Visual worlds create value
Corporate Publishing: Professional graphic design is essential for customer and employee publications.
Corporate publishing Professional image design is essential for customer and employee media Only 20 percent of newspaper readers read an article beyond the first paragraph. We scan books rather than reading them carefully. We only pay attention to the image and headline of an advertisement for two seconds, we almost never read the text. Instead, images have become increasingly important, as magazines, TV news and the Internet show. Corporate publishing has also recognized that professional image design is essential for customer and employee media - the design of images plays a decisive role in determining the attention and use of CP media. As a result, magazines have developed into little gems in the context of corporate presentation, as can be seen from the many entries for prizes such as the CP Award.
As successful as the individual magazines are: What is almost always missing is the connection to the corporate imagery built up over the long term. A study carried out in Germany and an excerpt media observation from 2005 shows that almost none of the largest DAX companies have succeeded in creating strong and clear visual memories. This is a serious omission, as such inner images have a strong impact on behavior, as numerous studies have shown. For example, the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) found in its Imagery Study that the clearer the image of the company, the more willing people are to buy shares.
In order for the imagery in corporate publishing to be fully effective, it must fulfill the following requirements:
Designed for the long term: The internal and external reference groups must learn the imagery before they recognize and remember it. This requires time. The theme of the imagery must be presented and repeated over the long term. The imagery must not change with every new brochure.
The imagery is specifically planned and used without contradiction. To this end, all those involved who show images of the company come to an agreement. The basis of the agreement is the overarching image concept, which sets the direction and leaves enough room for variation and individual design.vividness: The clearer and more distinctly the imagery is perceived as an inner image, the stronger its effect on behavior. Vividness is regarded as the super dimension of the image's effect: The imagery must appeal positively to internal and external reference groups.The imagery is not only likeable and atmospheric, it also expresses the corporate personality. It should convey an emotionally significant message for the reference groups.multimodal: The imagery should also leave impressions on sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. Recent studies have found that if the imagery appeals to all five senses, it has ten times the effect.Multimedia: The imagery must be just as applicable in personal communication as in printed media (brochures etc.) and electronic media (radio, television, Internet etc.).Consistency: Consistent imagery facilitates the creation of memorable images.Imagery determines the success of communicationIt is important for the sustainable and effective use of imagery in corporate publishing that the theme of the imagery is derived from the long-term imagery of the company. The long-term presentation and repetition of the theme in the CP is a prerequisite for learning and retention. The image theme is varied slightly within the brochures, but also from brochure to brochure, as the viewer's attention wanes significantly after three to five image contacts.
The insight: in future, imagery will play a key role in determining the communication success of companies. The prerequisite, however, is that corporate publishing increasingly builds up expertise in long-term imagery and develops a long-term visual language into which the existing design elements, such as logo, colors and fonts, can be integrated. Corporate imagery understood in this way, which goes far beyond one-off photos, faces fascinating challenges.
Dieter Herbst, Manuela Stier
Manuela Stier is the managing director and owner of CP Agentur Stier Communications AG in Weiningen (ZH). www.stier.ch
Prof. Dr. Dieter Herbst is an expert in image communication and a lecturer at various universities, including a main lecturer for strategic communication management in the MBA program at the University of St. Gallen, www.dieter-herbst.de
As successful as the individual magazines are: What is almost always missing is the connection to the corporate imagery built up over the long term. A study carried out in Germany and an excerpt media observation from 2005 shows that almost none of the largest DAX companies have succeeded in creating strong and clear visual memories. This is a serious omission, as such inner images have a strong impact on behavior, as numerous studies have shown. For example, the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) found in its Imagery Study that the clearer the image of the company, the more willing people are to buy shares.
In order for the imagery in corporate publishing to be fully effective, it must fulfill the following requirements:
Designed for the long term: The internal and external reference groups must learn the imagery before they recognize and remember it. This requires time. The theme of the imagery must be presented and repeated over the long term. The imagery must not change with every new brochure.
The imagery is specifically planned and used without contradiction. To this end, all those involved who show images of the company come to an agreement. The basis of the agreement is the overarching image concept, which sets the direction and leaves enough room for variation and individual design.vividness: The clearer and more distinctly the imagery is perceived as an inner image, the stronger its effect on behavior. Vividness is regarded as the super dimension of the image's effect: The imagery must appeal positively to internal and external reference groups.The imagery is not only likeable and atmospheric, it also expresses the corporate personality. It should convey an emotionally significant message for the reference groups.multimodal: The imagery should also leave impressions on sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. Recent studies have found that if the imagery appeals to all five senses, it has ten times the effect.Multimedia: The imagery must be just as applicable in personal communication as in printed media (brochures etc.) and electronic media (radio, television, Internet etc.).Consistency: Consistent imagery facilitates the creation of memorable images.Imagery determines the success of communicationIt is important for the sustainable and effective use of imagery in corporate publishing that the theme of the imagery is derived from the long-term imagery of the company. The long-term presentation and repetition of the theme in the CP is a prerequisite for learning and retention. The image theme is varied slightly within the brochures, but also from brochure to brochure, as the viewer's attention wanes significantly after three to five image contacts.
The insight: in future, imagery will play a key role in determining the communication success of companies. The prerequisite, however, is that corporate publishing increasingly builds up expertise in long-term imagery and develops a long-term visual language into which the existing design elements, such as logo, colors and fonts, can be integrated. Corporate imagery understood in this way, which goes far beyond one-off photos, faces fascinating challenges.
Dieter Herbst, Manuela Stier
Manuela Stier is the managing director and owner of CP Agentur Stier Communications AG in Weiningen (ZH). www.stier.ch
Prof. Dr. Dieter Herbst is an expert in image communication and a lecturer at various universities, including a main lecturer for strategic communication management in the MBA program at the University of St. Gallen, www.dieter-herbst.de
