Corporate image of a company: What it is and its key elements

A picture is worth a thousand words, and this also applies to businesses. When thinking about a brand, its corporate image, logo, or defining colors often come to mind. Therefore, working on this image is necessary as it plays a fundamental role in capturing the audience’s attention and staying in their memory.

Corporate image, corporate identity, company image… These are communication-related concepts that can sometimes be difficult to differentiate. In this blog, we will help you stop getting lost among these terms and teach you how to build the corporate image of your digital business. Let’s get started!

What Is Corporate Image? 

The corporate image of a company is the public’s perception of a brand or business—in other words, the meaning it holds in society.

It is also the visual representation of a company. In an increasingly saturated and competitive market, creating an image that introduces the brand and catches attention at first glance is vital. That first impression is key to making a potential customer want to learn more about a brand and develop a positive perception.

Thus, the goal of corporate image is to create a graphical representation that differentiates the brand from the competition and positions it in the market.

Types of Corporate Image 

There are different types. Here’s an overview so you can choose the one that best fits your company, though it may change based on specific goals at any given time:

• Desired Corporate Image: This is the image a company aspires to have. It is built by answering the question: What do I want to convey about my company? It can focus on corporate values, vision, mission, or company history, among other aspects.
• Communicated Corporate Image: This refers to the image that is built and shared through a brand’s products and services. For example, highlighting the characteristics or advantages of a company’s product can contribute to this image.
• Perceived Corporate Image: This is how society and customers perceive the company.
• Internal Corporate Image: This refers to how the company sees itself, meaning how internal members, such as employees, perceive the company. That’s why internal identity and communication must be worked on—if employees have a positive image of the company internally, they will project it externally.

Corporate Image vs. Corporate Identity

The concept is often linked to corporate identity, but they have distinct differences:

• Corporate Image focuses on how the public perceives a company. Through elements such as the logo, colors, and typography, specific ideas are conveyed to the audience.
• Corporate Identity is what the company wants to communicate. This includes values, brand purpose, and the message the company intends to send, such as being innovative, passionate, or honest.

Why is Corporate Image important? 

A strong corporate image helps audiences identify with your brand, makes products and services more recognizable, and strengthens customer loyalty by creating an emotional connection. But that’s not all—there’s much more:

Differentiation

An attractive and easily recognizable corporate image can set your brand apart from the competition. Creating something unique and unseen before will open doors for your company, potentially positioning it as a reference in its industry.

Market Positioning

You need to answer the question: How do I want my brand to be perceived in the public’s mind? For example, a stationery e-commerce business might aim to be seen as offering original and high-quality products. This positioning can be reinforced through a well-crafted corporate image to secure a lasting place in consumers’ minds.

Trust and Credibility

A solid corporate image helps build trust with the target audience. It makes the company appear stable and reliable, which can lead to increased conversions and sales.

Enhancing Brand Value

A well-established corporate image that is perceived positively by the audience adds value to the brand. It’s important to go beyond just products and services—try to communicate the experience customers will have with them.

Key Elements of Corporate Image

Many elements define a company’s corporate image since even the smallest details can communicate something. From the logo, colors, and typography to office decor—every aspect matters. Below, we explore the most important ones:

Logo

The logo is the cornerstone. It is not just a design with a specific font; it must reflect and communicate who the company is. That’s why knowing your target audience and having a clear understanding of your company’s values, mission, and vision is essential.

When discussing logos, terms such as isotype, imagotype, or isologo often come up. Here’s what each one means:

• Logotype: A brand’s graphic representation using only words.
• Isotype: A symbol or icon that represents a brand without text.
• Imagotype: A combination of text and symbol, but both elements can stand alone.
• Isologo: A single integrated element where text and symbol cannot be separated.

What Makes a Good Logo?

To design a great logo, it’s important to understand the company’s personality. However, there are some general characteristics that can help guide the process:

• Simplicity: A simple logo is easier to recognize and remember. To achieve this, use a straightforward font and limit the color palette to no more than three colors to ensure good digital visibility in all parts of a website.
• Scalability: The logo will appear on various communication materials, from posters to social media. Therefore, it must be scalable—meaning it should be adaptable to different sizes without losing quality or recognizability.
• Uniqueness and Originality: Studying competitors can help you design a logo that distinguishes your brand and avoids confusion with others in the same industry. A unique logo is more likely to remain in users’ minds while staying consistent with the company’s communication strategy.
• Timelessness: While adapting to trends is good, they are temporary, and constant changes in logo design may weaken brand recognition. A safer bet is to create a timeless logo—often minimalist, with simple typography and a limited color palette.

Brand Colors

Corporate colors are another pillar. Colors have psychological meanings that influence how customers perceive a brand. Choosing the right ones can shape customer perception—black conveys luxury and elegance, blue represents trust, and yellow symbolizes energy and optimism.

A well-chosen brand color palette should include three to four complementary colors. It’s important to define their specific use—whether for logos, website titles, or secondary design elements.

Typography 

Choosing legible, attractive fonts available in multiple weights helps enhance corporate image. Selecting a font family based on usage is crucial, as different fonts work better for body text, headlines, or web content.

Using too many different fonts can create confusion, so it’s best to stick to one or two that contrast nicely.

Need Help Creating Your Company’s Corporate Image? At Redegal, we have a team of design professionals who can create the best corporate image for your company to stand out.  Shall we talk?