Corporate identity: The Reasons for change

Rochester Institute of Technology

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Thesis/Dissertation Collections

5-19-2005

Corporate identity: The Reasons for change

Kwiryun Kim

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Recommended Citation

Corporate

Identity: The Reasons for Change

A

thesis

submitted

to the

_Faculty

of

the

College

of

_Imaging

Arts

and

Sciences

in candidacy

for

the

degree

of

Master

of

Fine Arts

Kwiryun Kim

May

2005

Graduate MFA Graphic Design Program

School

of

Design

Chief Advisor

Associate Advisor

Associate Advisor

Chairperson

MFA Candidate

Bruce Ian Meader

Associate Professor

Graphic Design

Bruce Ian Meader

College of Imaging Arts

&

Sciences

School of Design

Rochester Institute ofTechnology

Lorrie Frear

Visiting Assistant Professor

Graphic Design

Lorrie Frear

College of Imaging Arts

&

Sciences

School of Des

ign

Rochester Institute ofTechnology

Philip R.Tyler, D.B.A.

Philip R. Tyler

Associate Professor

Marketing

College of Business

Rochester Institute ofTechnology

Patti Lachance

Patti Lachance

College of Imaging Arts & Sciences

School of Design

Rochester Institute ofTechnology

If

/II", ;2s9~

Date

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...:::::

Date

I, Kwiryun Kim. hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library of RIT

to reproduce my thesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction will not be for

commercial use or profit.

Kwiryun Kim

Kwiryun Kim

Graduate MFA Graphic Design

College of Imaging Arts & Sciences

School of Design

Rochester Institute ofTechnology

Table

of

Contents

Thesis Committee Members

3

Thesis Definition

4

Precedents

6

Research

9

Synthesis

13

Ideation

50

Intermediate Evaluation

58

Implementation

59

Dissemination

62

Retrospective Evaluation

65

Conclusion

66

Glossary

of

Terms

67

Bibliography

69

Appendices

Appendix

A

Thesis Development:

_Weekly

Review

71

Appendix B

Corporate

_Identity

Development Process

80

Appendix

C

Thesis

Show

Exhibition

81

Appendix

D

Final Application

83

Bruce Ian

Meader

Chief Advisor

Associate Professor

Graphic

Design

College

of

_Imaging

Arts

& Sciences

School

of

Design

Rochester Institute

of

_Technology

Lome

Frear

Associate Advisor

Visiting

Assistant Professor

Graphic

Design

College

of

_Imaging

Arts & Sciences

School

of

Design

Rochester Institute

of

_Technology

Philip

R.Tyler,

D.B.A. Associate

Advisor

Associate Professor

Marketing

College

of

Business

Thesis Definition

Problem Statement

Corporate

_Identity

plays asignificantrole

in

today's

society.

Corporate

_identity

communicates a company's

business

goals

to the

outside world.

To

do

this properly, the

company's

_identity

needs

to

evolve

constantly

so it can

continue

to

maintainan

_identity

consistent and appropriate with its changes as a

business. Sometimes

the

change

is

_necessary

and satisfies

needs,

but

other

times the

need

for

change is questionable and could result

in

unexpected confusion.

Unnecessary

changes can

lead

to

a reduction of

_identity

recognition,

often earned after

many

years

through

exposure.

Change

without adequate reason can also cause an alienation of

consumers,

and wasteresources

for

unsuccessful campaigns.

This

thesis

is an analysis of

the

_history

of corporate

_identity

change,

comparing

successful and

failed

solutions,

and

_{investigating}

what makes corporate

_identity

change successful.

Documentation

of

Need

This

designer

often

finds

_{herself emotionally}

attached

to

certain corporate

identities.

When done

effectively,

avisual

_identity

system

develops

its own

_personality

and

forms

a

_relationship

with

its

audience.

A

good example of

this

is

the

UPS

corporate

identity.

The

abrupt change was

_shocking

and

_bewildering

to this

designer because

the

rationale

for

the

change was not

_fully

explained.

Since

a corporate

_identity

needs

to

send an

important,

concise message as well as

form

an emotional connection with its

viewers,

understanding

the

process of corporate

_identity

change and

the

reasons

for

_doing

so

is

important

for both designers

and public audiences.

Understanding

therationale of corporate

_identity

change contributes

to the

design field

by

raising

awareness of

the

considerations and requirements

_before,

_during,

and after

an

_identity

change

has been implemented. The

negative

impact

caused

_by

abrupt

corporate

_identity

change can

be lessened

withthese suggestions.

Situation

Analysis

Major

_businesses,

such as

FortunelOO

companies,

acknowledge

the

importance

and

impact

ofan

_identity

change.

There

are a number ofstudieson

how

to

handle

corporate

identity

change

from

the

_marketing

point of view.

_Conducting

additionalresearch

specifically for

the

graphic

design

profession

_may

_help

further define

and

_clarify

the

identity

change process.

Studying

corporate

_identity

change

from

a

design

perspective

has its

own set of

obstacles,

suchas

issues

with

_surveying

viewer opinion

_during

the

design

process,

how

an audiencewill react

_{to the change,}

and

the

risk of

_{communicating}

Mission

and

Goals

This

research is

_being

done

to

answer

_existing

questionson

how

viewers

may

react

to

changes

in

corporate identity.

It

will alsocoverapproacheson

how

these

_identity

changes should

be

_handled;

the

process,

timing,

potential

obstacles,

and

final

results.

