The image of the staff as a component of the image of the organization. The impact on the image of the company of various factors

Each company has its own image in the minds of other market participants, whether it realizes it or not.

The company's image is the result of the interaction of a large number of conditions, some of which the company is able to control, most of the conditions are not controllable, but they can be influenced in some way.

Not all managers are aware of the need for a good image of the organization and believe that it is more useful to invest in advertising for the enterprise. The image of the organization, its image is the perception of the uniqueness of this organization, the awareness of its specific features and characteristics. Just as people try to show their individuality through clothes, cars, housing and behavior, so an organization shows its uniqueness through symbols, services offered, attitude towards staff, etc.

Many factors influence the formation of the image:

History of the company;

Her social mission;

The personality of the leader;

Business reputation;

Management style;

The level of customer service;

The quality of the goods and services provided;

Publicity (fame in wide circles of society);

corporate identity, etc.

Let's take a quick look at the above factors. In practice, companies whose history is associated with some popular person or significant event are more popular with people. But even those organizations that do not have this advantage can use this fact to their advantage. For example, you can create a “legend” about your organization yourself and spread it through the media.

The mission of the company is its business card. It must be socially conditioned and meet the expectations and needs of partners and sponsors, real and potential customers.

The personality of the leader and the style of management are also not unimportant. Thus, authoritarian leadership can have an extremely unfavorable effect on the moral and psychological climate within the organization, thereby worsening the external relations of the enterprise.

Business reputation implies transparency in working with partners, a stable financial position and a willingness to fulfill one's obligations.

The quality of goods and services and the level of service are, perhaps, the main factors that form the image of the company in the minds of people.

Corporate identity (logo, corporate clothing, trademark, corporate colors, slogan, etc.) is one of the main means of creating the company's image.

Today, more attention is paid to the corporate image, i.е. the image of the company as a whole, which combines its reputation, success, prestige and stability. He is called:

Show individuality - mission, claims as the basis of corporate identity in the perception and measurement of the properties of various enterprises in a competitive environment;

Increase awareness and public interest in the enterprise, thereby contributing to its reputation;

Develop associations with positive characteristics of the company's activities, guaranteeing reliability, quality and responsibility;

To unite employees at the enterprise and in its divisions and form a team spirit.

The concept of "corporate image" is similar in essence to the concept of "reputation" (English reputation - common opinion), which means "good name", the opinion of others, assessment. Image differs from reputation in that it is more amenable to artificial construction, and the emotional component of the thought process plays an important role in its perception. Reputation is developed over the years, concrete deeds and facts. But it can also be quickly spoiled and damaged, as well as acquired.

Fig.1.

The presented structure of the corporate image is designed for commercial enterprises.

Russian experts in the field of political and business PR E.V. Kondratiev and R.N. Abramov give a convenient empirical model of the corporate image structure, which is suitable for its analysis and / or subsequent construction. The structure of the company's image is made up of representations of customers, consumers, the staff of the company itself, etc. regarding the company, which can be divided into seven components:

1. Image of the product (service). The image of a product is made up of the perceptions of those who consume it about the unique properties that the product possesses.

Product Features:

The functional value of a product is the main benefit or service that the product can provide.

Additional services (attributes) - what allows the product to be unique:

Integral attributes: design, name, quality, set of properties, packaging;

Reinforcing attributes: warranty, delivery, after-sales service, payment terms, installation.

2. Internal image of the organization. Under the internal image of the organization, it is customary to understand the ideas of employees about their enterprise. At the same time, the personnel can be considered not only as one of the factors of the company's competitiveness, one of the main groups of the public, but also as an indispensable source of information about the company for the external environment. The main determinants of the internal image are the culture of the company and socio-psychological conditions.

Organization culture. Personnel management at the enterprise has a multi-level character. Each level includes a number of systems:

The first level (the level of social adaptation) includes training and recruitment systems that contribute to the assimilation of the company's culture, as well as ways to perform professional duties. If the adaptation was successful, then new employees become carriers of the company's culture and subsequently pass it on to the new generation.

The second level of the personnel management structure can be called the level of relations, because it is made up of a system of power, or the relationship of a manager with subordinates; a system of internal communications that mediate the relationship between the leader and subordinates, as well as between employees; and a system of interaction with the external environment.

