Corporate Identity: A Guide to Resources
This guide describes sources of information for students developing
corporate identity programs and researching related topics in this
field--design of trademarks, signage, publications, packages, etc.
The first section of the guide gives basic resources for company
research. These sources provide the descriptive, historical, and
financial information necessary to determine the corporate image
to be expressed in the corporate identity program. The second section
includes a bibliography of books about the development of corporate
identity programs, lists case studies and examples of published
corporate identity manuals, and suggests sources and methods for
further research on this topic.
Literature Guide
Take-one Rack and Worldwide Web at http://wally.rit.edu/pubs/guides/compinfo.html
"Where to Find Company Information."
Annotated guide to print and electronic sources of information about public and
private companies.
General Sources
Current Magazine Area
Annual Report File.
Annual reports are issued by companies to shareholders to summarize the year's events in all spheres of corporate activity. They are powerful public relations tools, and as such, are rich sources of information for corporate identity research. The facts included, as well as the graphic presentation of this data, embody the image the company wishes to project to the public. RIT Library has a collection of annual reports from the Fortune 500 and about 200 other companies. Ten years of reports are on file for most companies, allowing the researcher to trace the history of the company, the development of its corporate image, and to compare its identity program to those of other companies in the same industry.
Electronic Resources
Disclosure Corporate Snapshots via FirstSearch.
"Provides corporate and financial information on more than 11,000 corporations whose shares are traded in the U.S."
REF T223.V4A23
Companies and Their Brands. 15th ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1996.
REF T223.V4A22
Brands and their Companies. 16th ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1997.
A list of almost 50,000 companies giving the brands and trade names of consumer-oriented products manufactured or distributed by the firms. A brief description of each product is also given. Companies outside the United States are covered in International Companies and Their Brands (REF T223.V4A23 1991/92).
RIT Library Text Menu and Web Page
Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service. Updated continually.
Includes Disclosure Database, an on-line version of Compact Disclosure. Dow Jones News provides the complete texts of recent articles about companies from Wall Street Journal and Barron's. Use company names and stock symbols as search keys.
REF HF5415.3.E527 1994
Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands. 3 vols. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994.
Covers 600 of the most popular American brands. Entries reproduce the brand logo, provide a history of the product or group of products marketed under the brand name, explain how the brand fares in today's marketplace and predict future performance, cite any controversies associated with the brand name, and a include a brief bibliography. Some entries include historical illustrations of the product or brand logo. Indexes to companies and product categories are provided.
REF and RESD HD2741.M65 1990
Everybody's Business: A Field Guide to the 400 Leading Companies in America. New York: Doubleday, 1990.
Gives a summary of each company's history, describes its major activities including its subsidiaries and the consumer brands it markets, discusses its reputation and corporate image, citing newsworthy events involving the company, and lists the number of employees, profits, and industry ranking.
REF and RESD HG4057.A282
The Fortune 500. New York: Time Magazine Company. Annual.
Annual issue of Fortune magazine ranking the 500 largest American corporations. Includes rankings by industry and size, an alphabetical index, and an analysis of recent business trends.
REF and RESDHG4057.A28621
Hoover's Handbook of American Business. Austin, Tex.: The Reference Press. Annual.
Dense one-page profiles giving directory information, overviews of operations, histories, ten-year financial summaries, and information about corporate officers for 500 companies based in the United States. Alphabetical arrangement with an industry index. European, South American, Mideastern, and Asian companies are covered in Hoover's Handbook of World Business (REF HD2755.5.H668).
REF HD2721.I62 1988
International Directory of Company Histories. Chicago: St. James Press, 1988-Date.
Substantial essays on the historical development of over 2000 of the world's largest and most significant companies. Both public and private companies are profiled. Includes basic directory and descriptive information.
Internet Resources
Worldwide Web: http://www.directory.net
Commercial Sites Index.