This

thesis

will

investigate

whata

_company

and

its

designers

need

to

know

when

_considering

a corporate

_identity

change.

Finally,

it

will propose an expanded approach

to

corporate

_identity

changeand

considerations

for

_doing

so.

Objectives

The final

thesis

will result

in

the

development

ofa prototype

for presenting

corporate

_identity

change.

The

proposed guidelines will

be

comprisedof

two

parts.

The first

part will

be

an

investigation

of significantcase studies

that

analyzecorporate

identity

change.

_They

will

be

examined

to

understand

the

reasons

for

change,

what makes change a success or a

failure,

and

the

sequence of changeover

time.

The

second part is

to

_help

the

graphic

design field become

more aware of

the

purpose

Prececdents

CBS Eye

Logo

Figure 1. 1

William Golden designed

the

CBS logo

in 1951. It

was

_originally

designed for

the

television

screen and

to

be

inmotion.

It

was a

_pioneering

approach,

because

usually

a

logo

or a

trademark

is

designed first

for

print

media,

such as a

letterhead

or a

_stationery

system,

and

then

_{only later}

adapted

for

other applications.

The

CBS

logo

is a

brilliant

exampleof symbol

design.

It

has

survived

the test

of

time,

and of

_{adaptation-color,}

line

treatments, backgrounds-without

losing

its

original

impact.

Over

the years, the

Eye

has been

seen in

_{many different}

colors,

sizes and

_dimensions;

however,

the

image

of

the

Eye

itself has

remained

the

network's signature

for

over

half

a century.

Golden's

work was influential in

the

design

world

_by

_increasing

the

role and

responsibility

of

the

designer

within

the

corporate world.

This

is

important for

this thesis

for

two

significantreasons:

the

Eye logo

isstill used after

_{existing for}

so

_long

ina

_rapidly

changing

world,

especially

in

the

_broadcasting

industry,

and

because it is

oneof

the

earliest examples of a corporate

_identity

developed for

a new

form

of media.

William Golden 1911-1959

William Goldenwas educatedin New York's Vocational School for Boys. In

_1937,

he joined CBS Radio Networkand

threeyearslaterwas appointedArtDirector. HemarrieddesignerCipe Pineles in1944and spentthepenod

_during

World War II inEurope

_{designing Army}

training

manuals.AfterthewarhereturnedtoCBSandin 1951 became Creative Directorof

_Advertising

andSales Promotion. Golden's best knowncreation wasCBS'scorporate

_identity

andthelogo"Eye."

HereceivedtheAIGAmedalin 1988. Hewas a pioneerincorporate

identity,

primarily

through_{his philosophy}of_{producing consistently}excellent graphiccommunicationand

_integrating

this

_harmoniously

withthecorporateimage.

New

UPS Logo

Figures 2.

1,

2.2

UPS

unveiled a new

logo

in March

_25,

2003.

Paul Rand's

1960

design

of a string-wrapped parcel

sitting

above

the

carrier's shield

is

gone,

replaced

_by

a

_larger,

sleeker emblem

designed

by

FutureBrand in New York. The

rationale

for

_embarking

on such a major redesign

initiative is based

on sound principles.

The decision

to

adopt a new

logo,

one

that

reflects

the

company's new capabilities across

the

entire

supply

chain seems

timely,

and

the

earlier much

beloved

logo

was over

40

years

old,

and

_only

represented

the

company's original

business,

which

is

express mail

_delivery

service.

Without

understanding

the

rationale

behind

the change,

viewers might

be easily

confused or

bewildered

by

the

change.

The

UPS

logo

change

is

useful

for

this thesis

because it

is

an example of a major company's

_identity

change,

and motivated research

to

explore

the

ideal way

to

present

the

rationale

for

changing to

a new

identity.

Figure

2.1

Old UPS Logo

g|

Designed

_by

Paul Rand 1914-1996

Paul Rand isone ofthemostinfluential designers in

Americangraphicdesignhistory. Paul Rand designeda_group

of corporateidentitiesfor important American institutions.

Many

of_them,thoughdecadesold,are stillinuse.

These include logos for

Westinghouse.UPS,

ABC,

Next

Computer,

Yale

University,

Cummins

Engine,

andtheubiquitousIBM.

Figure 2.2 New UPS Logo

Designed

_by

FutureBrand

[image:10.610.187.576.352.798.2]

Prececdents

Continued

Graphic Design Archive

of

Wallace Memorial

_Library

atRIT

Figure

3. 1

The Graphic Design

Archive in

the

Wallace

_Library

is an

invaluable

source

for

historical

case studies in

the

areasofcorporate identity.

It

provides accessto

the

corporate

_identity

manuals of

Lester

Beall

for

the

International Paper

_Company

and of

Paul

Rand

for

_IBM,

_NEXT

and

Westinghouse.

These

manuals

demonstrate

how

corporate

_identity

can

be

_flexibly

adapted

in

traditional

print

media,

such as collateral

materials and

advertising,

as well as

in

three-dimensional

applications such as product

packaging

and

_building

signage.

In

addition

to these resources,

theweb-based

Design

Archive Online

also provides

_learning

resources on

the

_history

of

design. It

offers an

interactive collection of

images

and

_{supporting documentation from}

Wallace Library's

Special

Collections,

making it

possible

to

access

_primary

resources

in design history.