The third level is the level of motivation, which includes a system of attestations. Assessments of the work of employees made on the basis of criteria adopted by the company: identification system; reward system; system of social transfers (labor and social benefits). The identification system is of great importance, because the identification of the employee with his company means that the personal goals and values ​​of the employee coincide with the goals and values ​​of the company, the employee feels a sense of belonging to a common cause and is committed to the company. A person who shares the goals and values ​​of the company is guided by his own motivation when doing work, which does not require additional stimulation. This result is achieved largely through the cultivation of external signs of belonging to the company (components of corporate identity, such as a uniform), as well as other company symbols, such as a corporate legend, an anthem, a company founder, and much more.

Culture, if we consider it as an integrated idea of ​​the norms and values ​​adopted in the organization, can fill each system with a certain content, the features of which determine the attitude of the company's employees. Systems, being a product of the company's culture, in turn support and reproduce it, and therefore can be called elements of its culture.

The socio-psychological climate is the socio-psychological atmosphere in the team, the result of the joint activities of people, their interpersonal relationships, determined by the subjective need of people for communication and its satisfaction. In other words, the socio-psychological atmosphere in the organization can be considered as satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the members of the organization with interpersonal relations, which manifests itself in such group effects as the mood and opinion of the team, individual well-being and assessment of the living conditions and work of the individual in the team.

3. The image of the founder or the main leaders of the organization.

The image of the founder or key leaders (meaning the individual image of leaders separately) includes ideas about the motives, intentions, attitudes, abilities, value orientations and psychological characteristics of the leader based on the perception of characteristics open to observation, such as socio-demographic affiliation, appearance, actions and parameters of non-core activities, features of verbal and non-verbal behavior, the context in which the head of the enterprise operates.

Appearance. Appearance is the most observable characteristic of the founder, which does not require a long time for identification and can be a source of non-verbal information about him.

4. Staff image. The image of the staff is a generalized collective image of the staff, which reveals the most characteristic features of it. The image of employees is formed, first of all, on the basis of direct contact with employees of the organization by representatives of contact audiences, consumers and other market entities. At the same time, each employee can be considered as the face of the company, by which the staff as a whole will be judged.

5. Visual image of the organization. The visual image of the organization is the representation of the organization, the substratum of which is visual sensations that capture information about the trading and showrooms, the interior and exterior of the office, the appearance of employees and corporate symbols.

The visual image of a company can be influenced by individual (aesthetic taste), psychological and ethnic (meaning of color in different national cultures) features of the perception of objects, in particular clothing, premises and their decoration. Moreover, the visual image of a company is influenced by social factors such as fashion.

6. Social image of the organization. The social image of the organization is the perception of the general public about the social goals and role of the company in all spheres of society.

A social image can be formed by informing the public about the social aspects of the company's activities, such as philanthropy, participation in solving environmental problems, sponsorship, employment, support for social movements, assistance to specific individuals, etc.

7. Business image of the organization. The business image of an organization is the idea of ​​an organization as a subject of a specific activity. The main determinants of the business image of entrepreneurial companies are business reputation, or good faith / bad faith in the implementation entrepreneurial activity, as well as the business activity of the company, the indicators of which are: patent protection; volume of sales; innovative technology and the degree of its development; variety of goods; access to marketing networks; relative market share; pricing flexibility.

image logo commodity company

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Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Ural State University of Economics

Faculty of Abbreviated Training

TEST

discipline: "ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR"

Yekaterinburg 2012

Kato build confidence in the leader

The notion that the presence of a good leader increases the chances of achieving success in business, government, other organizations and social groups is not questioned by the current literature on the subject of Organizational Behavior. If the role of the leader is so great, the question may arise: How to build trust in the leader in the organization?

What is leadership? Leadership is the ability and the right to lead an appropriate group of people to achieve a set goal. Leadership cannot be of a formal nature - i.e. A leader does not always occupy a leadership position in an organization.

In other words, leaders emerge naturally in a group environment.

What is trust? Trust is a positive expectation that the other person will not - through words, deeds or decisions, act solely on the basis of mercantile and opportunistic considerations.

What qualities should a leader have in order to create an atmosphere of trust in his teams?

The results of recent research point to five characteristics without which trust is impossible: integrity, competence, consistency, loyalty and openness.

By honesty I mean honesty and truthfulness. Of the five characteristics, integrity seems to me the most important.

The concept of competence includes technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills. Does this person have sufficient knowledge of the subject he is talking about?

