Image...
Has the world gone image mad? Labour have withdrawn their posters of the Tory leadership, firstly portrayed as flying pigs because it was deemed to be anti-Semitic, which i guess on reflection it might be although I am sure that the old adage was not considered so at the time. So we have to be careful when we are thinking in the future when someone says that they can move the world for us that the sky will turn pink and we run for out ponchos to keep off the huge amounts of brown stuff that might fall from the sky that the person we are thinking this about might take offence to it. It seems that today free speech is anything but free. We appear to be even more restricted in what we can say for to offend anyone is the greatest sin on the planet at the moment. The more that we feel we cannot offend the more we will restrict what we can say. To challenge anyone or any ones comments is strictly taboo. We are all allowed our own thoughts so long as we don't actually say them, just ask Rod Marsh who was sacked by Sky last week for a comment he made about the Tsunami, a comment that was in bad taste, but a comment that if it had been made by a comedian on stage would have been passed over and no comment would have been made, not so much because it was in bad taste but because it was far from funny. Now I am not standing up for the labour party or Mr Marsh but just using these to highlight how far we are being censored in our democratic country of free speech. But this is not just a British disease, this is something that effects a majority of the western world, the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese was last week condemned for her remarks over the teaching methods applied in the North, comments that she obviously thought needed to be said, OK she could have picked a better analogy than she did, but none the less the point she wanted to make was lost not because her thoughts were wrong but because she offended. Now isn't she allowed to speak her mind, she was a world leader who made a comment, a comment that to her was valid, something she won't do again. I wonder what would be said about Bob Geldoff if he was to come out with his famous 1985 comment at Live aid on BBC TV of give us your fucking money? the headlines I guess today would read "Geldoff in horrific 4 letter outburst" with a whole article about expletives on TV rather than the bigger issue of poverty in Africa. Has the world lost sight of its values?I think a fitting foot note to this would be the article that I have just written for a Dublin magazine, "Inside Business", just god forbid that anyone takes offence to it as its my censored version on free speech. How good is your image? Lets just hope we don't offend anyone with one of our images.
Today, more so than ever before, your business depends on its image. We are bombarded with images everyday, through television. the computer and advertising. It is these images that you are competing against. You might feel that you cannot put the resources that a large multinational company can invest in its corporate image and to an extent this is true, but in order to make a good first impression you need to invest in good corporate imagery.
Despite what you might have heard in the corporate sector, image is everything. In the past, what might have seemed like a saving in using a self prepared document to distribute amongst your clients will today not suffice. Now you need to show your company in the best possible light and failure to do this will only be false economy.
The next time you are looking through a sales catalogue, a magazine or a newspaper, pay attention. What is the first thing that springs to mind? Which images strike you? Which adverts prick your attention? Not so much because you are interested in that product or service but because it is aesthetically pleasing. If you remember an image then the designer has succeeded in their remit. Good design is the key, the use of strategically placed text and images that capture the imagination of the target audience.
Each company has different requirements as each one has a specific and unique selling point. Therefore, the same principles have to be applied to your corporate image. Make sure that your corporate image is consistent and not disjointed, make sure the design company you use makes good use of space, as white space is as important as any text. The photographs or illustrations that you use should not crowd the page, but let the design flow. Recommendations vary from the use of stock images or illustrations but the most important factor to keep in mind is: do you want to take the risk of seeing the images you have used on your design used in your competitors design? In some instances, such as a generic service like travel or freight, mobile phones and televisions, this might not be a cause for concern, but if you have your own product then one would recommend that you utilise good commercial product shots taken by a professional photographer rather than generic stock images.
To produce the right design for your company it is important to utilise the services of a professional team. Using a professional company is a major cost consideration, but like all business decisions if you want something that will promote your business, gain you a competitive advantage then you will need to invest in it. The level of investment and the professionals you employ is up to you, but remember your corporate Image is the public face of your company, it is as important as your sales force. So invest wisely on your corporate image don't leave it to chance.
by Ian Oliver - Letcombe (2005)
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