Organizational identity

The analysis of organizations’ identity past and present

How has organizational identity changed in the last decade and what does it look like

today?

Organizational identity usually is portrayed as that which is core, distinctive and enduring about

the character of an organization. Over the last decade you can see various changes in

organizations. Let’s take a look at how Star Bucks has changed in the last forty years and how

they changed their image with the changing times of our society today. Below you will find a

link that will allow us to hear how CEO Howard Schultz discusses the revolution of Star Bucks

brand.

Let’s take a minute to hear how Star Buck CEO thinks about the changing times.

http://bcove.me/nipr3keh

Organizational identity is based off of four different main things. The first is member recognition

flow self structuring flow, activity coordination flow and institutional positional flow. Each one

of these flows contributes to the success of how an organization thrives in today’s time. The

process of communication is one of the most important aspects of an organizations success.

Without effective communication it could be very damaging to an organizations image as well as

success in the future.

When you look at the pictures of Star Bucks you can see that in order to increase the business

flow as the decades went by they had to come together and think of strategies that would still

attract customers to their store. The biggest thing that is indicating organizational identify is the

changes made to the logo in order to make it more noticeable and defined. Then they also added

color to their store which made it look more appealing to the public.

Then, 1971 Now , 2014

What is the importance of an image and brand for organizations today?

Consumers don’t buy products because of what they are anymore. There are thousands of

products that are essentially the same. People buy things because of the “why” factor. Successful

organizations sell products based on why someone should buy their product. Consumers wants to

know why should they care? What will this product essentially do for them? The image and

brand are two huge selling points. Those elements are what separates products.

A brand is attributes that people associate with an organization. These attributes can make or

break a company. One image can some up an organization’s values, beliefs, and that gives

meaning to the product. That makes it stand out. It makes it come to life and during a time where

consumerism is at one of its highest points, that is exactly what people need. Companies need an

identity because honestly, there are just too many to choose from.

A company’s logo, social media, website, business card, amongst numerous other areas can be a

company’s brand/image. For example, below are some of the top, most well-known images for

organizations. Multiple companies have hidden images in their logo that imply something that

makes them stand out or a simple belief.

There are a few specific companies that showcase some hidden meanings in their logo. For

example the Amazon logo has a yellow swoosh that travels from the letter “A” to the letter “Z”

which implies that they have everything available from A to Z.

Another company that played well with images was Baskin Robbins. If one looks closely, the

pink lines in the “B” and “R” are actually the numbers “3” and “1”. It is supposed to come off as

“31” because Baskin Robbins has 31 uniquely classic flavors always available.

Here is a link below to further explore some hidden meanings in companies’ images:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzEcnXN5Ago

These brands can be more known than the product themselves. Movements and reason are what

drive people. That is why consumers are going promote something. They want to be a part of a

change. The Ted Talk that was recently viewed by my class explains this exact thought process.

He shows the difference in ideas that seem almost the same. Two products that go hand and

hand. What makes them different though? Why was one company more successful? It is because

of the way they branded themselves. They gave a reason why people wanted theirs over any

other product. The entire Ted Talk is discussing leadership skills and ways to stand out, but that

connects so heavily with branding. Organizations need to become leaders with their products.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

Another way to showcase a brand and what an organization believes in is through social media.

This is a fast paced society and news on social media can spread like rapid fire. Successful

companies use social media to their advantage. They advance their product with constant photos

and updates of what is new. For example, Google Maps constantly tweets photos of what the app

is capable of such as areas to explore or even advice of how to survive the holidays in a timelier

manner.

GOOGLE MAPS IMAGES

What are some best practices for consumer engagement and brand/community building for

organizations today?

The way organizations and corporations are approaching and communicating with its target

market have drastically changed over the last 5-7 years. It was 2008 when I showed my friends

in school Facebook. Barely anyone was using it in Germany at that time and all of the sudden it

exploded over night. About the same time twitter must have become gigantic around the world

and only a few years later Instgram became one of the most famous social media platforms.

People started sharing their life 24/7 and instantly, almost like live scores for football games.

Corporate America and organizations around the world, weren´t waiting long to jump on that

bandwagon. Because this steadily growing online community was their number one target

market. Us, generation-y is going to be the biggest population on earth with the most disposable

income in the future. Therefor it’s an organizations number one goal to secure us as loyal

customers now, so we spend our hard earned money with them later. In a time where we can

pause the TV for commercials, or flip to another channel during commercial breaks it is very

hard to get our attention and especially because we don ´t like to be marketed and talked to

directly, in our face like, they found a way to interact with us exactly where we are. Through

social media. Every organization or brand has a social media presence. Its cost effective, its

quick, it’s convenient, but most importantly its where we are. It’s the place our generation is

assembling their lives around.

When President Barack Obama and his administration tried to make the affordable health care

act more famous in the spring of 2014 he went on the YouTube show “Between Two Ferns” with

Hollywood actor Zach Galifianakis. In a very humorous way the President and Galifianakis went

at it each other, before Obama started to promote his affordable health care act to younger

people. He was blasted for it by the right-wing media, but this was genius. He found a way to

communicate with generation-y on a level they would have access to the message, comprehend it

and most important accept it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnW3xkHxIEQ

Another important part of today´s consumer engagement is that most corporations target market

(generation-y) does not only like to be directly targeted to, but also wants to be part of a bigger

picture and an organization that is more than just a money making monster. To be a successful

organization in today’s business world you have to be active in the community and build great

brand equity to win over customers. Just going after your money doesn´t work anymore. A little

bit more effort is needed to make a sale.

Nike and Adidas are doing a great job on social media in interacting with its customers and

target market. They either don´t market a product in your face, like the example of Nike below,

or allow you to interact with them and share your experience with them about your product, like

Adidas does.

This gives the target market and customer the feeling of being included in a bigger picture and a

Sense of importance and a voice that is being heard by the corporation and the bigger community.

One of the biggest banks in the world, Bank of America even has their own community twitter

Account that is followed by over 375,000 people worldwide.

Not one single tweet is about interest rate, credit cards or the best way to make money on the stock

Market. Everything is about the community they are serving, about the military, corporate social

Responsibility, and heartwarming stories from the neighborhoods. There most recent event on social

Media was to raise $3m for RED in the fight against AIDS. This shows customers that they care

about more than just their business.

It is important not to forget that all of this is being done to make money. If it’s not about the money,

it’s about the money. Same for those corporations, but this doesn´t change the fact that they are

doing something good for the community and the world. In return they get loyal customers, who

appreciate them giving back.

Finial Thought

After examining all of the questions posed, our recommendations for any mangers and/or

employees trying to build or start a successful organization would be to allow for an open culture

that is willing to adjust when the time is needed. Remember that in any organization the

leadership sets the tone for how the organization will operate. If the leadership is poor then the

odds of your employees wanting to operate and produce at a high magnitude is going to be low.

The organizational structure is what drives the culture of an organization. It is vital that in the

start-up phase of trying to start an organization that you prioritize and focus, and create deadlines

for your organization. This will allow for an organization to track the growth of their company,

as well as obtaining data that can be used to scale the organization in the near future. Finally it is

best that an organization communicate its values and culture explicitly and continuously, both

internally and externally form the start. We fill that these recommendations will allow for in

organization to be successful if carried out in this manner.