By consistency, I mean reliability, predictability, and good judgment. When words are at odds with deeds, it reduces the credibility of a person.

Loyalty is the readiness to protect and defend the interests of another person.

The final characteristic of trust is openness. The ability to rely on a person that he will tell you "the whole truth."

Trust, I believe, is the main attribute of leadership. When subordinates trust their leader, they are ready to carry out all his orders, because they are sure that he will not abuse their rights and interests. On the other hand, they will not blindly obey a person whose honesty they doubt, or a person who is able to “use” them for their own interests. Such a person will not be a leader, but will only be the formal head of the organization. Formal managers who have become such as a result of some internal organizational processes are mistakenly considered leaders.

Practice shows that when organizations find themselves in crisis situations or work in conditions of great uncertainty, being in a leadership position of a charismatic leader, as a rule, brings positive results. Effective leaders today must take care of the formation and maintenance of trusting relationships in the teams they lead.

As organizations become less stable and less predictable, strong bonds of trust are replacing bureaucratic rules in determining worker expectations and the relationship between them and managers.

Evaluation of the image of JSC "Federal Grid Company of the Unified Energy System"

Company profile

The Federal Grid Company of the Unified Energy System (FGC UES) is a Russian energy company that provides services for the transmission of electricity through the Unified National Electric Grid (UNEG). In this type of activity, the company is the subject natural monopoly. The organization is included in the list of backbone organizations of strategic importance.

The company ranks first in the world in terms of the length of transmission lines (124.5 thousand km) and transformer capacity (311 thousand MVA) among public electric grid companies.

The Federal Grid Company is a unique infrastructure that forms the physical framework of the state's economy. Power grid facilities are located in 73 regions of the Russian Federation with a total area of ​​more than 13.6 million square meters. km.

The company employs more than 23 thousand people. FGC UES is the largest energy company in Russia by market capitalization, included in the calculation of the MSCI Emerging Markets and MSCI Russia indices.

The main part of the proceeds is generated from electricity transmission tariffs, which are approved by the Federal Tariff Service according to the RAB regulation methodology. The main consumers are regional distribution companies, sales companies and large industrial enterprises.

Determining a valuation item

The assessment of the image of the enterprise will be given by me from the inside, since I am an employee of this organization, i.e. representative of the internal contact audience.

General impression of the organization

JSC FGC UES is a large, stable company that provides its employees with opportunities for career growth, various social programs, adequate and competitive wages.

The Company seeks to prevent restrictions on the power supply to consumers and the operation of generation, as well as in as soon as possible normalize the operation of the failed network element.

In terms of ensuring the quality of electricity, JSC FGC UES is guided by the requirements of GOST 13109-97. In addition, the company at its facilities implements the necessary organizational and technical measures aimed at improving the quality of voltage regulation in the network, incl. and in order to ensure the requirements of GOST.

JSC FGC UES has created healthy and safe working conditions and production culture at the production site. Labor protection committees do everything possible to prevent industrial injuries, occupational diseases and maintain the health of workers. JSC FGC UES seeks to minimize the risks of technological disturbances due to the fault of the personnel caused by the unsatisfactory psycho-physiological state of the employees.

The electric power industry is a high-tech sector of the economy and, therefore, the organization places high demands on the level of education of employees. Energy is one of the industries with relatively low staff turnover. The labor system in the organization takes into account the characteristics of various categories of employees, the characteristics of regional labor markets and is focused on the performance of each employee on the basis of a performance assessment system based on key performance indicators.

The Company uses its own funds to pay an additional pension to employees who have a significant work experience in the energy industry and have reached retirement age. Employees who find themselves in a difficult life situation, as well as in connection with special occasions, JSC FGC UES provides material assistance.

JSC FGC UES is engaged in charitable activities and helps those who really need it.

Federal Grid Company pays special attention to attracting young professionals. New employees are provided with maximum assistance in raising their professional level and developing further professional careers. Attention is paid to educational work with students of numerous universities of the country.

In addition, JSC FGC UES seeks to preserve labor traditions and contributes to the formation of labor dynasties as a tool for providing qualified personnel for power facilities located in remote areas. The company's initiatives in the field of providing employees with housing (mortgage on preferential terms, provision of corporate housing) are important for increasing motivation and retaining qualified personnel. Due to underfunding in the 90s of the country's power grid complex, at the moment there is a significant depreciation of the assets of the UNEG. Wear and tear of equipment is one of the main causes of technological disturbances at the facilities of JSC FGC UES.