Provides links to over 12,000 Internet sites developed by public and private companies, many quite small.
Worldwide Web: http://www.bizweb.com
BizWeb.
Provides links to almost 1000 company home pages, including major U.S. corporations.
Worldwide Web: http://www.cba.uh.edu/ylowpges/ylowpges.html
WWW Yellow Pages.
Provides links to hundreds of company homepages through keyword and type of business category searches.
Periodical Literature
Periodicals (journals, newspapers, magazines, newsletters) provide the most current information about
events in any field. The titles listed below provide convenient subject access to recent articles in
hundreds of business publications. Current issues and
back issues are located in the index area in reference at the call numbers indicated. Use
the company's name as a subject heading to find information about all aspects of the firm's operations--
new products and services, financial developments, legal problems, public relations
issues, etc.
ABI/Inform.
Electronic format: RIT Library Web Menu (http://wally.rit.edu) Electronic Resources. 1971-Date. Monthly.
Provides abstracts for articles form over 1,000 business-related publications,
including professional, academic, and trade journals.
Business Periodicals Index.
Print format: INDEX HF5001.B86. 1958-Date.
Monthly with annual cumulations.
General Sources
RESD HD59.2.C37 1982
Carter, David E. Designing Corporate Identity Programs for Small Corporations. New York: Art Direction Book Company, 1982.
Thorough treatment of corporate identity program development. Examples range from letterhead design to full-scale corporate identity manual development for businesses of many types and sizes.
OVER HD59.2.D46 1992
DeNeve, Rose. The Designer's Guide to Creating Corporate I.D. Systems. Cincinnati: North Light, 1992.
Discussion of the nature of corporate identity and the development and implementation of identity systems. Includes seven complete cases studies and a showcase of selected applications from identity programs for a variety of businesses and service organizations.
NC999.6.A8C38 1987
Design for Business: Cato. Tokyo: Graphic-sha, 1987.
Pictorial review of the work of Cato Design, a firm specializing in various facets of corporate identity work for a wide variety of products and services. Brief descriptions for each projects illustrated.
OVER HD59.2.D47 1990
Designs for Corporate Image: The Image of a Company. Rockport, Mass.: Rockport Publishers, 1990.
Includes several general essays on aspects of corporate image including corporate identity, advertising, and product design. Most of the book is devoted to chapters tracing the development and analyzing the corporate images of specific companies, among them Braun, Adidas, and Kodak.
T324.M64 1987
Mollerup, Per. The Corporate Design Programme. Copenhagen: Danish Design Council, 1987.
Theoretical and practical discussion of the visual aspects of corporate identity illustrated with examples drawn from well-known identity programs. Primary emphasis is on trademark and logotype design and typography. Also covers graphic applications.
HD59.2.N36 1988
Napoles, Veronica. Corporate Identity Design. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1988.
Covers methodology of corporate identity program development, including design, presentation to the client, and preparation of an identity manual.
HD59.2.O39 1989
Olins, Wally. Corporate Identity: Making Business Strategy Visible Through Design. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1990.
Written from the business point of view, an in depth discussion what identity is in a corporate context, how the corporate identity can be expressed visually through a corporate identity program which includes all corporate graphics, product styling, and advertising, and the role of an integrated corporate identity program in management and development of a company. Very well illustrated.
RESD HD59.2.S36 1984
Schmittel, Wolfgang. Corporate Design International. Zurich: ABC Verlag, 1984.
Lengthy introductory essay on the roles played by corporate design and advertising in the total corporate identity system. Profiles of identity programs developed for 8 European and Japanesecompanies (manufacturing, communications, transportation, banking) include detailed analyses of the new programs and their evolution and excellent illustrations of pages from identity manuals, a great variety of graphics applications, and advertising campaigns.
HD59.2.S44 1988
Selame, Elinor, Joe Selame, and F. Peter Modell. The Company Image: Building Your Identity and Influence in the Marketplace. New York: Wiley, 1988.
