Identity Basics: Definitions

What is Identity?

As defined by The American Heritage® Dictionary, Fourth Edition, identity is:

1. The collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitively recognizable or known: “If the broadcast group is the financial guts of the company, the news division is its public identity” (Bill Powell).
2. The set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group.
3. The quality or condition of being the same as something else.
4. The distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity; individuality.

Corporate Identity vs Corporate Brand

These days, the term “Corporate Identity” is no longer in vogue chiefly because it could be perceived as exclusive, applying only to “corporate”, as in corporate headquarters. The term “company identity” is better because it is inclusive, applying to all operations of a company and including a company's products and services. Lately, and in keeping with the increasing popularity of all things brand, the term “corporate brand” is used with increasing frequency.

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Company (corporate) Identity

Company Identity refers to the characteristics of a company; identity is synonymous with “personality“, with what a company “IS“, for example:

• what a company is known for (i.e., excellent customer service)
• what characterizes it (i.e., innovative products)
• how it conducts its business, (i.e., good place to work)

Collectively, these and many other attributes make up an organization's distinct personality or identity.

Brand is not Identity

The word “Brand” is not synonymous with identity, but rather with identification. Brand describes not what something IS but by what name it is known or, in a broader sense, how something is marked or how it can be identified.

Thus, a brand can be used to distinguish a product, service, and company from the competition by:

• a given name (trade name, trademark)
• an identifying symbol (“logo”)
• any words (slogans)
• any other device (shape, color scheme, etc.)

Although “brand” is the term du jour and mentioned frequently in instances when the terms identity or image would be more precise, it is used here in the fundamental sense of service or product brand, such as Kleenex® Brand tissues.

What then, is Image?

Image is synonymous with perception. A company’s identity shapes its image; image (perception) reflects identity (reality). One could say that image is the combined result of identity (what a company is) and the brand (what a company calls itself).