The

Graphic

Design

Archive is

a great inspiration

for conducting in-depth

research

[image:11.610.186.422.657.819.2]

for

this thesis.

Step

1

_{Understanding}

the

Rationale

of

Corporate

_Identity

Change

Scope

Determining

the time

span

Determining

number of corporate

_identity

changes

Categorizing

industries

Researching

Fortune

100-500

companies

Robert Swinehart

HeteachesCommunication Design andInformationDesignatCarnegie MellonUniversity. He is Vice PresidentoftheInternational InstituteofInformation

Design,

alifetime

_honorary

member ofthe American Centerfor

Design,

a pastPresidentof

_GDEA,

and apast member ofthenationalboard oftheAIGA.

_B.FA.,

Kent State

University; M.FA.,

Northern Illinois

Research

Books,

periodicals,

websites:

Refer

to the

detailed information

on

_Bibliography

section

Conducting

interviews

with experts:

Robert

_Swinehart,

a professor at

Carnegie Mellon

_University,

has

done

extensive research

on corporate

_identity

andvirtual

_identity

systems.

_{After reviewing}

the

thesis

proposal

he

recommended a number of

_books;

"The brand

gap"

and

_"Designing

brand

identity."

He

also advised

_that,

to

manage

the

_thesis,

it

should not

be

too

broad

and that

it

is

_very

important

to

_keep

the topic

_focusing

on a

designer's

perspective.

Reviewing

other relevant

disciplines:

_Business,

marketing,

advertising

Step

2

_Making

the

Graphic Design Discipline

and

Business More Aware

of

the

Purpose

and

Rationale

of

Corporate

_Identity

Change

Analysis

Classifying

information

Degree

of change

Frequency

of change

Reason

for

change

Results

ofchange

Size

of

businesses

Conducting

case studieson each classified

_industry

Synthesis

Compare

andcontrast

different kinds

of

business

Successful

changeand

failed

change

Never

changed and often changed

Defining

effectiveness of change

Research

Continued

10

Step

3

_Proposing

a

New Approach

to

_Successfully

Present

the

Corporate

_Identity

Change

Evaluation

Establishing

apattern of success

Determining

what should

have happened

and

_{investigating}

what

has

yet

to

happen

Sorting

criteria

for

success

from Corporate

_Identity

Change

_history

Conclusion

Evaluating

different

environments

from

the

past

Forecasting

significance of new

technology's

impact

Identifying

suitable media and application possibilities

Defining

target

audience

_{group for}

the

application

Realizing

new value

to

design

and

business

Explanatory

Diagram

of

Thesis

o

ProblemDefinition

1.1 Scope

Determining

the timespan

How manycompanieschangetheiridentities? What kindsofbusinesses?

-Majorcompanies

Defining

"Majorcompanies" and researchrationale

Researching

Fortune 100-500companies

i.i Research

Books, Periodicals,Websites

Identifying

expertise

Finding

Experts

-contact interview

Other RelevantDisciplines

Cumentty/Recerrtfy

changedQ

Xerox,Kodak

contactthe_company

acquiringinformation

participationintheprocess

AcquiringInformation

t

Understanding

the

RationaleofCI Change

Synthesis

1.1 Analysis

Classifying

Information(Wurman'sHatracks

₎

Dyrates ofchange

by

levelsof change

by

reasonsforchange

by

resultsof change

by

size ofbusinesses

Organizing

Information inmost effective_way

u

Understanding

theGoal CriteriaofCIChange

Compare/Contrast

SuccessfulChangevsFailedChange I leverChangedvsOften Changed

Defining

Effectiveness

Investigating

thepositiveimpactthe

change madefromvanousperspectives

Evaluating

theResults

(ShannonandWeaver's

CommunicationModel)

Intermediate Evaluation

AwaringdieImportance ofReasonsfor Change

o

Implementation

?

?

FINAL APPLICATION

|i

-l

Evaluating

Reasonsfor

Successful CIChange

Establishing

aPatternofSuccess

(ShannonandWeaver'sCommunication Modeland other appopriate_theories)

Determiningwhat shouldhavehappened What hasyetto happen

Developing

aPrototypefor

Presenting

CI Change

Sorting

criteriaforsuccess

from CIchange

_history

Evaluating

differentenvironments

fromthepast

Identifying

surtaote media

Realizing

New Value

Forecasting

significance of newtechnology'simpact

RetrospectiveEvaluation

Proposing

aNew Approach to

_Successfully

Presentthe CI Change

Research Method

The

research process involves more

than

just

_gathering

a

_group

of

facts;

it requires a planned

process,

organizing

methods,

and

ideation

of solutions.

Forced Juxtaposition

was used

for arranging

proper case studies and

Wurman's Hatracks

was usedto gather and

_classify

information.

A

_survey

wasalsoused

to

understand

the

general viewers'

opinion on

the

individual

corporate

_identity

changes.

Forced

Juxtaposition

This

method

is

a useful tool

in

_{brainstorming}

in

that

it

encourages,

or

forces

theviewer

to

makeconnections

between

characteristics orattnbutes ofa subject.

_{By forcing}

and

exploring

these

relationshipspotential new

directions

are generated and a richer

final

solution

_may

result.

Wurman's

_Organizing

Hatracks

This

method isa useful problem-solving

tool that

reveals

information

and relationships

by

organizing

and

_reorganizing

facts

andobservations.

There

are

five

ways

to

organize

information:

alphabetically,

by

location,

time,

category

and magnitude.

