Design & Corporate Identity Melike Demirbag Kaplan, PhD Associate 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 senses  Visual (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… o/corporate-identity-design-great- examples/ o/corporate-identity-design-great- examples/