Introduction
Corporate identity is defined as the various elements within a corporation that make it stand out from the rest. These elements make the organization different because you cannot find another corporation that has similar features (Whetten 270). It is nearly impossible to find organizations with a similar identity. Deliberate attempts are often made by company managers and other strategists within organizations to give their corporation or organization its own identity. This paper aims to carry out a detailed evaluation of the corporate identity of Wormald company. The various areas that prominently and eloquently communicate the identity of an organization as big as Wormald will be examined. All the details that need attention will be investigated and the results discussed or explained.In carrying out this type of exercise, some tools will be required.Tools here refer to the various strategies that are employed in the detection and analysis of the various corporate identity evaluation frontiers.
Corporate Communication Activities and Tools
Introduction
Activities and tools for corporate communications refer to the various events and mechanisms that are utilized in the design and dispatch of messages or information from the corporation to either its internal environment or external realm. The internal environment mostly covers the employees of the corporation whereas the external realm refers to the general public, other corporations, and agencies such as schools, hospitals and governmental departments. Incorporate communications, a large number of tools as well as activities are employed (Baker & Balmer 320). Their level of effectiveness differs and the choice of a particular tool or activity must be guided by the level of efficiency and effectiveness.
Theory – Corporate Communication
Corporate communication is an important element in any corporation. The success of a corporation is tied to its ability to communicate in a manner that is effective and efficient. The sectors or departments in an organization that is charged with the responsibility to handle corporate communication include the public relations section, corporate social responsibility, which in some corporations is under public relations and brand management.The top leadership wing is equally involved in the corporate communication of an organization but their participation happens in a more infrequent and less structured manner.
There is a clear connection between company success and the effectiveness of its corporate communication strategy. Taking the brand to the market as a concept of brand management and a function of marketing is pegged on how communication takes place. This happens in such a big way that if corporate communications is a failure, then the company is a failure too. Whichever decision a corporation makes in its communications, two broad categories always emerge. The first category is called the product sales style. In this type of corporate communication strategy, the corporate body focuses mostly on the items it has in the market and their market impact. There is a lot of hype on product effectiveness and consumer preference for the company’s items. This is always meant to send a message of encouragement to the undecided customer to jump into the bandwagon and move with the rest.
The second category has some elements of products style but has more to do with the unique features of a corporation. The identity part may be concerned with location, branding, leadership, customer care or a unique promotion that is totally connected to that particular corporation.
Current activities and tools
Wormald deals with the production of firefighting equipment. Some of the products listed include fire extinguishers, breathing equipment, fire blankets, hose reels and cabinets, portable gas detectors, thermal imaging, portable area lighting, and safes. This is a general list of products that are produced by the company (Wormald) for purposes of dealing with fire. There is also a list of systems that Wormald has such as alarm and evacuation, sprinkler systems, foam systems, gaseous systems, and water mist systems. The company also has suppressions for kitchen fires as well as vehicle fire suppression systems. A quick analysis of the Wormald setup reveals that this is a company that makes extensive and intensive use of the identical style as opposed to the product style. But this does not mean that the product style is not employed. Wormald has taken the identity of a company that deals with fire safety. There is emphasis is on the products that it has on the market, their effectiveness and where they are already being used. The reason behind this too much emphasis on the identity is that it serves as a marketing tool and at the same time amplifies the identity side of the company. The idea is that when a consumer notices a product from the company, he or she immediately associates the company with the product and therefore makes the identity (Holtzhausen & Fourie 87).
There is a clear difference between an identity activity and a sales activity. An identity activity is geared towards the assigning a particular attribute to a given corporation. For example upon seeing all that the company or corporation deals with, you immediately give Wormald the identity of fire security and safety products manufacturing. Corporations that engage in identity activities do not engage in direct sales. This is the category where Wormald falls as it does not sell directly to consumers. A sales activity on the other hand has the intention of taking the available product to the consumer. The aim is to make buyers come for the product. This discussion takes us to another interesting area of corporations. This area involves identities and images (Van 437).
An image and an identity
An image can be described as the view of the corporation that is held by both the internal and external environments. It has more to do with perception. Identity on the other hand involves the distinct markers that make the corporation stand out from the rest.
Corporate Identity
Corporate identity deals with the features that make an organization be distinguishable from the rest. Most of the activities and tools that are used to project corporate are not found in any other corporation.
Theory – Corporate Identity
Corporate identity is the distinctive outlook that a company carves for itself (Smith 1).The way the public perceives an organization is dependents on features such as the uniforms worn by employees, the organizational logo and the brand. Slogans also fall into this category. These features assist the public in the formulation of a unique signature outlook that they assign to that particular organization, and it is not possible to transfer the same to another organization without losing the touch of originality that came with the first company.
