thanone contender) ’in action’, prior to final choices being made and final approvals beinggiven. This is also the stage at which accurate implementation costs can be identifiedfor the different media to which the corporate identity will be applied.

Implementation planningImplementing a new identity is an excellent opportunity to review purchasing proceduresfor those items to which the identity is applied. Such a review often reveals substantialscope for rationalisation and cost saving.

Because a new corporate identity will be everywhere, its implementation needs carefulplanning – a process that needs to begin as early as possible in the programme. For thepurposes of the visual audit that the design consultants will have carried out in theinvestigation stage, the client project manager should have collated all the differentelements to which the corporate identity needs to be applied. He or she should nowwork out the order of priority for the application of the new identity to these items.

The introduction of a new identity can be either a total overnight changeover, or aphased introduction over a period of time – a number of years in some cases.

A phased introduction may allow items carrying the old identity to be phased out whenthey need replacing anyway – which will clearly be less expensive than scrapping thembefore the end of their normal life. On the other hand, the new identity may be a dramaticdeparture from the old, introduced to stimulate and communicate change. In this case,an overnight changeover may be an essential part of the strategy.

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A time and work schedule must be put in place so that all the relevant elements of theproject are completed at the required times. Normally a range of priority applications ofthe new identity is completed before its launch. The new identity is then applied to all otheritems in a planned programme. The client project manager responsible for planning andseeing through the implementation programme must have full support from the highestlevel in the company.

This implementation planning stage is a point at which there needs to be closeconsultation with all internal departments affected by the changes, as well as all outsidecommunications advisers.

LaunchThe launch of the new corporate identity should be in two phases – internal and external.The internal launch - to staff - should be done before the external, to gain employeecommitment. This must be done with care and sensitivity so that staff understand thereasons why the old identity has been changed, and appreciate and accept the thinkingbehind the new scheme. Failure to do this could have a powerful negative impact on theachievement of the programme’s objectives.

Depending on the size of the organisation, the staff launch may involve live presentations,group discussions, audio-visual and printed material, articles in the staff newsletter, and soon. The external launch will target customers, suppliers, agents and dealers, the media, thegeneral public and, for quoted companies, the City.A range of activities appropriate to each of these audiences may be undertaken, includingadvertising, PR, dealer meetings, presentations, etc. The design consultancy will be ableto advise on the content and organisation of the launch programme (alongside in-houseor external advisers on employee communications and corporate communications),and can produce or commission the materials needed for the various activities.

ImplementationOnce the launches have taken place, implementation can begin in earnest. The designconsultancy will prepare artwork and production drawings to enable the identity to bereproduced in the various forms required. The consultancy can also, if required, sourceand commission suppliers to print or manufacture the new stationary, corporate literature,signage, staff uniforms, etc.

If you have existing suppliers for these items, the consultancy must work closely with themto ensure that the identity appears in the finished items exactly as intended. If the designconsultancy is not able to supervise the production of its work in this way, there is a riskthat the integrity of the original design will not be carried through to the finished terms.

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EvaluationCorporate identity programmes are a major investment and to measure their effectiveness,evaluation should be an integral part of the process. However, evaluation is onlymeaningful if specific objectives for the new identity are set at the pre-programme stage.

Depending on the nature of the organisation and the objectives, post-programme researchmay include:– Employee attitude surveys– Customer attitude surveys– Analysis of press coverage (amount and content) pre and post change– Surveys of city opinion and comparison of pre and post stockbroker assessments– Surveys of supplier and dealer network attitudes pre and post change– Quantitative research into recognition or recall of the company name or identity– Analysis of cost saving achieved through rationalisation of items to which the identity

is applied

This type of research will cost a fraction of the overall programme budget, and theinformation gained will provide valuable lessons for the maintenance of the organisation’sidentity as a key corporate asset.

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Setting and Maintaining Standards


‘Once a programme is underway, there is no point at which identity managementcan relax.’

During the design development phase, an outline of the corporate identity manual will havebeen created. This sets out the elements of the identity and codifies how they should beused for all likely applications given the nature of your organisation’s business.

A strong corporate identity has the potential to create difference and add value.Distinctiveness is a key characteristic of successful organisations and good corporateidentity management can help to achieve this.