Categorizing Industry

This

topic

_{is very}

broad,

so it is important

to

focus

on

the

most relevant

information

to

make

the

research more manageable.

To

_help

ideatepotential solutions

for

categorizing,

several

_{problem-solving tools}

mentioned above wereused.

By

reorganizing the

information

from

different

perspectives, newconclusionsor

interpretations

can occur.

_{This large quantity}

of information-allthe

businesses

with

corporate

_identity

changes-werecategorized

in 2

steps.

_Then,

the

appropriate examples

wereselected

from

each

_category

for

corporate

_identity

change.

1

st

_Step

20 Industries

Airlines

Automobiles

Broadcast

Chemical/Oil

Computer

Education

Electronics

Entertainment

Delivery

Retail Store

Fashion

Financial

Food/

Beverage

Government

Hospital

Magazine

Machine

Pulp/Paper

Pharmaceutical

Telecommunication

2nd

_Step

9

Industries

Food

& Beverage

Fast Food

Liquor/

Coffee

General Food

Goods

Pulp/Paper

Metals/Machine

Chemical/Oil/Gas

Hearth

Hospital

Pharmaceutical

Organizations

Education

Government

Media

Magazine

Broadcasting

Newspaper

Pop

Culture

Fashion

Entertainment

Sportswear

Services

Delivery

Financial

Retail

Store

Transportation

Airline

Automobile

Research

Continued

12

Classifying

Information

Reasons for

Change What

was

the

main reason

for

_making

a corporate

_identity

change?

Degrees

of

Change

How different is

the

new corporate

_identity

from

the

old one?

Frequency

of

Change How

often

does

corporate

_identity

change

take

place?

Results

of

Change

How

effective

is

the

corporate

_identity

change?

The

most appropriate and significant corporate

_identity

changes were chosen

based

on

these

categories

to

explorewhat makes a change successful orunsuccessful.

Using

Research Methods

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Classifying

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_by

Degree

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Change

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Four Reasons for

Corporate

_Identity

Change

Even

though the

reasons

may be

different,

the

ultimategoal

for

_identity

change is

thesame

_among

companies.

_They

are

_aspiring

to

lead

the

market,

gain market

share,

earn a good reputation and

have strong

recognition

among

consumers.

Merging

The

most common reason

for

identity

change is merging.

This

occurs when

two

ormore

companiesjoin

together

to

form

onecompany.

To

maketheviewer awareof

this change,

companies communicate

the

merger

through the

design

of a new corporateidentity.

Case

_Study

on

Merging:

BP

(British/

Beyond

Petroleum)

Citibank

Pharmacia

Expanding

As

a company's market grows

into

new

areas, their

current

_identity

_may

not

_effectively

representwho

_they

are.

To

continue

to

expresswhat

the company

stands

_for,

they

undergoa corporate

identity

change.

This helps

theviewer

become

_fully

aware ofall that

the company

offers.

Case

_Study

on

Expanding:

Amazon.com

FedEx

British

Airways

Revitalizing

When

acompany's

_identity

falls behind

the

times,

a

_revitalizing

change needs

to

be

made.

To

bring

life

back

into

the

company,

they

updatetheirappearance

through

acorporate

identity

change

This demands

attention

from

viewers again

due

to the

company's re-energized

image.

Case

Study

on

Revitalizing:

Burger

_King

John Deere

Nike

Integrating

This

occurs when a

company

lacks

visual

_consistency

_among

its

different

products,

services and

divisions.

To

eliminate

the

confusion

this causes, the company

changestheir

corporate

identity.

This

helps

the

viewer

become familiar

with each part of

the company

and realizethat

it

comes

from

one entity-the parentcompany.

Case

Study

on

Integrating

British Airways

Synthesis

Continued

14

Five Criteria

for

a

Successful Change

Brand

_Gap

Marty

Neumeier The book

is

abouthowtobridge thedifference between business strategyand visualdesign.

Designing

Brand

_Identity

Alina Wheeler

The bookprovides guidelines

for

_building

andmaintaining strong brands.

Truth,

Lies

&

Advertising

Jon Steel

The bookshowshowtogetinside

mindstodiscover

how

they

relatetocompanies and products.

To

make

the

corporate

_identity

change

successful, there

are certain criteria

that

must

be

met.

These

criteria are established

based

on

in-depth

research, interviews,

and critical

thinking.

_During

an

interview

with

Robert

_Swinehart,

a professorat

Carnegie

Mellon,

it was mentioned

that

_redesigning

a corporate

_{identity is}

not jut about

_making

visual

_differences;

it

is

also about

_delivering

a

different

message.

Other

reserach

_books;

The Brand

Gap,

Designing

Brand

_Identity,

and

_Truth,

Lies &

_Advertising

alsopoint out

the

importance

of

how

the

newcorporate

_identity

is presented.

The five

criteria

for

successfulchangewere

divided

into

two

stages

based

on

the

interviews

and case studies.

The first

stage

is

the

_designing

stage;

which involves market and

design

research,

holding

conferences,

and creative

_{problem-solving}

to

achieve

distinction,

interrelation, andinnovation.

The

second stage

is

the

_presenting

stage,

which occurs after

the

new corporate

_identity

is completed.

This

involves

_developing

strategies

for

_implementing

a new

indentity,

informing the

viewersabout

the change,

and

_deciding

what

kinds

of applicationswould

be

most suitable.

