Corporate visual identity: the communicational role of the
brand name and the logo

Abstract: Branding has become a very instrumental way for organizations to
communicate to the customer in today’s competitive business environment.
This means of communication has strategic advantages in creating
association, values and differentiation for a corporation in the long run.
The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of how
corporate visual identity is developed in organizations. Corporate visual
identity, consisting of the five elements of name, logo, typography, colour
and slogan, is a reputable method of generating identification for an
organization and through this communication a desired image can be
established. However, due to time limitations and the magnitude of this
research area, this study focuses on arguably the two most recognizable
elements of corporate identity and the research questions engage in how the
brand name and the logo can be described. A literature review was conducted
based on the two research questions, which resulted in a conceptual
framework that supported the data collection. A qualitative, single case
study methodology was applied for this investigation, with the primary data
collected from a focused telephone interview with the Information Manager
of the Swedish company Polarbröd AB. The results indicate that the brand
name’s association and meaning are of significant importance and that an
unfamiliar brand name can operate in a foreign market when it has the
advantage of appealing to customers. The findings also showed that the logo
is considered to represent communicational investment, as its image takes a
very long time to build and that maintaining recognition and familiarity is
essential for an established logo.