Decomposition of the overall impression into factors

Characteristics of the image formation factors of JSC FGC UES

Table 1

Assessment of the significance of factors for the formation of the image

Evaluation of the image of JSC FGC UES

table 2

Conclusions on the table:

1. The most significant factors that form the image of the company are:

safe working conditions,

power quality,

decent pay,

staff qualifications,

depreciation of equipment.

2. I have estimated the actual state of all factors in column X2.

3. Consequently, the factors to which the management of JSC FGC UES must constantly pay attention, in my opinion, are the following:

depreciation of equipment,

decent pay,

staff qualifications,

staff turnover.

4. It is necessary to form the following norms of behavior:

image enterprise norm leader

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Image (from the English image - image, personal or organization) is the impression that the company and its employees make on people and which is fixed in their minds in the form of certain emotionally colored stereotypical representations (judgments, thoughts). The idea of ​​organization is one of the essential components of a person's consciousness, which has specific features, without taking them into account it is impossible to correctly understand the way of thinking of an individual and purposefully influence him.

The success of the enterprise in a certain way also depends on the image, which can be considered as a set of ideas about the organization and its employees.

The positive effects of targeted work to create a positive image can be:

• high level of customer loyalty to the organization;
• increasing brand awareness of the company;
• the ability to focus marketing on brand promotion, and not on individual products or services;
• reducing costs at the stage of launching a new product on the market due to the formed trust in the brand;
• increasing the attractiveness of the company as an employer and the ability to hire more qualified personnel.

The structure of the organization's image

In the structure of the image of a company (organization), the following components, interconnected in form and content, can be distinguished:

• the appearance of employees and the appearance of the company (office design);
• the style of behavior of employees and the style of work of management;
• staff work;
• equipping of workplaces;
• organization's mode of operation.

Positive and negative image of the organization

The image of the organization can be both negative and positive. A negative image is manifested in distrust of the organization and its reputation. Often a negative image significantly increases the company's expenses, and a positive image saves its resources.

Various factors influence the formation of the company's image. Inattention to at least one of them (effective management, customer focus, the image of a leader, etc.) can lead to a loss of customer confidence and the formation of a negative or even scandalous image.

So, on what factors does image formation depend? Let's list the main ones.

Organizational culture

The image of an organization largely depends on how effectively relationships within the company are built and how clearly each employee represents his area of ​​responsibility. An important factor is the concern of the management that employees share the opinion about the core values ​​of the company, as well as the conscious work to build a corporate culture.

Environmental Safety

Customer confidence in the company's products and services is affected by their quality and safety. To form a positive image of the company, it is important whether the company does not pollute the air, soil and water in the course of its activities, whether it consumes an excessive amount of natural resources due to the use of outdated production technologies. Today, a whole area has been created in the field of environmentally friendly production of various goods - the so-called green technologies. Their use significantly increases the rating of the company in the list of reliable, solid, safe, trustworthy.

Quality, competitiveness of goods and services

The quality and competitiveness of goods and services is an important factor in the formation of a positive image of the company. In the struggle for the consumer, firms strive to distinguish their services and products from their competitive counterparts due to price, original presentation, unique characteristics, etc. If the company's products really help solve the client's problem, bring real benefits, then the company has an excellent chance to become a leader in their field of activity.

The basis of a positive image is trust in the company, the appropriate stereotyping of its perception

Financial opportunities

The decision of clients about the prospects for long-term cooperation depends on how strong the financial position of the company is. In particular, customers usually pay attention to factors such as the availability of guarantees for the goods and services provided, insurance (which is especially important for the tourism industry), the provision of favorable financial conditions for work, including a loan without interest, installment plans, etc.

The appearance of the names of the organization in the media

The company's image is directly affected by the frequency and quality of information presented about it in the media. This includes not only advertising publications, but also various ratings and reviews, the participation of company employees as independent experts in informational programs, news reports. Brand recognition and popularity depend on how often the company's name appears in the media, which affects the image. For the formation of a positive image, of course, positive feedback is important.

Management efficiency

The effectiveness of company management affects the internal and external image. The foreign policy of interaction with clients and partners determines their attitude and confidence in the activities of the company. A carefully thought-out effective internal policy of interaction with its own employees allows attracting highly qualified specialists to the company, which affects the quality of products or services provided by the company. To achieve success, it is important that the company's management structure, management methodology be modern and functional.

