Some useful info about starting your brand...

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The terms corporate identity, brand identity, and brand image are often interchanged, but are, in fact, distinct from one another.

• Corporate Identity is about internal activities that shape customer perception.
• Brand identity is how a company wants to be perceived by its audience / clients.
• Brand image is the outside perceptions held by consumers.

All three go hand in hand , but must be considered separately when building your brand. It all starts with a corporate identity.

Corporate identity is the activity a company undergoes in order to achieve a positive perception from its target audience. This obtained through corporate design, corporate communication, and corporate behavior.

Includes the design assets that make your company unique, things that stand out from your competition. A brand’s company identity design is visually reflected in its logo, name, style guide, slogan, colour palette, typography, uniforms, buildings, business cards, and corporate stationery. Maintaining the corporate identity or company/brand image can be managed by creating a brand guideline manual for employees / distributers to follow.

Corporate communication is how your business gives out information to employees, investors, and customers. This includes public relations, internal communications and image management.

A company’s corporate identity includes all the visual elements representing a company's overall “face.” These include:

• Company Logo
• Typeface
• Tagline or Slogan
• Imagery
• Colour Scheme
• Uniforms - branding of logo / colour / garment type
• And More
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Brand identity is how an organization wants to be perceived by its target audience. It is the message that your customers receive from the company brand. Maintaining this message is important for brand consistency so that your target market will always recognize your brand and keep their brand loyalty. 

Establishing a strong brand identity allows you stand out  from your competition and to establish loyalty among your business and its customers. Your brand is the company’s identity. This image will be portrayed to all employees and customers-therefore making it one of your company’s most valuable assets.

Brand image or corporate image is the perception held by its consumers or customers. It is the overall associations and beliefs your customers or potential customers have about your brand and, as an extension of your product or services. Corporate image is the overall impression that consumers have in their mind about your brand from a variety of different sources.

Brands that establish and maintain a respected corporate identity are rewarded with a corresponding positive effect on the company image and corporate reputation.

Companies that illustrate how important brand identities are, include Coca-Cola, which focuses on spontaneity and customer delight. What do these organizations have in common? They are brands millions of people know and trust.

A strong corporate visual identity adds tremendous value to your brand equity and can, in fact, be its strongest asset. Properly developed, a brand personality creates a bond between you and your customers, helps establish staying power, and ultimately sets the stage for all future customer interactions.