These are questions that all companies must focus on. These are questions that all companies must also answer as they are part of the two way communication program.
Identity
Identity is an intangible asset for every company. Identity differentiates a company from its rivals. Constituencies form perceptions based on a company’s identity. Identity must be chosen with care and also must send out a consistent message in all its products, logos, buildings, stationery, uniforms and all other tangible pieces of evidence created by the organization.
Identity helps to differentiate a company from its rivals. When people want to drink a soft drink, why would some people be inclined to buy Coca Cola and others to buy Pepsi? One reason is the Identity. People world over recognize Coca Cola by its bright red colored exterior. When they come across a soft-drink tin-can or a bottle or even a soft-drink hoarding which is red in color, they immediately think Coca Cola, they need not read or study the can, the bottle or the hoarding in detail to know that is a Coca Cola product or a Coca Cola ad.
Second, when they do buy Coca Cola in particular, they seldom address it as Coca Cola, but instead they ask for a bottle of “Coke”. Coke is now the identity of Coca Cola. Coca Cola has now registered Coke as one of its trademarks so that no other company uses it and people do not associate the word “Coke” with any other soft-drink other than Coca Cola itself.
A company’s identity also speaks of the company’s vision for the future. Hence when a company’s chooses a particular identity to be recognized and associated with, they must do so with care. Names and Logos should be chosen which is in line with the company’s vision. Given below are a few companies whose logos and also names speak volumes about the company’s vision.
Identity can be formed by a company’s logo. A logo represents what a company is. It is used to highlight the company’s strongest aspects. A logo is also a registered asset of a company, which helps it to differentiate from its competitors and gives the company its own unique identity and also helps form an Image in the minds of the public.
(Above information taken from the following link: http://www.corporate-identity-logo.com/Logo-competitors.aspxaspx )
One might think the arrow does nothing here. But it says that amazon.com has everything from a to z and it also represents the smile brought to the customer's face.
The SUN 
Microsystems logo is a wonderful example of symmetry and order. It was a brilliant observation that the letters u and n while arranged adjacent to each other look a lot like the letter S in a perpendicular direction. Spectacular
This logo is too good. For the name Eight, they have used a font in which each letter is a minor adaptation of the number 8
Eighty-20 is a small consulting company which does sophisticated financial modeling, as well as some solid database work. All their work is highly quantitative and relies on some serious computational power, and the logo is meant to convey it.
People first guess that 20% of the squares are darkened, but that turns out to be false after counting them. The trick is to view the dark squares as 1's and the light squares as 0's. Then the top line reads 1010000 and the bottom line reads 0010100, which represent 80 and 20 in binary.
Image
Image on the other hand is how various constituencies perceive the company. It is the reflection of a company’s identity. Different constituencies have different images about a company. Identity of company contributes to image as perceived by various constituencies. Sometimes these perceptions about a company are formed even before they interact with it based on what they have read about the industry or based on experiences of friends relatives and such with the company or its associates. The image of a company can also change after a personal interaction with the company and its associates.
My Experience
I feel Nokia is the best among all the cell phone manufacturers in the world. Many of my friends have different views about Nokia some even prefer other brands for various reasons. But my image about Nokia has been the same. I see Nokia to be user-friendly, a leader in the market and value for money product. Whenever I call the customer care number, their response has been immediate all the times. The customer care employees take all the information possible about me, my cell phone and the confusion or problem I am facing with the cell phone. They have also been successful every time in sorting the problem. Many a times I am also in need of extra details about my cell phone or another model from Nokia itself. The customer care executives have always given complete details and answered all my queries patiently even asked about the same thing repeatedly. This combination of all the above has formed a positive image in my mind about Nokia which is hard to change.
Nokia has also been successful in portraying a consistent and successful identity. People’s first think of Nokia and then other brands when buying a cell phone. When one thinks of Nseries, the only brand that is associated with it is Nokia. The successful combination of image and identity has given Nokia the Reputation that they achieved over the years.
Reputation
Reputation is built when a company successfully aligns Image and Identity. Reputation is different from image because it is built up over time and is not a simple perception at any given point of time. It is different from identity because it is involves both internal and external constituencies. Reputation is an important factor that companies must concentrate on. People are more inclined towards a company with a solid reputation than with a weak or low reputation. Companies with high reputation are hence awarded with high profits. Many of the world’s leading magazines conduct research and survey’s annually and come with results in their issues which rank companies based on their reputation. This again forms an image in the minds of the readers about the top companies. These results are also critical from a company’s point of view as this tells them the areas to work on to further build their reputation. Managers of reputed companies can charge higher or lower prices for their new products and they set the trend in industry for remaining companies. Companies with high reputation also attract the best talent. It also builds loyalty among customers. It also helps companies’ weather crisis more effectively. Companies with high reputation can have more latitude in times of crisis than companies with low reputation.
Companies and managers today are increasingly focusing their attention on Image, Identity and Reputation. They understand that identity is a way to communicate to the public. Identity is a part of image formation in the minds of people. It is also an integral part of reputation building program. Companies with strong and consistent identity generally have positive images among various constituencies. When companies can combine image and identity successfully, they also have a strong reputation.
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