The image of the head

The image of the leader plays an important role in the image of the organization. We list its main components.

• Dynamism, activity, fast and correct reaction. The ability of the leader to quickly navigate the situation and take right decisions- one of the main qualities that ensure the success of the company in the face of fierce market competition. Procrastination in many cases can lead not only to loss of profits, but, even more seriously, to loss of customer confidence, which negatively affects the image of the company as a whole.
• Moral reliability. The participation of the top officials of the company in immoral scandalous situations related to corruption, violence, counterfeit trade, etc., fatally affects the image of the organization. Due to the high activity of the media, in particular, today it is quite difficult to hide any unpleasant fact in the biography of a major leader. Therefore, many top officials of well-known companies use the help of professional image makers and carefully build tactics for communicating with clients, partners, and the media.
• Professionalism, competence. The high level of competence of the head is a guarantee of the quality of its goods and services, positively affects the attitude of employees, customers and partners towards him, raises the image of the company and the level of trust in it.
• The ability to influence people by deed, word and appearance. Effective leader must be a leader capable of rallying his employees, forming an effective working team. Leadership qualities are determined, among other things, by charisma, a personal example of attitude towards work and people.
• Psychological culture. Knowledge by the manager of the basics of psychology, the ability to select a team according to the requirements of the organization and the individual characteristics of employees, their character traits.
• Humanitarian education. The basis of the leader's worldview principles can be such humanitarian values ​​as health, social security, spiritual wealth, environmental safety of people. All these factors are prerequisites for the successful operation of the organization. The image of the manager is manifested in his popularity, the ability to maintain a positive psychological climate in the team, the ability to protect the values ​​of the company. In general, the image of a leader is the result of his skillful positioning and correct reaction in specific situations that require a competent choice and a certain model of behavior.

Let's give some examples.

If the manager is constantly late for business meetings, is inattentive when communicating with partners, does not pay due attention to the words of the interlocutor, does not comply with agreements, is untidy dressed - he is unlikely to be able to inspire confidence in his partners and customers, even if his company produces impeccable quality products, has a modern office and highly qualified employees.

The image of an organization largely depends on how effectively relationships within the company are built.

A leader who is immaculately dressed, has impeccable demeanor, is dynamic, erudite, modern, pleasant in communication, strictly observing obligations to partners, undoubtedly deserves trust. It is important that, while maintaining an impeccable external image, the manager pays attention to the internal one - among the employees of his own company.

If he regularly raises his voice to subordinates, does not keep his promises, does not listen to the opinions of employees and does not accept constructive criticism, the outflow of qualified personnel and staff turnover in the organization will be inevitable. This state of affairs will also affect the external image of the leader, since sooner or later both clients and partners become aware of unhealthy intra-corporate relations in the company.

The image of the head should be subordinated to the specifics of the company. The head of the bank in a classic suit with conservative views, demonstrating restraint in conversation and confident behavior to his interlocutors, will be perceived as a guarantor of the company's stability. The head of a creative agency, dressed in the latest fashion, demonstrating flexible behavior, willingness to adapt to the interlocutor, gushing with ideas, will be perceived as a person who knows how to organize a creative team to achieve the best result.

The correct model of behavior of the head of the company must comply with the laws and not contradict the rule of law in society. This model provides:

• impeccable morality, adherence to universally recognized moral standards;
• taking into account the characteristics of gender in personal behavior (the most rational is the manifestation of the properties that are expected from men or women);
• critical approach to choosing one's own behavior model;
• approval of the goal of the individual as a measure of the choice of a certain model of behavior (the more significant the goal of the individual, the more motivating force it has).

Organization image management

In large and prestigious corporations, companies, organizations, image management is carried out by centers, PR departments, the work of which determines the perception and interpretation by the general public (consumer, partners, public organizations, etc.) of the purpose, mission, philosophy of the enterprise - goals, social obligations and instructions, public responsibility, moral values, principles of attitude towards their employees, certain groups of the population, environment and etc.

If the role of the PR department in shaping the image of the company is quite obvious, then the functions of the HR department in this matter are often given insufficient attention. However, the human resource management policy in the company directly affects its image. Retaining highly qualified personnel is the key to a successful business.