Practical discussion of the development of a corporate identity program with emphasis on trademark and logo design, packaging, and establishing brand identity for a variety of markets.
Other general sources on corporate identity can be found in the library catalog under the following
subject headings:
Corporate Image
Corporation Reports
Industrial Design Coordination
Public Relations--Corporations
Trademarks
Case Studies and Examples
OVER T324.A43 1994
Aldersey-Williams, Hugh. Corporate Identity. London: Lund Humphries, 1994.
Substantial profiles of 10 European and Asian identity programs. Includes a discussion of the process of identity development or revision and implementation for each company or organization illustrated with examples of the identity manuals, applications of the identity system to products, stationery, packaging, signage, vehicles.
RESD and OVER TS195.2.B46 1987
Bereswill, Joseph W. Corporate Design: Graphic Identity Systems. New York: PBC International, 1987.
Chronicles the development of complete corporate identity programs for 8 British and American organizations (manufacturing and service companies, universities, and a health care facility). Excellent color reproductions illustrate pages from identity manuals, and a broad range of graphics applications--stationery and forms, packaging, novelty gifts, signage, vehicles, brochures and annual reports, exhibition graphics, and print advertisements.
RESD T324.V588 1991
The Best of American Corporate Identity Design. 4 vols. Tokyo: Seibundo Shinkosha, 1991.
Pictorial review of work by major design firms with volumes devoted to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. Brief descriptions of each design firm with examples of applications from several identity programs.
RARE NC1002.L63C15 1987
CI Graphics in Japan. Tokyo: Rikuyo-sha, 1987.
Brief introductory essay on the recent interest of Japanese companies in corporate identity and on the Japanese approach to this type of design. Primarily illustrations of logos, trademarks, and applications of identity systems to products, displays, packaging, signage accompanied by brief discussions of the development of the designs.
RESD T324.N34
The CoCoMas [Corporate Communication as a Management System] Committee. Corporate
Design Systems. 2 vols. New York: PBC International, 1979,1985.
Volume 1--Case Studies in International Applications, Volume 2--Identity
through Graphics. Gives brief corporate histories, pages from the corporate
identity manuals, and examples of graphics applications (business forms, stationery, vehicles, signage, publications, products, uniforms, buildings, packaging, exhibition graphics, promotional gifts) for a variety of companies.
RESD T324.D48
The CoCoMas [Corporate Communication as a Management System] Committee. Design Systems for Corporations. 6 vols. Tokyo: SANNO Institute of Business Administration, 1976-1979.
Volume A1--The Retailing Industry, Volume A2--Public Transportation
Systems, Volume A3--Corporate Communications of Olivetti, 1,
Volume A4--Corporate Communications of Olivetti, 2, Volume B1--Basic
Design Elements and their Systems, Volume B5--Basic Design Elements and their
Systems. Each volume includes an essay discussing the problems of corporate identity for a specific industry. Identity program profiles give brief corporate histories, discussions of particular programs, include pages from corporate identity manuals, and are illustrated with photograph of graphics applications.
OVER T324.C6825 1992
Corporate Image Design: Worldwide CI Campaigns. Tokyo: PIE Books, 1992.
Hundreds of examples of applications of corporate identity systems including packaging, stationery, signage, and vehicles. Illustrations are grouped by industry and each includes brief information on the company and the design firm responsible for developing the identity system.
OVER HD59.2.F74 1994
Cropper, Mary, and Lynn Haller. Fresh Ideas in Corporate Identity. Cincinnati: North Light, 1994.
Profiles of over 75 identity programs grouped by type of business or organization. Each example includes illustrations of several applications of the program, a brief description of the client, design credits for the program, printing methods used for the applications, a description of the concept expressed by the program, and other information such as special problems, cost-saving techniques, special production methods.
OVER T324.C682 1989
Nakanishi, Motoo, ed. Corporate Identity. World Graphic Design Now, no. 4. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1989.