Designing

Stage

Distinction

Does

the

corporate

_identity

change

_help

the company

standout

from

the

previous

_identity

and

_among

its

competitors?

Interrelation

Does

thecorporate

_identity

change

have

influence andrepresentation

from

eacharea of

the

company?

Innovation

Does

thecorporate

_identity

change

creatively

set newstandards

for

the

market?

Presenting

Stage

Communication

Does

the

corporate

_identity

change

_effectively

statewhat

the

_{company does?}

Affection

15

Case

_Study

The

purpose of

the

case

_study

is

to

evaluate

the

effectiveness of corporate

_identity

change and explore

the

correlation

between

reason

for

change,

and success

or

failure.

Nine

corporate

_identity

changes were chosen

based

on

the

ninecategories of

_industries,

four

reasons of

change,

five

criteria

for

successful corporate

_identity

_change,

and

the

degree

or

_frequency

of change.

Chosen

Corporate

_Identity

Changes

Amazon.com

BP

British

Airways

Burger

_King

Citibank

FedEx

Intel

John

Deere

Nike

Evaluation

The

case

_study

providesa means

for evaluating

the

effectiveness of corporate

_identity

change

_using

the

five

criteria

for

a successful corporate

_identity

changeand three publishedresearch articles.

The

three

previous research papersarechosen

from

experts

in different disciplines.

If

these

research papers mention

_any

of

the

five

criteria

for

a successful

change,

onepoint

is

assigned

for

that

specific criterion.

For

example,

if

two

of

the

three papers statethat

BP's

corporate

_identity

change is

innovative, then

BP

receives

two

points

(represented

_by

dots)

for innovation.

During

the

presentation of

this

thesis,

the

general audience was asked

to

participate in

the

evaluation ofthe corporate

_identity

changes.

_They

were allowed

to

vote oneach

corporate

identity

changeand indicate

if

they

felt

the

change was

"successful,"

"no

significant

difference,"

or

"unsuccessful."

The

case

_study

evaluation results will

be

compared

to

thesevotes

to

see

how

the

generalaudience's opinion matchedwith

Synthesis Continued

16

General Viewer

Survey

To

conduct

the survey,

a

_voting

panel was

installed

_during

the thesis

_gallery

show.

The Graduate

Graphic

Design

thesis

show presents

the

processand progress of

the

students'

research.

_During

this thesis show,

voting

panels were

displayed

because

this

allowed viewers

to

express

their

opinionsabout

the

corporate

_identity

changes.

The

purpose of

_doing

this

_survey

is

to

compare

the

evaluation of

the

casestudies and

the

general public's reaction

to the

corporate

_identity

change.

The

question asked was:

Was

this

corporate

_identity

changesuccessful?

Please

rate each corporate

_identity

change

based

onyour opinion of

the

change.

Put

the

sticker

that

matches youropinion undereach corporate

_identity

section.

Your

responses will

be

used

to

further

evaluate

the

effectivenessof corporate

identity

change.

Successful

No

significant

difference

Not Successful

[image:19.610.37.591.494.772.2]

Voting

Result

Figure 4. 1

Voting

took

place overa

two

week

penod,

starting April 1

st and

_ending

on

April 15th.

Detailed voting

results will

be

explained

in

each section of

the

casestudies.

Wasthiscorporate_identitychangesuccessful?

Figure 4.1

Voting

Panel

W O

'"""'

m

^

r . ? . : * 1 * .

.

_*.

.

.

Study

17

[image:20.610.172.588.131.751.2]

BP

Figure 5. 1

Classified Information

Reason

Degree

Industry

_Frequency

Food & Beverage

_Revitalizing

Three Times

i

_B3M

_Integrating

_Medium

₂₀₀₀

Health

_^S^IS^I

Low

YearofSignificant Change

Organizations

_Expanding

Media

Pop

Culture

Services

Transportation

Technology

Evaluation

jr

?

?

/

,s

&

&

<y

^

<? 0

5P

f

Resources

1

_Tony

Spaeth

Sign Language

2

Rebecca

Barnes

Cool Brand

Leaders

3

Pat Matson

Knapp

Designing

Corporate

Identity

Landor Associates

Landor Associates

isan

internationally

recognized

_branding

and

design

consultancy.

_They

offer

amultidisciplinaryrange ofbrand

strategy,

design,

naming,interactive

andresearch services.

Figure 5. 1 Old/New Corporate

Identity

Old

Corporate

_Identity

New

Corporate

_Identity

Synthesis Case

_Study

1:

BP

18

BP's

Merging

The

1998

merger of

BP

and

Amoco

created one of

the

world's

largest

oiland

petrochemical groups.

_Also,

in

2000,

BP

introduced a

new,

unified globalcorporate

identity.

The

new

design

concept

is

captured

_by

the

phrase

'beyond

_petroleum',

_reflecting

thecompany's aspiration

to

meet

the

world's

future

_energy

needs.

(BP

News

Release,

1998)

Landor Associates

and

BP decided

to

retainthe name

BP

because it

stands

for

the

aspirations of

the

new

company;

better

people,

better

products,

beyond

petroleum.

Distinction

BP's famous

shield

logo

survived over

three

decades. In

the

1980s,

the

logo

_only

changedto an

italicized typeface, but

the

_big

mergernecessitated a whole new

identity.

BP's

distinctive

green-yellowcolorsurvived and

transformed

into a

_flowery

burst

of sun

and stands out

_{among its}

competitors.

