a) Explain the notion of identity based views of the corporation
In the recent decades, the term of “corporate identity” has dragged the attention of scholars and practitioners in both academic and marketing world. Many research have been done to emphasis the significant of this perception. However, many questions have been raised why the idea of “identity” of the corporation became an appealing issue and what advantage if companies adopted this awareness to grow in the employees’ and stakeholders’ perception. First of all, we have to understand theirs identities and elements before turn them into action.
What is the definition of identities in terms of corporate identity? They have been defined in several perceptions since the early of this research. In the beginning of the studies, most of definitions were described in narrow view. One was defined by Andrew Lambert (1989), he stated that “corporate identity describes all those manifestations of an organisation that it enable it to be distinctive.” (Lambert, 1989) To make it easier to understand, he compared corporations as human which have different characteristics to differentiate them. However, more explanations have been described in broader meanings afterwards.
On the one hand, many literatures show that there are many social models have been created for use in explaining clearer (Otubanjo and Melewar, 2007). One of the examples is Balmer’s (2006) 6Cs (i.e. character, communications, constituencies, covenant, conceptualisations and culture). This model was formed in order to make a better understanding towards corporate identity. In other academics such as French, they also formed the method to reach a deep meaning of corporate identity from their school of thought. One of the literature from Otubanjo and Melewar (2007) quoted the definition of French scholars, Moingeon and Ramanantsoa (1997), that corporate identity is a “set of interdependent characteristics of the organisation that give it specificity, stability and coherence” (Otubanjo and Melewar, 2007).
Although understanding the meaning of corporate identity is difficult and complicate, we have to realize its entire element to make a clear point of view in many dimensions. In this paper, Balmer’s literature, commentary identity based view of the corporation,(2008) will be used as a guideline. First of all, for the typed of identities, as Balmer (2008) stated in the paper about the personalities of identities which were divided into six forms (i.e.individual identity, collective identity, juridical identity, national and ethnic identities, the double entendre and triple entendre of identification and identity and multiplicity) can distinguish each identity of every entity. It drew an outline of identities become more understandable. Later, going to the key point which is the corporate identity Quindrivium, the five approaches to identify and identification (Balmer, 2008), the identity concept can be clarified from this content. Bulmer explained that the corporate identity Quindrivium was divided into the following characteristics:
- Corporate identity
- Corporate identification
- Stakeholder identification
- Stakeholder culture identification
- Envisioned identities and identifications
These approaches were stated that they are the method to reach a clear understanding the notions of identity based views of the corporation.
1. Corporate identity
Corporate identity is the identities of corporation, the characteristics of the company which show the similarity and difference of them to the others. All those identities are enabling to create a uniqueness of the company. Its trails are included company’s activities, quality, marketplace, location, geographical scope, organisational type, structure, procedures and culture (Balmer, 2008).
On the one hand, it was amplify to the wider perspective, corporate identity has important and independent traits which affect apparently to the company such as having a self-determining capability and are vulnerable to being managed and moulded (Balmer, 2008). However, Balmer (2008) also stated that identities in this term can characterize from the relevance between other identities “not simply in terms of what we are but what we are not”. It has been said that history is another factor that shape corporate identity. Whether it is age or other characteristics of the firms are the historical materials that differentiate organisation’s identities (Blomback and Brunninge, 2009) as well as there are multiple identities in each organisation and in different companies’ life cycle the proposal that issue their identities are changed (Albert and Whetten, 1985).
2. Corporate identification
In this part, it mentioned the identification which receives from organisation. Balmer (2008) stated in his paper that outward bound symbolic communication is the significant factor to summarize and communicate the essence of the corporation (i.e. values, standards purpose and uniqueness). In the early year, the terms of corporate identity was explained that it relates to company’s logos and symbols as these were seen as “identifying” the organisation to third parties or stakeholders (Lippincott and Margulies, 1957 cited in Cornelissen and Elving, 2003). It is described as projecting “who you are, what you do and how to do it”. It demonstrates itself through products or services, through environments and communications (Lambert, 1989).
Moreover, it is regarding a relationship between behaviour and appearance on the reality and symbolism of the company toward society. It can be said that “whenever behaviour and appearance are linked, real corporate identity emerges” (Olins, 1978-79 cited in Balmer and Greyser, 2007, p.56). The terms of symbolic and communication are the core of this phase. Moreover, the idea of “ideal self” was claimed in Balmer (2008) paper that it could make the company’s strategies a risk from stick on the imagination and not take them into action.
3. Stakeholder identification
The stakeholders or stakeholder groups’ identifications with the corporation are the most essential in this term and those identifications were constructed from the perception of stakeholders towards organisation. Experience is also the key figure to form identity to every entity.
b) Why, or why not, does it have a utility to scholars and managers of corporate branding?
As the essential of identities has been stated in the previous part, it indicates that there are abundant of advantages that scholars and managers of corporate branding should adapt the crucial of corporate identity to their framework in order to develop their research or enterprises to meet the success.
For scholars, in the past several years, the importance of study in terms of corporate identity was ignored and devalued from the fact that it could enhance organisations to the better way. Moreover, the prior studies were confined this issue in narrowly perspective and in the similar circumstance (i.e. Western countries) (Balmer, 2008). To unlock or expand new vision would be the great opportunity to increase its acknowledgement and disquisition. On the one hand, the advantage of research is it would amend some defects of previous studies and motivate the study in more dimensions especially in corporate identities.
In terms of managers of corporate branding, it is essential to understand the identities of the corporation for the reason that a strong identity can help them align with the market, appeal investments, encourage employees in order to discriminate their products and services with the competitors (Melewar and Karaosmanoglu, 2006). Stuart cited in Balmer and Greyser, revealing the corporation (2007) about the importance of this aspect that “if the corporate identity is well managed, then the resulting corporate image will accurately reflect the values, beliefs and strategic direction of the company.” Those are all significant reasons to adopt the framework to the companies and clarify the whole perception towards their staffs and stakeholders. In this case, manager is the key figure who controls the clear point of view of which identities are suitable to identify the corporation. On the other hand, company’s identities are also the important factor in order to position company’s strategies. Moreover, the utilities of identities are too essential to be ignored. Various social activities whether they are wars, alliances or revolutions all having issues of identity at the core (Balmer, 2008).
Hence, after it can be seen that there are plenty of advantages in raising the notion of identities to all members of the brand. If the alignment successes, it will make the brand to be the star brand. In this case, we can think of the luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and why this brand still have a large space in the market share although the products’ price are remained going up until now (in this recession period) or there are various competitors in the same segment. All can be answered that is because of its strong brand identity.
However, before we can make the brand identity stronger, we should align the identity in same direction. Refer the framework of the AC2ID Test
the did not reach its core value. that it might not the expanding of study in corporate identities has changed the vision of many marketing scholars