Brand Identity

The authors of the "Essential Elements for Brand Identity" Kevin Budelmann, Yang Kim and Curt Wozniak mention that identity is often (mistakenly) used interchangeably with logo, but an organisation's identity encompasses much more than its logo. The organisation's name is equally as important as the picture to represent it. Other elements, such as the colour of a company's mailing envelopes or the music customers hear while on hold on the telephone, are elements of the identity.

In the book "Logos: logo, identity, brand, culture" Conway Lloyd Morgan explains a brand identity as a visual statement of a company's role and function, a means of visual communication internally with its shareholders and employees and externally with its suppliers and customers. A corporate identity consists of the logo and name owned by a company together with the rules and guidance on how these are to be used, for example in printed material such as letterheads, catalogues and reports, in advertising, marketing and promotion, and on products and services.

A company's identity is something that has to be unique. It is based on a company's history, beliefs, philosophy and on the people who founded or are employed by the company. The designer interprets this and presents the company with a visual identity programme by which it can communicate its philosophy and services to its audience.

As Charlotte Rivers states in the "Identity: building brand through letterheads, logos and business cards" states, "A corporate identity is the visual statement of a company's role and function and is used to convey a sense of purpose and a set of values. Any company that has a name has to state that name in visual form at some stage. This is more or less unavoidable".