Primarily illustrations showing selected elements of identity programs grouped by industry (housing, finance, media, fashion, etc.). Includes a pictorial history of identity shown through logos from 1950-1989, and several essays on various aspects of corporate identity.
OVER HD59.2.T734 1994
Trademarks, Logos, Stationery Systems, and Corporate Identity USA. Tokyo: Graphic-sha, 1994.
Pictorial review of identity elements from hundreds of American companies and institutions organized by type of business or organization. The corporate identity section includes a selection of applications for each identity system. Only basic credits are given for each example (client, design firm, designer).
NC1003.W35 1990, 1992
Walker, Lisa, and Steve Blount. Letterhead and Logo Designs: Creating the Corporate Image. No. 1-3. Rockport, Mass: Rockport Publishers, 1990-1994.
Full color illustrations of over 200 stationery systems are presented in each volume. Client, design firm, designer, art director, and information about the paper and printing are given for each example. Client and designer indexes are given at the front of the books.
Case studies of individual corporate identity programs can be found in the library catalog using specific
company names, for example, Esprit and Philips, as subject headings.
Sample Manuals
The library has examples of over twenty corporate identity manuals developed for companies
representative of a variety of industries--manufacturing, transportation, and services. They are housed in
the RIT Library Special Collections (third floor). Examples from the collection are listed below.
RARE T324.A548 1975
American Express Company. American Express Corporate Identification Manual. New York: American Express, 1975.
RARE T324.C677 1990
Corning Incorporated. Corning Corporate Identity Standards. Updated ed. Corning, N.Y.: Corning, 1990.
RARE T324.E227 1972
Eastman Kodak Company. Eastman Kodak Company Corporate Identity. Rochester, N.Y.: Eastman Kodak, 1972.
RARE T324.G463 1975
General Motors Corporation. Chevrolet Identification Manual. Detroit: General Motors, 1975.
RARE T324.G46 1975
General Motors Corporation. General Motors Corporate Identification. Detroit: General Motors, 1975.
RARE T324.H556 1990
Himont U.S.A., Inc. Himont: Corporate Identity Program, Graphic Standards Manual. Wilmington, Del.: Himont, 1990?
RARE T324.P444 1989
PHH Corporate Identity Standards. S.l.: PHH, 1989.
RARE T324.P652 1980
Polaroid Corporation. Polaroid Corporate Identification Manual. Cambridge, Mass.: Polaroid, 1980.
RARE NC998.6.S92S395 1980
Schweizerische Bundesbahnen. SBB, CFF, FFS Visuelles Informationssystem in Bahnhofen und Stationen = SBB, CFF, FFS: Systeme d'InformationVisuel dans les Gares et Stations. Bern: Die Bundesbahnen, 1980?
Other examples of corporate identity manuals can be found in the library catalog, under the following
subject headings:
Corporate Image--Handbooks, Manuals, Etc.
Industrial Design Coordination--Standards--Handbooks, Manuals, Etc.
Logotype--Standards--Handbooks, Manuals, Etc.
Trademarks--Standards--Handbooks, Manuals, Etc.
Design Annuals and Creative Directories
Design annuals provide a pictorial overview of the year's best work in commercial graphics (as determined
by editors or juries). The titles listed below regularly include corporate graphics ranging from complete
corporate identity systems to elements of corporate identity programs--trademarks, stationery, business
forms, signage, packaging, advertisements, etc. Each volume includes an index to the clients who
commissioned the work reproduced in its pages.
RARE NC998.5.A1A37
AIGA Graphic Design USA: The Annual of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. New York: Watson-Guptill, 1980-Date.
T324.A547
American Corporate Identity. New York: Art Direction Book Co.,1986-Date.
RARE NC1003.A66
Applied Typography. Tokyo: Graphic-sha, 1991-Date.
