Brand identity and corporate identity are two important marketing tools and are often indistinguishable from each other but they vary from each other in multiple aspects. Corporate identity largely concerns the company’s visual appearance in the market and brand identity plays an integral part in it.
Brand Identity vs Corporate Identity
The main difference between brand identity and corporate identity is that the brand identity is used to distinguish a product or service from the rest whereas the corporate identity is mostly concerned with the perception of the entire company and not just the product.
A brand identity gives the product the personality and the face value to establish a long-lasting imprint on customers’ minds which enables them to buy that particular product.
The most important reason brand identity is important to a company is that a company gets recognition among the customers. The logo plays a very crucial role in implementing that identity for the company.
Corporate identity undertakes corporate identity exercises such as laying much emphasis on the logos, collaterals, and outlet design to change consumers’ perceptions about the quality and the services. Brand identity, on the other hand, is the proposal that the company makes to the consumers in terms of the benefits, quality, service, features, etc. This can be seen through the example mentioned as follows:
Comparison Table Between Brand Identity and Corporate Identity (in Tabular Form)
| Parameters of Comparison | Brand Identity | Corporate Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Comprises of the perception about the particular product or service that the company provides to the consumers | It is an overall perception of a company presented to the customers. |
| Aim | The main goal is to differentiate the product from the other products present in the market. | The sole aim of developing corporate identity is to engage a large number of customers in the varied products of their company |
| Target audience | Brand identity primarily targets just customers. | The target of corporate identity is on the customers, stakeholders, and shareholders |
| Duration of approach | Brand identity tends to change with the latest and ongoing trends across the globe | A corporate identity usually remains stable over a long period |
| Constituents | The main constituents here are the logos, key colors, graphic elements, etc | Corporate identity is visualized through the use of trademarks, product design, advertising, etc |
What is Brand Identity?
Brand identity is the perception of the particular product that the company provides to engage the maximum number of consumers. The basic objective of creating the brand identity is to distinguish one product from the other similar products in the consumerist society.
Brand identity is tangible and is basically what we see. The product is the main area of focus for the development of the brand identity.
Some of the key factors of brand identity are as follows:
- It is largely considered with publicizing a particular product in the market to encourage consumers to buy that particular service or product.
- Consumers play an effective and key role in being the people of concern.
It is a way in which the organization represents its particular product in the market to attract a large audience.
What is Corporate Identity?
Corporate identity is the visual appearance of the company in the market. Website designs, logo, advertising, etc play a key role in maintaining the corporate identity of the company on varied grounds. Corporate identity is the identity which the company wants the public to perceive about them.
Corporate identity is the perception of the entire company that the consumers eventually form and is not just based on the idea of particular products and services.
Some of the key factors of corporate identity are as follows:
- It is not just concerned with the promotion of just a single product in the market but to improve the entire perception of the company by using various propositions.
- Not only the customers, but stakeholders and shareholders play an equal role as the target audience.
- It is a way in which the organization presents itself to the public which includes customers, investors, etc.
Main Differences Between Brand Identity and Corporate Identity
- Corporate identity is the way the company presents itself to the public whereas brand identity is the way through which the company presents its particular product to the public.
- The target of the corporate identity is the customers, shareholders, and the stakeholders whereas brand identity engages just with the customers.
- Corporate identity remains stable for a considerable period whereas Brand identity has to change according to the trends.
- Corporate identity incorporates the overall messaging whereas brand identity is dependent on the narrow messaging.
- Advertising, public relations, trademarks, etc are the key elements of the corporate identity whereas logos, key colors, and graphic elements are the key elements of brand identity.
Conclusion
Brand identity and corporate identity are the two terms that are often used interchangeably but differ from each other in varied forms. Corporate identity is concerned with the presentation f the company as a whole among the public whereas brand identity deals with the presentation of the products and service among the public for consumption.
In the large consumerist society, the idea of corporate and brand identity becomes very important terms. The brand identity uses key elements like logos, color face up, etc whereas corporate identity consists of advertising, public relations, trademarks, etc.
The major concern of both the terms is to engage the substantial number of audiences to buy a particular product or service from varied companies.
References
- https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/19915/Abratt_Corporate%282012%29.pdf?sequence=1
- https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/mcb/007/2012/00000046/f0020007/art00011