If the role of the PR department in shaping the company's image is quite obvious, then the functions of the HR department in this matter are often given insufficient attention.

And if for some reason employees still leave the company, it is important to maintain good relations with them. Indeed, the so-called word of mouth sometimes plays a decisive role in shaping the company's image, especially in those areas of business where the market for highly qualified specialists is small.

To maintain a positive image of the company, HR specialists must show a loyal, respectful attitude towards employees, monitor strict observance of their rights, and be attentive to the characteristics and needs of each specialist. If the PR service is the face of the company in the market of customers and partners, then the HR department represents the company in the labor market. Above, we have already talked about the external and internal image of the leader. The same can be said about the company as a whole - its external image, provided by the PR department, must correspond to the internal one, which is formed by the HR department.

The tasks of these structures include:

• supporting a favorable attitude of people to the work of the organization in order to ensure its normal development, expanding the sphere of influence;
• moving forward in the sphere of mutual understanding of the organization with all the participants in the interaction;
• expansion of spheres of influence through propaganda, advertising, etc.;
• identifying and neutralizing rumors or other sources of misunderstanding;
• formation of corporate cohesion, creation and support of employees' responsibility and motivation.

The specific tools of the company in the struggle to improve the image are the following types of PR activities:

• press conferences;
• charity events;
• expert publications in industry media;
• participation in industry exhibitions;
• organization of thematic conferences and round tables for partners and clients.

One of the effective methods of improving the internal image of the company by the HR department is the creation of its own corporate publication, which reflects the life of the company, its achievements, plans, etc.

The corporate edition allows to solve the following tasks: team building, integration of branches; encouragement of employees and partners; formation of an information platform for the demonstration of goods and services, the announcement of new products, promotions; ensuring creative self-realization of the company's employees.

How to manage the image of an organization

Image policy is a dynamic process. At each new round of company development, various image management actions should be carried out. You should start with the development of the company's trademark, logo, slogan, definition of the mission and philosophy, or their competent adjustment in accordance with the activities of the company. This is followed by the development and definition of urgent and long-term goals and plans for the company, monitoring the market of competitors, recruiting personnel who will be entrusted with the company's image policy and a clear distribution of areas of responsibility.

There are two possible ways image management of the organization. You can entrust this task to outsourcing PR agencies or recruit PR specialists for your company. In any case, it is recommended to invite a professional image maker for consultation.

Retaining highly qualified personnel is the key to a successful business

It is strongly not recommended to let the company's image float freely, even if it has already been formed and is positive. The situation on the market is constantly changing, so work on maintaining a positive image should be carried out constantly and only on a professional basis. You should not sacrifice a long-term image for the sake of easy, albeit large, profits. Advertising of products and services should be as honest as possible in order to avoid loss of customer confidence. A sharp change in image negatively affects the success of the company. It is very important to stay true to the fundamental decisions made and the business development strategy.

The image of the company should be focused on the actual values ​​of the modern society in which the company operates. Taking into account these values ​​will allow us to form a competent policy of interaction with all external and internal counterparties: clients, partners, sponsors, applicants, and our own employees.

The image should be flexible, but in most cases it is not recommended to change its basic basis, the concept of the company's activities. At the same time, in accordance with the constantly changing market situation, the company must constantly work to adapt the image to new conditions, the needs of customers and partners.

Articles

The location of the business itself is an important component of your image. If you are not satisfied with the image of a small street shop, you consider that your business is of a higher class, you can always rent a mailbox with a more prestigious address in another area or city. Including your fax number, web page and e-mail address in a business card or letterhead also becomes part of the image, moreover, it seems to me that today it is just a good form rule for any company. If you have not managed to get your own fax or website yet, negotiate with companies that offer services of this kind.

The location of your company's office and its condition are extremely important.

Think about the image that will arise in the minds of your customers if your store is located on a narrow suburban street, on which half of the retail space has remained unrented. After all, you want to be seen as a successful company, right? Even if the two firms are no different, people will still want to do business with the successful one. On its own, your business may be doing well, but if there are empty premises or unkempt shops near us, or just a house located in a residential area, the shadow of their image of "losers" will fall on you too. The company "Medcom" in the initial stage of its development also suffered from the fact that the company's office simply did not exist, it was necessary to disguise the director's apartment and his phone as workers. But later, it was precisely for a positive impact on the image that huge money was spent at that time, in comparison with the company's income, to purchase premises on Leninsky Prospekt in Moscow. And the results were not slow to show. It was from this moment that it became possible to invite clients to negotiate in the office, and when they saw elegantly decorated offices equipped with the most modern technology, friendly employees and a business environment, then orders poured in like from a cornucopia.