The manual needs to be distributed and used within your organisation and by any othersuppliers or other third parties (e.g. agents or dealer networks) that will apply the identity.A manager within your organisation should be given the responsibility for maintaining andmonitoring corporate identity standards. Depending on the size of your company, this mayor may not be a full time job. In smaller companies it will certainly have to be combinedwith another role. It often makes sense for this manager to be the same individual whohas already been involved as project manager for the identity programme and who hasoverseen its implementation.

The manager will need to develop systems and methods for monitoring the output of visualmaterial from the organisation’s various departments, and will need the authority to preventsubstandard material from being issued. As stressed earlier, this manager needs to haveaccess to and ongoing support from the highest level in your organisation in order to dothe job effectively. There will be occasions when priorities for the consistent application ofthe new identity will clash with the priorities of other departments within your organisation,and there will need to be a procedure for resolving these problems.

It is useful for this manager and any staff working with him/her to have some training in theapplication of the new identity, and how the corporate identity manual should be used toachieve consistency and maintain standards. This sort of training can best be organisedby the design consultancy.

The corporate identity manual is not the complete answer to the problem of maintainingconsistency and standards. It cannot anticipate and provide for every situation in whichthe identity will be applied. What is therefore important is that the manager in charge of theidentity develops a feel for what is or is not appropriate for the organisation in any particularcircumstance, and is available to advise colleagues in situations where there is any doubt.

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Another possibility is to involve the design consultancy that developed the original identityin the process of maintaining standards. This is becoming a more necessary requirementas the speed of business development and corporate change accelerates. A staticcorporate identity manual can be quickly outdated as subsidiaries are acquired anddisposed of, new business areas are entered and old ones abandoned. Ongoing advicefrom the design consultancy, perhaps with formalised audits taking place regularly, maybe the optimum solution.

Computer technology is making an impact here. Most design consultancies now havecomputer systems available for design and production, and can generate and maintaincorporate identity guidelines on computer for easy access and updating. They can alsowork directly with different managers within your organisation to produce specific itemshighly efficiently within the corporate identity system.

Best practice tipThe acquisition of desktop publishing capability within an organisation can lead to a hugedeterioration in corporate presentation standards. This can be overcome by involving adesign consultancy in preparing templates and guidelines for desktop publishers, allowinghigh quality results to be achieved at competitive costs.

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Sources of Help and Advice


The organisations listed below are invaluable sources of information and advice in thedesign sector:

Design Business Association (DBA)The DBA is the trade association for the UK design consultancy sector with around 300members, providing design services across all disciplines. The DBA exists to promoteeffective design; to encourage high standards of professional practice within the designconsultancy sector; and to provide useful services to members.

‘designSelect’ is the new on-line design referral service from the DBA. The service Is freeto members and provides design buyers with an expertly honed shortlist of appropriateconsultancies within minutes. Visit designSelect at www.dba.org.uk.

The DBA International Design Effectiveness Awards is the only awards scheme torecognise and reward design projects that have achieved outstanding commercialresults. For more information contact the DBA.

The Design Business Association35-39 Old StreetLondon EC1V 9HXT/ 020 7251 9229E/ [email protected]

Design CouncilThe Design Council works to help British industry understand the nature of good designand the positive effect it has on market performance.

Design Council34 Bow StreetLondon WC2E 7DLT/ 020 7420 5200

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Chartered Society of Designers (CSD)The CSD is the UK’s principal professional body for designers. In addition to its services formembers it can provide information for design buyers.

The Chartered Society of DesignersUnit 5Bermondsey ExchangeBermondsey StreetLondon SE1 3UWT/ 020 7357 8088

DTI‘The single market’ – DTI provides an authoritative and comprehensive range of informationon the single market. Contact Giles Holford Manager of Single Market Policy and Co-ordination on T/ 020 7215 4483.

‘Innovation’ – Future and Innovation Unit T/ 020 7215 6642 for information

Patent Office‘Patents, copyright and trademarks’ – The Patent Office (an executive agency of DTI) canadvise you on intellectual property rights, which protect design work created for products,packaging, interiors and trade or service marks T/ 0845 950 0505 for information.

Useful PublicationsInterbrand produce a range of publications covering Branding and Corporate Identity,for information call 020 7554 1000

The Wolff Olins Guide to Corporate Identity, London 1984Corporate Identity: W Olins, London, Thames & Hudson, 1989How to Buy Design: M Hancock, Design Council, 1992

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Managing Corporate Identity Programmes - Managing Corporate Identity Programmes.pdf · ‘Corporate identity is another name for an organisation’s personality, culture and purpose.

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