RARE T324.A273
AR Creative Directory. New York: Black Book Marketing, 1985-Date.
NC997.A1A69
Art Directors Annual. New York: ADC Publications, 1922-Date.
HG4028.B2B43
The Best in Annual Reports. New York: RC Publications, 1975-1991.
NC998.5.A1B47
The Best in Environmental Graphics. New York: RC Publications, 1989-1991.
TS195.A1B47
The Best in Packaging. New York: RC Publications, 1975-1989.
RARE NC997.A1C72
Creative Source. Toronto: Wilcord Publications, 1979-Date.
RARE NC997.A1C73
Creativity. New York: Advertising Trade Publications, 1971-Date.
RARE NC997.A1G7
Graphic Arts Awards Annual. Arlington: Printing Industries of America, 1984-Date.
RARE NC991.A1G684
Graphic Design in Japan. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1982-Date.
RARE NC997.A1G737
Graphis Annual Reports. Zurich: Graphis Press, 1988-Date.
RARE NC1003.G72
Graphis Corporate Identity: Visual Corporate Identities. Zurich: Graphis Press, 1989-Date.
RARE NC997.A1G73
Graphis Design Annual. Zurich: Graphis Press, 1954/55-Date.
RARE NC1003.G724
Graphis Letterhead. Zurich: Graphis Press, 1991-Date.
RARE NC1002.L63G72
Graphis Logo. Zurich: Graphis Press, 1991-Date.
RARE NC1002.L63I58
International Corporate Identity. Tokyo: Robundo, 1990-Date.
HF5733.L4L47
Letterheads: The International Annual of Letterhead Design. New York: Art Direction Book Company, 1977-1989.
RARE NK1160.N62
NOAH: Directory of International Package Design. Chigosaki City: JCA Press, 1985-Date.
RARE NC997.A1N67
North American Corporate Design Review. Rockport, Mass.: Rockport Publishers, 1995-Date.
RARE TS195.2.P33
Packaging Design. New York: PBC International, 1983-1988.
RARE Z243.A2T9a
Typography: The Annual of the Type Directors' Club. New York: Watson- Guptill, 1981-Date.
T324.W67
World Corporate Identity. New York: Art Direction Book Co., 1990-Date.
Periodical Literature
ABI/Inform.
Electronic format: RIT Library Web Menu (http://wally.rit.edu) Electronic Resources. 1971-Date. Monthly.
Use the following search terms to find articles on corporate identity in general business journals using this electronic index:
Corporate identity
Logos
Art Abstracts.
Electronic format: Via FirstSearch on RIT Library Web Menu (http://wally.rit.edu)
Electronic Resources. Indexing from 1984, abstracts from 1994 -.
Art Abstracts includes Art Index. The print format back issues can be found at INDEX N 1.A1A68. Vol 1-61, 1929-1991. Annual cumulations.
Art Abstracts provides subject access to almost 200 art and design magazines, including many that regularly feature articles about corporate identity -- Communication Arts, Design, Graphic Design, Novum Gebrachsgraphik, Graphis, ID and Print. Use the following subject headings to find general articles on this topic and profiles of specific corporate identity programs:
Corporate Identity
Logography
Trade Marks
Business Periodicals Index.
Print format: INDEX HF5001.B86. 1958-Date. Monthly with annual cumulations.
Use the following subject headings to find general articles about corporate identity programs in business magazines:
Corporate Image
Trademarks
Design and Applied Arts Index.
Electronic format: Reference CD-ROM Area. 1987- . Quarterly.
Print format back issues: INDEX NK1110.D47. Vol. 1-6, 1987-93. Semi-annual.
Extensive coverage of design periodicals published all over the world, including many not covered in Art Abstracts. Use the following subject headings to find general articles on this topic and profiles of specific corporate identity programs:
Annual Reports
Company Literature
Corporate Identity
Logos
Trade Marks
Maintained by Kari Horowicz.
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