When this section was being written, the example of Sberbank immediately came to my mind, which is simply amazing in how clearly it follows certain standards in its external image. Remember, when you see a big green sign in any district of Moscow (and probably the whole of Russia), you expect to see letters on it saying that this is a branch of Sberbank.

color power

Colors create emotions. That's why you need to carefully consider the color scheme of the interior in your office. You're not going to invest a million dollars to build a restaurant and then paint it all black inside and out? "No, of course, I'm not an idiot," you say. Anyone who is familiar with the psychology of color knows that black drives a person into a state of depression, red excites a person, speeds up the pulse and increases blood pressure, while, for example, green, on the contrary, calms and gives a feeling of confidence. combination too bright colors cannot create the calming atmosphere that is so necessary for those who, for example, are preparing to enter the office of a dentist or an insurance agent.

If you are unable to use the services of a professional designer, seek help from a friend who is knowledgeable in this matter. In any case, you should not underestimate the powerful influence of the external image of your building, surrounding territory and interior on the state of affairs in your business.

Five senses

Walt Disney elevated the use of all five senses and the rank of art. Its amusement parks enrich visitors with a sensory experience from the moment they enter the parking lot, which is beautifully integrated into the surrounding landscape. At the front gate, pleasant music is pouring from somewhere, and you feel that your mood is changing, although you have not even bought tickets yet. As you pass through the gate, your nose catches the scent of popcorn sold in the central square. Then you head to the main square, and there are musicians playing, and your mood rises higher and higher. You are walking along the central avenue, and enticing smells from chocolate shops rush towards you, because their air vents purposely go straight to the street, and not to the roof.

A similar method can also be used effectively for professional purposes. Consider Roy Bentham, one of the world's most successful dentists, whose business thrives not only because he is an excellent specialist, but also because he, through creative use of the five human senses, has managed to create an effective image for his practice.

What is the #1 problem for dentists today? Fear of patients who are afraid to go to the dentist, afraid of pain. Dr. Bentham's office is decorated in such a way that people are pleased to enter it, they are attracted by the atmosphere that reigns in it, which relieves unnecessary anxiety. Firstly, the office building itself looks like a lovely country house surrounded by a beautiful park. Inside the office, there is no sterility that we are used to seeing in dentists' waiting rooms. When decorating the office, Bentham used the principles of architectural psychology. Based on them, the most peaceful place in the house where guests like to gather is the kitchen. Therefore, the first room of his office, in which the patient enters, is a cross between a kitchen and a waiting room. It fills with the smell of freshly baked bread. Mrs. Bentham, who always bakes during office hours, offers each guest a muffin and a cup of coffee. If the patient wishes, he can wait his turn in the living room adjoining the kitchen. There are no armchairs that are usually seen in reception areas, only country-style couches.

After a snack, the patient receives a toothbrush and toothpaste to prepare for the examination at the dentist. The emphasis in the interior of the doctor's office is on high windows with a magnificent view of nature, which distracts the patient's attention from the frightening appearance of dental equipment.

In addition, medical staff are required to say at least two pleasant things to each patient so that he calms down and feels comfortable. Is it any wonder that because of the large number of patients, the doctor needs to be booked in advance, that he was shown on the news program on television, and that Dr. Bentham is one of the few dentists in the world whose patients try to arrive early for appointments. He was able to understand and use the power of sensory perception of the image.

A sensory approach to creating an image should be used in any kind of business, even in a car service. One auto repair shop owner, having developed his image plan with his image plan, now keeps the entire area spotlessly clean, and every repaired car cleans inside and out, tying a candy with a thank you note to the steering wheel. What was this car service station like before? It was no different from hundreds of others, in which dirt and disorder reign, mechanics wear coveralls stained with grease and oil, and dirty handprints are sure to remain on every car after repair. At least from the above example, you can understand that creating the sensory side of the image does not big costs. Now you understand that the image can work for anyone? But this is indeed the case! Whether you own an international corporation or a street corner store, creating a positive image will change your income. Improving the image is one of the main ways to increase profits. It's so clear and simple. It is easier and cheaper for small companies to do this than for large corporations, where a well-developed bureaucracy can distort the image you want to create.

