Design & Corporate Identity

Melike Demirbag Kaplan, PhDAssociate Professor of Marketing

Differentiation

DIFFERENTIATION is the act of designing a set of meaningful differences to distinguish the company’s offering from competitors’ offerings.

- Kotler (1997)

How to differentiate?

The product represents a functional improvement on competing or substitute products

The retail-selling price is considered to be advantageous

The product and/or its labeling has an attractive design

The new product is properly branded, promoted and advertised

The new product is readily available to customers in the main retail shops

A number of after-sales services are provided that make the product appealing to consumers

Innovation, design & brand

Innovation - improvement of a product / process

Design - development of the ornamental features of a product

Brand - for marketing the product

Patents or Utility Models

Industrial Designs

Trademarks

Patent for the fountain pen that could store ink

Utility Model for the grip and pippette for injection of ink

Industrial Design: smart design with the grip in the shape of an arrow

Trademark: provided on the product and the packaging to distinguish it from other pens

Source: Japanese Patent Office

Design?

Consider the aesthetic, functional, ergonomic, economic and sociopolitical dimensions of both the design object and design process.

Purpose of design

Make your product appealing to consumers

Create a “niche” market Customize products in order to

target different customers (e.g. Swatch)

Develop the brand (e.g. Apple ’s « Think Different » strategy)

Design and senses

Appeal to five sensesVisual (see)Auditory (hear)Olfactory (smell)Gustatory (taste)Tactile (touch)

Sensual Appeals

All sensory appeals are important But vision comes first:

70% of our knowledge comes through seeing

The eyes are our windows to understand the world

So visual design is very critical

Corporate identity

is the "persona" of a corporation which is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives.

is usually visibly manifested by way of branding

Elements of corporate identity

Corporate design (logos, uniforms, corporate colors etc.)

Corporate communication (advertising, public relations, information, etc.)

Corporate behavior (internal values, norms, etc.)

Stationery and Administrative Material Letterheads + Envelopes – Standard

Personalized Monarch

Business Cards (Regular & Executive) Fax Cover Sheet Mailing Labels Large Envelopes Forms - e.g., Purchase Orders Bills / Invoices Checks Note Pads Visitor Badge Binders Presentation Slide Formats

Communications

PR / IR Communications News Release Press Kit Folder Stock Certificate Dividend Check Annual / Quarterly Report Signatures Institutional Ad Signatures

HR Communications Recruitment Material Formats / Signatures Benefit Booklet Format Employee Publication Mastheads Recruitment ad format

Others

Web Internet Intranet Extranet

Facilities Signs External Primary Signs (Monument or Bldg. Mounted) Entrance / Door Sign Exterior Directional Interior Directional

Others

Vehicles Cars Vans Trucks

Marketing / Sales Print Ad Signature Electronic Presentation Formats [Powerpoint etc.] Marcomm Signatures (Brochures, Direct Mail, etc.) Product Identification Product Literature Formats / Signatures Broadcast / Video Signature

Others

Identity Guidelines Graphic Standards manual, printed or Web-based Electronic Templates Logo Sheets and Color Chips Visual 'Voice' Brochure

Identity Introduction Launch Brochure Video Gifts Internal (Hats, Shirts, Ties, Pins, etc.) Gifts External (Lucite Blocks, Pens, etc.)

Identity should be consistent, Consistent, CONSISTENT!

IEU on Google images…

How should it be?

A corporate identity manual is needed to specify how the identity elements are used.

Standardization! Examples… http://www.djavupixel.com/design

/logo/corporate-identity-design-great-examples/