Changing Corporate Identity is an Inside Job

Change communication is at the core of public relations. Change is sometimes thrust upon you and then you learn how to adapt and thrive. Other times it needs to be consciously curated and brought to life. Growth is all about evolution and corporations are the same, their identity needs to evolve to reflect that growth. The week that went by brought this topic of changing corporate identity sharply into focus for me, for two reasons. First, the firm I work for (Adfactors PR) celebrated its 27th Founders’ Day on September 5th, 2024, and on the occasion also unveiled a change in its corporate identity. Second, I spent the week working on curating a messaging workshop for a client that was also on a similar journey of integrating its new brand identity into the overall corporate narrative.

In both cases, the common thread that emerged was the need to signal change. As the world evolves and grows, we must also embrace the new opportunities that come knocking. An organisation is nothing but its people and the idea that its stakeholders hold about it. That idea is its identity. Signalling change therefore begins from within. It starts with a core group of leaders being astute and alert enough to identify the winds of change in the external environment and then building an offering that is best suited to navigate this change. This in itself is a big step. To architect change, being agile and flexible is step one. Getting all the employees to embrace, identify with, articulate, and live the change is the next step. If these two are done well, then the market (all external stakeholders) starts to recognise the new offerings.

Adfactors PR has evolved. From offering “knowledge driven communication” to now becoming the firm that is firmly focused on “Reputation and Critical Issues Advisory”. At the time we introduced the idea of “Knowledge driven communication” it was to create deep vertical expertise in each of the practice areas that we operated Eg. from our initial days of being recognised for the expertise we offered in BFSI and IPO communication to now having a range of specialised practice areas such as Mobility, Frontier Tech, Fintech, New Energy, Pharma & Healthcare, Consumer Communications, and Social Impact & ESG, each team helmed by leaders from the domain they represent.

Having successfully built this expertise, the evolution to becoming the firm that nurtures and protects reputation is an obvious next step. Individuals, brands, and organisations are concerned about building and managing their reputations in a world filled with misinformation and disinformation. Complexities in the external environment create massive issues and massive opportunities and captains of industry are always on the lookout for those partners that can help them navigate these changes. We are well positioned to be that partner of choice and hence the signal to our teams that we need to live up to this responsibility that the market has entrusted us with.

A subtle shift in visual identity in the form of the logo now incorporating a new element (the node from a semiconductor) signals the integration of all things digital and AI into the world of reputation and earned attention that we operate in. The journey of semiconductor nodes is a story of human creativity, innovation, and determination. Nodes have been instrumental in shaping the technology landscape by creating smaller chips, enabling us to achieve feats once thought impossible. Performance, power, cost, and innovation have been enhanced with the nodes shrinking in size from 90 nanometres (nm) to 65nm, 45nm, 32nm, 22nm, 14nm, and even 7nm and beyond – that paves the way for AI and quantum computing. Embracing technology and using it to the advantage of the organisation is a critical success factor for a company in any industry. The node integrated into our logo signals this move forward to embrace technology and at the same time stay rooted in our original character and strength.

The tagline and the logo are like the true north in a compass and the sign that points every person in the company in the direction they need to go. There is a line from the Pivot podcast that I used to listen to that the host Jenny Blake uses “Build and the courage follows”. Pivoting is a natural process to respond to emerging market opportunities. Defining and redefining a corporate identity is a critical part of the build phase and it gives everyone in the organisation the courage to follow through on the promise. It also begins to act like a magnet to the external audiences, pulling them towards the new offering that the brand and the logo stand for.

Our logo is symbolic and has deep meaning – j?ā according to the Sanskrit dictionary is “1. To know (in all senses), to learn, become acquainted with; 2. To know, be aware of, be familiar or conversant with; 3. To find out, ascertain, investigate”. Corporate identity is an inside out job because it has to be rooted in reality. The claim has to be backed by the ability to deliver, with enough proof points and reasons to believe. This identity is what in the case of an individual we refer to as building an authentic personal brand. Where the personal or private person and the person on stage are the same, there is ease and the person thrives. Similarly, when an organisation can find this authentic sweet spot, it is truly a sustainable corporate identity that has been created, and the organisation can serve its community in the best possible way.

Reinvention that reflects an authentic inner shift is what a refreshed corporate identity should convey. It has to come from deep within, the words and the logos follow from this inner truth. It then allows everyone in the company to get into a flow state, aiming to make important changes and improve every day, which is the essence of growth. May we all grow individually and collectively to make a stronger country and a better world.