Corporate Identity

Owens Corning, the company that invented the glass fiber, also invented one of the world's most widely recognized corporate logo / tagline combinations. Its unmistakable red-and-white signature logo--the visual cornerstone of its corporate identity--reflects its continual growth through innovation. Its succinct yet highly descriptive "Innovations for Living" tagline completes the big picture, mirroring the company's most important attributes and core values in three words that tell the company's compelling story. In addition, few people will ever forget when back in 1980, Owens Corning introduced its new corporate mascot, the popular Pink Panther cartoon character with the goal of promoting its PINK Fiberglas insulation. In 1987, Owens Corning became the first company ever to trademark the name of a color, a move that captured and held the world's attention.

Every company--both large and small--needs to create a strong corporate identity that synthesizes the right visual elements and words to make a lasting impression and build brand recognition over time. Most importantly, the corporate logo and tagline must be thoughtfully crafted to convey the company's positioning, desired image and central values, while utilizing a very limited amount of space and words.

Creating a strong corporate identity is a critical first step for every new company on the road to realizing greater brand equity. Similarly, rethinking an existing corporate logo design or tagline can be an equally critical step for an established company that wants to update or revitalize its corporate identity. For example, to improve the standing of a tired, generic or even misunderstood brand image, the solution could be anything from a simple change of color or typeface to a total overhaul of a logo's design--or a new tagline that emphasizes a company's aspirations and promise versus its past accomplishments.

An effective tagline should tell a concise yet compelling story about a company. DuPont, for instance, developed the intriguing tagline "The miracles of science," which reflects its ongoing commitment to leveraging scientific discovery to develop materials such as Tyvec, house wrap and Teflon. In addition, the DuPont signature oval logo, which contains the DuPont name, is a symbol that instantly is recognized by millions of people. The logo's red color effectively reinforces the company's image of boldness in product innovation. Were the DuPont logo to appear in avocado green or sky blue versus red, however, its visual impact might be diminished and its meaning interpreted a little differently.

That is why, when creating and managing corporate identity, no company should find itself without a set of well-defined logo and tagline usage guidelines, also called a brand standards manual. Commonly available to employees, subsidiaries and even business partners, a brand standards manual helps ensure communication of a strong, consistent corporate identity that is quickly and easily recognized and that leaves a lasting impression.

While some companies prefer to work in-house on their corporate logos and taglines, many others opt to collaborate with experienced advertising/public relations agencies that can bring corporate identity experts including logo designers, artists, copywriters and marketing communications strategists, into the fold. A reputable agency will have the time, resources and knowledge base needed to help any company develop a unique corporate identity that genuinely reflects who they are, is memorable to the masses, has staying power and builds the brand recognition it needs to succeed long-term.