La gestión estratégica de la identidad visual en las organizaciones con mejor reputación / The strategic management of visual identity in organizations

Abstract

El presente artículo trata sobre la identidad visual corporativa de las empresas como técnica transversal de relaciones públicas. En primer lugar y a través de una revisión bibliográfica, tratamos de acotar y definir los conceptos usados tradicionalmente para referirse a los elementos de la identidad visual corporativa. A continuación, y mediante un análisis cualitativo, obtenemos datos sobre cómo gestionan estos recursos las empresas con mejor reputación corporativa, según el Monitor Empresarial de Reputación Corporativa Merco, 2018. Por último y a modo de discusión, proponemos algunas pautas para la gestión de la identificación visual gráfica en las empresas, en línea con su estrategia corporativa y con vistas a responder de forma óptima a las necesidades actuales de sus públicos.

Palabras claves: Relaciones públicas, marca, identidad visual corporativa, organizaciones

Abstract

This article addresses the corporate visual identity of companies as a transversal public relations technique. First of all, we carry out a literature review of studies that provide definitions and taxonomies of brands and the identifiers of the organization at a formal level. This lets us reflect on the very concept of brand as well as corporate image, corporate identity and visual identity.

Secondly, regarding the publics of an organization and more specifically the needs of said audiences with respect to the brand and identifiers, we highlight the lack of consensus regarding their classification. Only the field of public relations has shown a clear interest in identifying and creating a hierarchy of the publics that is functional and operational for research and professional praxis. This fact can be seen in the contributions of authors such as Bernays (1923) Marston (1963), Urzaiz (1971), Grunig and Hunt (1984), Villafañe (1993), Solano Fleta (1995), França (2004) and Xifra (2005), Matilla (2007-2009), Capriotti (2009) or Míguez González (2010).

Next, based on the classification proposed by Xifrá (2005) around external and internal audiences, we draw a framework of operational action of the publics focussing on corporate visual identity. Then, through a qualitative analysis, we conduct a study of the management of corporate visual identity on the corporate websites of the companies with the highest reputation in Spain. The sample is limited to the one hundred companies with the best reputation in Spain and their corporate websites, based on the ranking prepared by the Corporate Monitor of Corporate Reputation Merco from 2018. In the same way and through secondary sources and telephone consultations we investigate the existence of platforms created specifically for the internal and external management of the identity. The objective in both cases is to establish common practices in the treatment of this type of information and its possible correlation with the earlier theoretical expositions. To this end, an analysis template composed of twelve variables is introduced: Merco name and ranking, listed company, information about the brand or elements, business sector, location of the information, characteristics of the information and available resources, denominations used, availability, available file formats, existence of an identity management platform, access conditions and contact form with direct identity managers.

Finally and as a discussion, we propose some guidelines and improvements in the management of the corporate visual identification of companies, in line with their corporate strategy and with the intention of minimizing the risks in the management of corporate identifiers, catering to the needs of the different publics of the organization and ensuring the correct transmission of business values ​​through their identity.

Keywords: Public relations, brand, corporate visual identity, organizations