"It's

dynamic,

it's bold

and

it's something

you

wouldn't expect

from

an oil

company."

(Pat Matson

Knapp,

P135)

Interrelation

BP

and

_{Amoco's merging}

created a

larger

_company

"BP

Amoco."

But Amoco has

not

appeared as a component

the

new corporate

identity.

Some Amoco

employeesjokedat

the time

"The Amoco

is

_(Tony

Speath, P24)

The group

chiefexecutive

John

Browne decided

that

_perpetuating

two

names would

be

a poor

foundation

for

a global

power

brand. At

the time

of

_{the merger,}

itwas not

_easy

for both

companies

to

collaborate

_equally

and make an agreement on

_big

decisions.

Innovation

The

newtrademarkofthesunburst shifted theparadigm of

how

the

petroleum

_industry

should appear.

The design

and

the

colors of

their

new corporate

_identity

are

distinguishable

and

innovative

while

_{sending the}

messageof

_{being "environmentally}

friendly."

Communication

BP's ongoing

commitmentto

_building

theirnewreputation asan

_{environmentally}

_friendly

oil

_company

involves

annual surveystomonitor

the

_{brand's impact externally}

onrelations with consumersand communities.

"BP's desire

to

translate the

newcorporate

_identity

concept

into

action

has had

visible results

_aligning

behavior,

activities and

(Alma

Wheeler,

P178)

Affection

The

new,

unified global corporate

identity

nowappears across all

_company

offices,

manufacturing

plants and retail service stationsall over

the

world.

The

bright

sunburstalso appearson

trucks,

gasstations and

T-shirts. Landor

Associates

has

explored animation and

has branded

sound.

"These

physical changes are supported

_by

a

behavioral

change within

the

(Pat Matson

Knapp,

P135)

Because

new

behavior follows

the

new

look,

Study

[image:22.610.29.593.270.819.2]

Voting

Result

Figure 6. 1

BP

received

125

"successful

change,"

16

"insignificant

change,'' and

23

"unsuccessful

change"

votes out of

164

votes.

BP

received one of

the

best

responses

from

the

audience out of

the

nine corporate

_identity

changes.

BP:

General Public's

Opinion

on

Corporate

_Identity

Change

125

16

23

Successful

No

significant

difference

Unsuccessful

Figure 6. 1

_Voting

Panel

e*e*

, ,.

1=9 O

"

^5

^~

c,r r-~Fed -,

a

m

&-#

:*:

.

- * % .,*.:... .?.

_*.

; . . . . . > . # % t * ** * .* m < -' . * *

\

#.

%

%/

. * *. _. .* .*. .. * ... , *** .*. * * * : . . * .

:

. '

*..

.. ?-.. . . '*. * .... * * * . # 1 _ * - * * 9 . * * ' , . * . ^ . * * * * " * '. ? * * ? , ' *

m m * .

'

*

* .

'

% w

f | ,

... *

'.

*

*.

_;

* .

'

Synthesis Case

_Study

7;

BP

20

Stationery

The

_Identity

system can

be

used

_{dynamically by}

_separating

the

BP

logotype

from

thesunburst.

Advertisement

/ Promotion

nevv^

/

Study

21

Signage/ Sculpture

Landor Associates

also

designed

metal signature and sculptures

for

thecompany's

headquarters.

Truck

Synthesis

Case

_Study

2:

British Airways

22

[image:25.610.109.583.112.747.2]

British Airways

Figure 7.1

Classified Information

Industry

Reason

Degree

_Frequency

Food &

Beverage

_Revitalizing

Three Times

Goods

WHBHsBI

Medium

1997

Health

Merging

Low

YearofSignificant Change

Organizations

_BBBBH

Media

Pop

Culture

Services

ESHRHBPHBSB

ligjM*Mse|iyME

Technology

Evaluation

$>

Jf

a?

j*

&

<r

s<^

JF

?

JF

Resources

1

_Wendy

Williams

Logo,

Letterheads,

Business Cards:

Design Profit

2

Rebecca Barnes

Cool Brand Leaders

3

Michael Johnson

Problem Solved

Interbrand

Newell

& Sorrell

Newell

& Sorrellwas

one of

Europe's

_leading

identity

anddesign

businesses,

workingwithdientsaroundthe

world.ItmergedwithInterbrand

in 1997tocreateInterbrand

Newell

&

Sorrell.

Figure 7.1 Old/New

Corporate

Identity

Old

Corporate

Identity

New Corporate

Identity

Study

British Airways

23

British

Airways'

Expandng

and

_Integrating

British Airways began

as a merger

in

the

1970s

between

British

Overseas Airways

Corporation

and

British European Airways.

In

the

_1970s,

British Airways

was well

known

through their

"We

_fly

the

Flag" slogan.

But

times

and perceptionchangedand

this

airline

needed

to

redefine

its

_identity

in a

_changing

world.

The

concept

behind

the

corporate

identity

change was

_"Flying

the

_World,

not

_Flying

the

Flag."

British Airways

became

the

largest

airline of

the

United

Kingdom. It is

also one ofthe

largest

airlines in

the

world.

During

the

_1990s,

British Airways

started

using

the

slogan

"The

World's

Favorite

Airline"

and

based

on

the slogan,

a new corporate

_identity

was

launched

in 1997

to

show

the

company

is

as

"caring"

as

it

has

ever

been

and

is

also"global."

