What do Nike, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola all have in common? If you said that they were well-known corporations that would be half true. All three of these corporations utilize corporate branding and have a recognizable image that the public knows without having to reveal the name of the company. Their corporate branding and image have been built with such strength that everyone knows what they sell. In business, this term is called corporate branding. In cyberspace it can spell dollars. It’s the consistent message that you market to the public and the emotional response or perception that people have when they think of your business. Successful corporate branding and image branding translates to customer loyalty, increased revenue and image marketing. Corporate branding and image branding should be consistently maintained and should stick in the consumers’ minds.  Often, consumers will remember the colors or the logo of a company - the image of the company. Corporate branding is the public relations of the business world. And there’s no better place for PR than the company’s website.

Building a Corporate Brand

Corporate branding and image branding are all around us. It’s in printing, logos and on the Internet. We cannot use a mouse pad or come across a refrigerator magnet without seeing a company’s image branded on the product. The purpose of image branding and corporate branding is to repetitively market your product or idea to the customer so that they recognize it instantly. More importantly, companies want that brand recognition to build revenue. Webmasters who own or run a website should approach image branding as a marketing tool and if an e-commerce website, a revenue generator. Deciding how strong an image brand for your site should be depends upon your objective for the website. If your website was designed to build and attract consumers, than image branding is a needed tool. On the other hand, if your website plans to draw visitors as an intermediary to a bigger website, than there’s no need to heavily invest in image branding. It’s easier to keep existing visitors than to attract new ones.

Corporate branding on a website is the most effective marketing of the company’s image. Image is everything. All aspects of the website need to be aligned to the corporate goals and expectations. Properly placed image branding generates new customers and presents consistent ideas through all mediums. A company that is known internationally needs to promote that corporate brand globally on a virtual plane. In image branding and corporate branding, a website is a huge asset. Websites provide value for the company through effective website management and the ultimate boost in image branding.

Image branding and corporate branding are vital to successful websites where visitors log on to spend their money! Image branding pays big. A bottle of water is just a bottle of water until a label or corporate brand like Evian is affixed to the bottle. Image branding combats competition in that it makes your company unique. Successful corporate branding takes time and money (marketing, website, advertising).

Branding vs. Slogan

Corporate branding and slogans go hand-in-hand. Slogans are important because their role is to briefly describe your corporate brand. From the webmaster’s point of view, the company’s slogan needs to be prominently displayed throughout the website. Slogans gel the corporate brand into the public’s memory and can be most effective if it is short and precise. In corporate branding, a consumer doesn’t want to guess or misconstrue the company’s image. If the slogan is great, it will not be forgotten by the consumer. A well designed website should draw visitors repeatedly and from the webmasters angle, the image brand that they see should be consistent. We have all frequented a website that has suddenly been ‘re-designed.’ That corporate brand should remain regardless of a new design concept.

Corporate slogans like “Just Do It”, “I’m Lovin’ It” and “Snap, Crackle, Pop” have been engrained into the human mind because of effective image branding via a variety of marketing efforts. Over the past 15 years, the Internet has propelled image branding into an overwhelmingly prominent presence for everyone to have access to. When a slogan is developed, webmasters have the duty of taking that corporate brand and image package and creating or improving the company’s e-commerce services and/or application development.

Logo Design and Image

Corporate branding combines a variety of elements including a logo. A well designed corporate logo is another way for the public to recognize your corporate brand and image on the Internet. A logo is the standalone, recognizable image of the company. It is the corporate brand image conveyed via design. There are a variety of design approaches, but what it should be is uniform in all of the company’s printed and virtual material - its corporate brand. Corporate logos can also include your company’s slogan or become a registered trademark like McDonald’s®. If the corporate image is altered, the colors and sizes should remain constant. The slogan ‘The Golden Arches’ is instantly recognizable without seeing the word McDonald’s.

A skilled webmaster has the ability to create a corporate logo, or they may work in conjunction with a graphic designer to create the image. If you have been assigned to design a logo and you’re stumped, think about what type business you are promoting. Brainstorm a bit about the desired corporate brand and image. Your corporate logo should compliment your business name that is memorable and easily recognizable.

Summary

Corporate branding and image branding are not just for high-profile companies. They translate to the Internet in the form of image and recognition. Building a corporate brand does not stop with the CEO. Webmasters are vital to the success of the company’s online image. Nike’s reputation as the leader in athletic footwear, apparel and equipment will not be damaged if someone you know has a bad experience with their recent purchase of sneakers. That is because its corporate brand has been established in the public’s mind in high regard. Webmasters often work in conjunction with web developers and web designers in creating the virtual image of the company. That image is supported by smart, suitable slogans, logos, corporate branding and image branding.