A corporate identity program is not an isolated design task to address specific current problems or issues. Corporate identity is a long-term strategy to be integrated fully with a long-term business strategy.

The first step in developing a corporate identity program is to undertake a corporate identity audit. This audit should not be limited to a functional audit of corporate design, communications and the corporate personality; it should also assess the quality of the relationship the organisation currently enjoys with its target groups.

Your Corporate Image has to be developed on the basis of the current image and the results of the internal audit, but must also be aligned with the Company Mission and Business Plans.

Companies need to manage their image over time. An image should change as the organisation grows and moves through each stage of development.

The corporate image is the perception of who the organisation is. This perception is influenced by the corporate identity: the ‘real’ organisation, the way the company actually exists or ‘is’.