Distinction

The

standard approach

to

a national airline

_{identity is}

to

link

_{it strongly}

with national

elements:

Alitalia

usesthe

green,

red and white colors of

the

Italian

_flag.

Air Canada

uses

a maple

_leaf,

KLM has

a crown motif

to

show prestige

for

the

Netherlands. The

new

corporate

_identity

of

British Airways

also

has

a similar color scheme

to

Britain's

traditional

red,

white and

blue

_flag

with softertypefaceand a new ribbon

logo.

But

one

distinctive

attribute

is

that the

airline and

Interbrand Newell

&

Sorell

took the

global concept and

applied

it

to

theirairplanes.

_They

did

this

_by

_{placing culturally influenced}

patterns called

'World

Images"

on

the

plane's

tailfin.

_Since,

the tailfin

is

the

mostvisible application

for

airlines,

painting

them

with

different

patterns

that

represent

the

plane's

destination,

was a uniqueapproach.

Interrelation

The

newcorporate

_identity

was

developed

after

2

yearsofcollaboration

between

the

company's

design

management

department

and

their

selected

_{design team, Interbrand}

Newell

&

Sorrel.

When British

Airways

presented

their

new corporate

identity,

they

made

it

aworldwide event.

_They

broadcasted

the

presentation of

their

new

_{identity to}

different

sections oftheir

_{company to}

126

locations in 63

countries around

the

world via satellite

business

television.

This

helped

tomake all

the

employees of

the

airline

feel like

_they

were a

_big

partof

this

event.

Innovation

The

newcorporate

identity

systemwas implemented with

_forty

different

tailfin

designs

that

had

patterns

representing

people around

the

world.

These designs

were also used on

business

cards, corporate publicationsand

documents.

"There

were

two

significant

problemswith thisproposal...

financial

fortunes

took

a

nose-dive;

and

there

was

the

recognition

(Johnson,

P147)The

new corporate

identity

approach was

"to

avoid

the

(Foges, Morgan,

P151)

but

this

radical approach at a

design

solution

lead

to

Synthesis Case

_Study

2:

British Airways

24

Communication

"World

Images"

was supposed

to

represent

the

specific

_{culture, nation,}

and people of

the

areas

to

which

British

Airways flies.

But,

the

images

that

Bntish

Airways

chose were controversial

from

the

_beginning

_among

passengers.

"It

was not an

_easy

_birth,

_costing

60m,

and

to

a somewhat

hostile

reception"

(11

_May,

2001

BBC News)

For

British

people,

it

was about

_losing

their pride,

and people

from

other nations were

bewildered

about

the

airline's subjective choice

for

the

patterns.

As

mentioned on

the

_BBC,

market research

found

that

British

customers-who make

_{up 40%}

oftheairline's

business-had

nottaken

to the

new

designs.

The

process and reasons

for choosing

the

designs for

the

different

countries was not explained

to the viewer,

which

led

to

confusion and

failure.

Affection

British

Airways'new corporate

_identity

resulted

in

a

"love/hate"

response.

"The

plan

backfired

and

the tailfins

became

a public relations

disaster,"

(11

_May,

2001

BBC

News)

with

the press, passengers, staff,

and even

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

turning

her fire

on

the

new corporate

identity.

The

redesign attemptsweretoosubjective

Study

British

Airways

Voting

Result

Figure 8. 1

British

Airways

received

41

"successful

change,"

64

"insignificant

change,"

and

31

"unsuccessful

change"

votes out of

136

votes.

Based

on

the

_voting

results,

the

logo

itself did

notmake a

_{strong impression}

on

its

viewers.

While

_interviewing

some

of

the voters,

it was

discovered

that

often

_they

did

not recognize

the

new ribbon

logo

was related

to the

"World

Images"

British Airways: General Public's Opinion

on

Corporate

Identity

Change

ll.

41

64

31

Successful

No

significant

difference

Unsuccessful

[image:28.610.38.587.285.826.2]

Synthesis Case

_Study

2:

British Airways

26

Tailfin: World

Image

Union

Flag

United Kingdom

Fbttery

England

Wood

_Carving

NorthAmenca

%

Painting

_Tj0%

Traditional

Painting

South WestEngland '^*&'' Japan

5V

Ceramic Panel

Germany

^i

Celtic

Calligraphy

Ireland

World Images

was a concept ofglobalism,ratherthannationalism.

Aircraft

Study

Burger

_King

27

Burger

_King

Figure

9. 1

Classified Information

Degree

Industry

Reason

_Frequency

Lamm

High

Three Times

Goods

_Integrating

_IBBL9

1999

Health

_Merging

Low

YearofSignificant Change

Organizations

_Expanding

Media

Pop

Culture

Services

Transportation

Technology

Evaluation

^

^4>

_^

_i&

Jv &"

is"

Resources

1

_Poppy

Evans

"

Fast-

_Food

Facelift"

HOW

April,

2000

2

_Emily

Schurubble-Potts

Designing

Brands:

Market Success

through

Graphic Distinction

3

Mark

Hewitt

Brands

and

_Branding

Sterling

Group

Sterling

isa

_leading,

independently-owned

_branding

consultancy

with officesin

New

York,

San

Franciscoand

London.They

alsohavean

[image:30.610.158.589.100.826.2]

affiliateofficein Singapore.

Figure 9. 1 Old/New Corporate

Identity

Synthesis Case

Study-Burger

_King

28

Burger King's

_Revitalizing

After

25

years,

Burger

_King

decided

to

update

its

corporate identity.