Wormald’s corporate identity that is available on its website is: Wormald (Wormald 1). It seems to emphasize the fact that what Wormald handles is inextricably interwoven with life in such a way that life is never complete without it. Its logo is:
Table 2.1 Summary of Corporate Identity theory
The above table shows the function of brands, communication and logos as corporate identity features.
Current identity, activities and tools
Wormald’s Activities and Tools
Wormald international manufactures and supplies fire safety and suppression equipment. Its manufacturing plants are located in both urban, suburban and industrial areas in more than fifty countries. The central or principal location is in Australia. They have a company logo which is:
Corporate Image
The image of a corporation is the view that the members of the public have about that particular corporation.
Theory – Corporate Image
The image of a corporation is the view that the members of the public have about that particular corporation (Gregory&Wiechmann 2).
Current, image
The image of a corporation is the view that the members of the public have about that particular corporation. Perception is very important in this area (Dutton & Dukerich 534). Companies need to evaluate their image regularly so as to know whether they are perceived negatively or positively. This is because it affects sales of products of contraction of services. The focus is mainly on the thought pattern of the customer (Gregory&Wiechmann 2)
A sample survey on what my friends think about Wormald:
Interview Question: What do you think about the image of Wormald?
Responses:
The response from friend A is not a bad one, but it is not good either because it can lead to relaxation. Response from friend B is the best because it stirs hard work within the firm. These responses however had limitations given the fact that the interviewees had minimum access to the company resources.
A key point to note is that whether at the top of the leadership or front outlets, image is important. No place is trivial.
A valuable corporate identity should deliver a message that is easy to understand and easily sticks in the minds of consumers. It should also touch on the big picture outlook of the company with strong emphasis on what makes it stand out from other corporations (Balmer & Riel 347-349).
CSR program and Corporate Communications
A corporate social responsibility program spells out the role to be played by the organization in the lives of the people who live in the area where it is located. It is a way through which the corporation gives back to the society. In most cases, it takes the format of charity. It is a form of communication by the corporation to the outside community on what the corporation does (Fombrun 32).
Theory – CSR
Corporate social responsibility is the participation of the firm in societal events that benefit the larger community. There is no direct business benefit. It is mostly charity.
Table 1.1 Summary of CSR
Wormald participates in corporate social responsibility and clearly states that it benefits business since the communities that benefit from the company’s philanthropic ventures end up making good customers.
Communication program and Stakeholders
Stakeholders must participate in the corporate communications program. They can either be recipients of the communications such as shareholders or producers of the messages such as employees. Whatever their designation, they have to be engaged properly and effectively. This will contribute towards the proper running of the company and the consequent attainment of its objectives.
Identify relevant stakeholders
Wormald’s employees produce both the products for the market and the information for the shareholders and the customers. The shareholders are the people whose capital runs the corporation while the customers are the major component that keeps the company alive through their purchases of the company’s fire equipment.
Stakeholder and CSR consistency
Stakeholders must always be made to understand the value of being responsible to the society as a corporate body; since this has an impact on business. Wormald communicates this clearly through its communication channels.
Identity and CSR consistency
Wormald’s identity is in line with the corporate social responsibility that it undertakes. The company focuses on making communities safe.
Image and CSR consistency
The image of the company and the corporate social responsibility take different forms. They therefore exhibit inconsistencies. For example whereas the image is geared towards sharpening the edge for gain, corporate social responsibility is geared towards presenting the organization as a caring partner in society.
Communication Recommendations
For success in any corporation, there must be an explicit communication strategy. The major recommendation that I am making to Tyco international is that they need to be clearer on the corporate social responsibility activities they take part in since they are more general at the moment. This is true for any company.
Report Summary
Company Name: Wormald
Company Logo:
Products: Wormald produces equipment for handling fire. These items include fire extinguishers, fire blankets, breathing aids, and hose reels as well as cabinets and safes. The company also has fire suppression systems that comprise gaseous, form and mist systems.
The company does not sell directly to customers but makes the equipment available to middle-level dealers who take the form of retailers. It has a well-established presence in some countries in the world and the quality of its products has not been questioned. Wormald also participates in corporate social responsibility ventures as a way of giving back to the communities in which its plants are located. Proper interaction between and among the various stakeholders has enabled Wormald to remain in business and carry out its activities in a fairly clear manner. The various stakeholders include the shareholders or investors, the company employees, and the customers.
Lastly, since Wormald is not out to sell its products directly to consumers, it has an outlook that leans towards identity style. The target here is to bring out its identity as a producer of firefighting equipment.
Works cited
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