Corporate identity is the image used by a company which is designed to portray the company's identity, aims and objectives. Corporate identity is demonstrated by branding and trademarks. Corporate identities were initiated by the philosophy of the common ownership of organizations. This philosophy is manifested in a distinct corporate culture.

Forms of corporate identities

Corporate identities can be in the form of logos, trademarks, etc. subjected to proper designing. This includes the color palettes, page layouts, type faces and other such methods that identify the corporation in the market.

An example is McDonald's; its identity is recognized in the market whenever the logo is seen. The red and yellow colors are the main elements of this identity. Similarly, many companies spend a lot of money to make their identity just as distinctive and unique which enables them to stand in the market easily recognized.

Parts of corporate identity

Corporate identity has become an important tool for the promotion of corporate culture and companies. It is considered to be composed of the following parts:

• Corporate design (logos, uniforms)
• Corporate communications (advertisements, public relations, information, commercials)
• Corporate behavior (internal values)

Why do corporate identities work? Why does 3 stripes and a word make us want to trust a company to sell us shoes? The answer is because it is effectively marketed. The image is unique enough to know that it is Adidas, but not overly blatant or complex. The question, though, is what makes for a good and effective corporate identity?

First, it has to be recognizable enough to saturate a market. Something hard to make out, fuzzy, too long, unmemorable, ordinary, or too similar to other identities in that market just won’t do the trick. Here are a few things you should think of: is it legible? Can it be recognized from a little distance? Will it stand out on a page? Does it put forth the kind of image you want? Does it look good in black and white? (you might not always want to pay for color) Can you legally protect it? Is it simple? The more complicated it gets, the larger it will have to be to be recognizable. Your logo can find its way on to a box, or onto a letterhead, or maybe onto a billboard. Can it be seen and understood from all these perspectives?

Do you have a slogan for your product or brand name? How does it match up? Is it memorable, simple, expressive and does it carry the image you want to send? These are all parts of an effective corporate identity. And they very well might make or break your marketing strategy..