The

New

York-based

Sterling Group

was commisioned

to

do

an

_identity

redesign in

1999.

The

newcorporate

identity

wasimplementedin all

_{advertising, merchandising, packaging, uniforms,}

signage

and image

designs.

Distinction

Burger

King's

former

corporate

_identity

gained significant recognition and possessed

a

strong

concept,

which needed

to

be

preserved.

The

color

blue

joined

the traditional

red and yellowtogive

Burger King's

new

logo

more

depth

than the

former

design.

The

bun image

remained

because

it

had been

used as a

_strong

_{communicator,}

but

the

typography

was enlarged

beyond

the

bun

to

_"convey

the

idea of a

bigger

taste

and

bigger

Whopper."

(Schurubble-Potts,

P74)

It

was

_{"questionable"(Schurubble-Potts,}

R77)

whether a

bigger

type size,

more

color,

and enhanced graphic elements captured

the

"bigger

taste"

concept and communicated it

to the

viewers.

Interrelation

The

_Sterling

Group's

creative

team

wanted

to

"retain

theconcept ofthe

Burger

_King

name

framed

in a bun"

(Evans,

P42),

since

the

old

logo

was

"iconographic."

(Hewitt,

P 8)

But

the

company's request was a more significantchange.

Another

adjustment made

between

the

design

team

and

the

_company

resulted in

_adding

anextra graphic element.

This

additional element gave

the

logo

a

1950s

look.

The

creative

team

disagreed

withthis

_idea,

but Burger

_King

considered itto

be

a

better

approach

because

the

1950s

was an era new corporate

_identity

reflects

the

periodwhen

burgers

were

'bigger

and

tastier."

After

some

_difficulty

and

compromise.

Sterling's

creativeteam

eventually

presented

16

concepts.

Innovation

Burger

_King

introduceda

transparent

_bag

to

compliment

the

new package

design

and new

logo.

The

transparent

_bag

was

designed

sopeople could

easily

see what was

inside

without

_having

to

open

the

bag.

It

was a welcomed change

_by

_many

people,

but

it

"mysteriously

disappeared"(Fitch.com,

white paper) after a

_very

short run

because

Burger

King

Communication

The

newcorporate

_identity

was

based

ontheprevious

_design,

but

was revised

considerably.

The

typeface

was replaced and

enlarged;

sharperedges were

added,

and new colorand

dynamic

graphics were introduced.

_Fitch,

another

design

firm

that

worked with

Burger

_King,

designed

the

exteriorand interiorof

the

restaurantsto match

the

new corporate

_identity

system

_using

the

_{retro-feeling blue fin}

image.

The

viewers' reaction was

positive,

but

the

retro corporate

_identity

system, restaurants,

and packages

makethe

_company

look like

they

are

_"going

backwards

"(Evans,

P46)

Affection

With

the

newcorporate

_identity,

Burger

_King

redesigned

the

interior

to

follow

the

ordenng

process.

The

menu was redesigned

to

be

moreaccessible.

The

combination of

the

newcorporate

_identity

and

the

storemake-over enhanced

the

impact

of

the

new

design.

People

responded more

positively

and

felt better

about

the

new change.

The

new slogan

"Have

it

your

way"

followed

the

new corporate

_identity

systemto showserviceis

faster (store

design)

and

the

product

is

customized.

Fitch

Fitch isone oftheworld'sbest

known designcompanies.

The company develops

environmental

design,

products,

packaging,digitalmedia,brand

identity

andbrandexperiences.

Thereareinternationaldivisions in

Synthesis

Case

_Study

3:

Burger

_King

30

[image:33.610.32.583.288.825.2]

Voting

Results

Figure 10. 1

Burger

_King

received

52

"successful

change,"

32

"insignificant

change"

and

57

'unsuccessful

change"

votes out of

141.

The

evaluation and

the

voting

results were

similar,

and

voters'

response

to

Burger King's

_identity

change was not a positiveone.

Burger King: General Public's Opinion

on

Corporate

_Identity

Change

52

32

57

Successful

No

significant

difference

Unsuccessful

Figure 10. 1

_Voting

Panel

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Study

Burger

_King

31

Proposed

Design Solutions

For

most ofthe

initial

designs,

the

designers

experimented with

_typography

and

bun design

to carry theconcept of

"bigger

taste."

New Burger

_King

Restaurant

Synthesis

Case

_Study

3:

Burger

_King

32

Packaging

New

clear

bags

allowed customerstoseetheirorders.

Restaurant

Interior

Menus

with clear

images

areconvenientlyplacedthroughout the restaurant,

Study

FedEx

33

[image:36.610.159.591.121.625.2]

FedEx

Figure 11. 1

Classified Information

Industry

Reason

Degree

_Frequency

Food

&

_Beverag

_Revitalizing

Once

Goods

jWBBjaj

Medium

1994

Health

_Merging

Low

YearofSignificant Change

Organizations

Media

Pop

Culture

Transportation

Technology

Evaluation

^

;4>

_^

&

JF J> is

rfp

Resources

Figure 11.1 Old/New Corporate

Identity

1

@ Issue

"

Why

Federal Express

Became FedEx

"

2

Alina Wheeler

Designing

Brands

_Identity

3

Matt

_Haig

Brand

_Royalty

8

Express

Old Corporate

Identity

New

Corporate

Identity