Visual Identity: Promoting and Protecting the Public Face of an Organization

Brands, companies, and organizations, much like people, have personalities, and most of what we know and think about their personalities comes through visual identity. A visual identity is the strategically planned and purposeful presentation of the brand or organization in order to gain a positive image in the minds of the public, including - but not limited to - its name, logo, tagline, color palette and architecture, and even sounds. This practical guide explores visual identity from an organizational brand perspective (corporate, non-profit, etc.), rather than a product brand perspective. It not only helps readers to understand the meaning and value of an organization's visual identity, but also provides hands-on advice on how to promote and protect the identity. Each chapter draws from current research and also contains real-world examples and case studies that illustrate the key concepts.

Susan Westcott Alessandri is a member of the communication and journalism faculty at Suffolk University. Prior to joining Suffolk University, Dr. Alessandri was on the faculty of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.Dr. Alessandri holds a PhD in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research has been published in several books and journals, including Corporate Reputation Review, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Education Review of Business Communication, Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Journal of Advertising Education, and Journal of Employee Communication Management.