Image

Words and sentences can also evoke images. The word “tree” evokes an image of a tree in our heads, and provokes a similar emotion as if we actually saw a tree in front of us. This process is called Iconics: the processing of the same visual information we use when we look at the real world. This process is immediate and subconscious. You’ve made up your mind in an instant.   

A corporate image is a mental picture of an organization or product, which is constructed by associations people have with its properties and core values. Upon hearing the name of the corporation or product, the listener immediately makes an emotional judgment based on associations that have developed over time. These associations can roughly be divided in three separate categories:  

1. Brand associations: these are associations that have been developed by the corporation itself through communication activities such as marketing, advertising, public relations and public affairs. For example: our product is safe, cheap, healthy, enjoyable, etc.
2. Stakeholder associations: these are associations that have been developed by communication activities beyond the control of the corporation. For example: that type of product is dangerous, expensive, unhealthy, etc.   
3. Real world associations: these are “given” associations that humans develop through time. For example: fire is hot, water is cool, grass is green, sweat signals nervousness, tall means power, etc.