A corporate identity is not just a logo or a marketing gimmick, it is a visual representation of your brand position and, overtime, becomes a promise of performance and quality. It is imperative that your identity is instantly appealing, easily recognised and reflects the qualities and values at the heart of your brand.

Whatever we might say, people do judge books by their covers. An intelligent and professional corporate identity indicates an intelligent and professional company. This should not be underestimated, a good brand is dependent on a compelling corporate identity that builds positive messages wherever the brand interfaces with people.

We only have to look as far as the  BP rebranding exercise, moving British Petroleum to Beyond Petroleum. The famous green shield was replaced by a sunflower marque, a blatant and ultimately successful attempt to change people's perception of the brand. Whether this represents a sophisticated PR strategy or a genuine shift in company focus towards alternative energy is academic - the identity clearly articulates the desired brand position. Genius. 

The Process
Graphic design, colour theory, typographics, cultural awareness, functional requirements, trademarks etc. all have their part to play, but to deliver true success, a crystal clear understanding of the brand message is paramount. The creative process is, therefore, workshop based and inclusive. We don't disappear and come back a month later with several design directions to choose from, we involve the client at every stage of the process. A corporate re-brand is high risk, there are a lot cynical people out there - and quite often, for example in the case of the London 2012 Olympic logo, they're right! But a rebrand can also be of immeasurable benefit to people's perceptions of the brand, and it starts with internal communications. It is vital to have all key stakeholders involved in the process, buy-in and keeping in touch with those people that are going to represent the brand on a day-to-day basis is essential.

Workshop 1 - Brand understanding
By leveraging the knowledge of those who work with the brand on a day-to-day basis we can gain a crystal clear understanding of the brand positioning. The strongest brands leave no doubt as to what they stand for and this should be reflected in the logo and accompanying communication materials.

Workshop 2 - Criteria setting
By identifying a number of logos that truly resonate with the target audience we can build up an idea of the criteria we need to meet to create a logo that will work for a particular client. By identifying these criteria be it a shape, colour, message, feeling or size we can develop a logo, logotype or a simple marque based on a list of pre-determined objective criteria.

Workshop 3 - Design direction
Once we have agreed the set of criteria against which the new identity will be assessed we create a number of loose sketches to stimulate further discussion highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each. The output of this session is used to create the final design route. 

Workshop 4 - Refinement
A number of logo variations based on the final design direction are created, with minor differences in colour, shape and positioning - these are then tested with a sample audience (either internal, external or both) before the final logo is chosen.