Differentiate through corporate identity

Enjoying a strong identity is an asset for the enterprise. It gives its offering a personality that differentiates it from the competition—beyond the sole characteristics of the products, which clients do not always have the time or capacity to compare. Positioning its actions in a story, in convictions and in a perception of originality helps conquer and build loyalty among those who identify with the values the enterprise carries. It is also a major asset to recruit talented individuals seeking to engage with an enterprise that has values and projects they can be proud of.

How to build or reinforce such an identity? And how to communicate it in a credible manner? Until recently, this responsibility was entrusted to the communication, marketing and HR departments, which were tasked with coordinating the commercial and employer brand. But social networks are changing the game. The enterprise must take into consideration the climate of mistrust towards institutional communication, nourished by the revelations of questionable practices in enterprises that claim high ethics. Consumers and staff are no longer willing to trust the enterprises at face value.

It has thus become essential to place particular care on the authenticity of the identity you want to promote and to facilitate its decentralized communication:

- Before anything else, ensure coherence between actions and words: your management practices and operational choices must reflect the identity you claim.

- Avoid depicting too ideal a picture of the enterprise. On the contrary, admit that upholding your convictions on a daily basis is not always easy. You will appear all the more credible for it.

- Ensure your subordinates become the natural relays of your convictions and projects.