As you work on developing your corporate image, you need to be looking ahead. Don’t just focus on developing an image that reflects the business as it is now. Think ahead to where you want to be in three or four years’ time. Make that the target of your image development. Start to project the image of the firm that you want to become, and then grow into it.
Of course, the image you project has to be honest! Don’t pretend to be something that you’re not. You will be rumbled, and you may never recover the ground. But equally, don’t stand still. Be ambitious. Develop a clear idea about your business direction, what kind of business you are seeking to become — and then use your corporate image development as a tool to help you become that kind of firm.
Remember to work for consistency across all your different forms of communication: vehicles and site-hoardings as well as logo and brochures. Match up your office décor and your website, so that visitors know who they’re dealing with. Make sure any press coverage and customer events, invoices and letterheads are all working together to communicate who you are.
