Identity Basics: Identity System

Why should a Company’s Identity be Managed?

A company’s identity is one of its greatest assets, managing these assets is an essential responsibility. That responsibilty begins and ends in the corner office.

Every person and every company have an identity simply by existing. However, unlike a person, a company consists of many individuals, each of them with a distinct personality; every one contributing in a different capacity to the company. Without a collective awareness of the company’s identity, there will be varying opinions as to what the company stands for, and what its purpose should be.

Managing a company’s identity does not mean forcing an artificial uniformity, but rather defining the essence of the organization. That essence includes a company’s history, management style, markets, products, performance, and goals.

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An Identity System is a Tool to Manage Change

The proof of the saying that “nothing endures but change” is evident in the constant news of mergers, acquisitons, expansions, new company foundings, and the failing of others. The role of an identity system is to manage change which, in turn, may call for changes to the system. A company that has not defined its identity and has no identity system will be ill prepared to cope with change, especially if that change is forced upon the company by external forces.

Systematic Management through an Identity System

An identity system provides the means to control and coordinate what otherwise would be left to chance. It is all-encompassing in scope (brand management is a part of it) and, to be successful, it must be an integral part of a company's business plan, marketing strategies, and day-to-day operations.

The following statement defines an identity system in terms of its

1. components,
2. means,
3. content,
4. audiences and,
5. objectives.

An Identity System is

1. a planned and coordinated verbal and visual system
2. applied consistently and creatively to all means of communications
3. used to depict and describe a company's performance, products, and decisions
4. to internal and external audiences
5. with the ojective to portray a company's status and ambitions accurately and favorably.

The following chart illustrates the statement.