Corporate visual identity : the communicational role of the brand name and the logo

Branding has become a very instrumental way for organizations to communicate to the customer in today’s competitive business environment. This means of communication has strategic advantages in creating association, values and differentiation for a corporation in the long run. The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of how corporate visual identity is developed in organizations. Corporate visual identity, consisting of the five elements of name, logo, typography, colour and slogan, is a reputable method of generating identification for an organization and through this communication a desired image can be established. However, due to time limitations and the magnitude of this research area, this study focuses on arguably the two most recognizable elements of corporate identity and the research questions engage in how the brand name and the logo can be described. A literature review was conducted based on the two research questions, which resulted in a conceptual framework that supported the data collection. A qualitative, single case study methodology was applied for this investigation, with the primary data collected from a focused telephone interview with the Information Manager of the Swedish company Polarbröd AB. The results indicate that the brand name’s association and meaning are of significant importance and that an unfamiliar brand name can operate in a foreign market when it has the advantage of appealing to customers. The findings also showed that the logo is considered to represent communicational investment, as its image takes a very long time to build and that maintaining recognition and familiarity is essential for an established logo.Validerat; 20101217 (root