People learn about a new product or service mainly through advertising. Some types of advertising use a powerful image, others do not. Television turned our view of life in the 20th century upside down. Over the past forty years, we have evolved from a society of readers into a society of television viewers. Today, we form opinions about people and products based on visual images, symbols, and concise, carefully crafted text. In this sense, advertising, print and electronic, has risen to the level of science. The most important problem for those who do advertising today is competition. The volume of information about the product that falls on the buyer is striking.

In addition to advertising in newspapers, on the radio, on billboards along the road, in evening TV shows and magazines, the ordinary Russian consumer receives so many commercial advertisements every day that most of them are simply not perceived by him. Only the most effective advertising reaches a person and influences him.

Today, in the midst of competition, the creation of advertising should be entrusted only to professionals. Whether it's writing an ad for a local newspaper or mailing an ad, the amateur endeavor is unlikely to grab the consumer's attention because it will have to compete with hundreds of other commercial ads written by professionals. And here, perhaps, the main problem is how to stand out from the crowd.

Even if the creation of advertising is entrusted to professionals, you still have to correctly explain to the designer what you want from him. First of all, make sure that your ad conveys your uniqueness - that aspect of your business or product that sets you apart from your competitors, where you outperform most of them. It is very important that your advertising campaign is integrated with the image creation program. There should be one theme and one motto throughout the entire image building plan. This means that you need to define your company's goals, corporate philosophy, put down your long-term goals and analyze the main problems associated with your image. Such information will allow advertising professionals to choose the right direction of work and will allow you to comprehensively, in the most favorable light, present your company and products in advertising. Today, effective advertising attracts the attention of the consumer not only by its professional level, but also by its emotional impact on people. It is unlikely that all advertising agencies understand this, so before commissioning any of them to create your advertising, study his previous work.

Take, for example, the advertising strategy of two brands - "DrPepper" and "Coca-Cola". DrPepper chose the slogan "This is not just a cola for you" as the theme of their advertising campaign and lost. Instead of drawing consumers' attention to DrPepper's products, its advertising emphasized facts and competition with Coca-Cola and other cola companies. "DrPepper" failed (we are talking about this particular advertising company) to create such an advertisement that would emotionally affect potential visitors.

Coca-Cola resisted the temptation to retaliate symmetrically and continued to appeal to the sensitive soul strings of people, using in advertising the atmosphere of fun, images of children and Santa Claus giving these kids a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Internal image of the company

The internal image, the image of the company in the eyes of its employees, is the most underestimated part of the business image formula. While a positive external image in the eyes of society gives you the right to be heard, it is the internal image that determines whether you have something to say to the buyer. These two halves of the image equation refer to two different "big events" in your company.

You, probably, often happened to be in shops or offices, dotted with advertising slogans "The customer is our king"? At the same time, you most likely thought: "Probably, here at least they value their customers and value them." You go into the store and you see that inside it is finished very beautifully. "Surely they spent money to impress me with their interiors. And they succeeded," you conclude. Finally, you find the necessary product, got the money and are ready to make a purchase. You walk up to the cash register where two or three employees are standing and talking about their domestic problems, about yesterday's party - about anything but business. Remember that no one helped you when you walked between the shelves, choosing the right product. No one thought to treat you like a king or even a prince. This company has not passed the "moment of truth" test.

Compared to the internal image, the external image is much easier to change, and besides, it opens the door for you, behind which new opportunities lurk. The internal image, on the contrary, is more difficult to correct, but it is much more important for the company's reputation and its success. The dedication of employees to their company and the enthusiasm for customer service is the core of the internal image.

The dedication of the company's employees

Experience shows that most employees are not even aware of the impact they have on the customer's perception of the company they work for. The advice that can be given to employees of any company is simple: either you always speak only positively about your bosses and your work, or leave this position and find the one company in which you will be proud to work. This advice applies to employees at all levels, whether you're a postal worker or a truck driver.

Based on the foregoing: the internal image is the image of the company through the eyes of its employees, the image that arises among buyers when communicating with its employees. Simply put, a negative internal image means the company will inevitably lose customers and reputation. Despite the fact that a damaged internal image is very difficult to restore, it will still cost you less to repair than finding new buyers. Research by Boston-based consulting firm Forum Corporation shows that retaining a loyal customer costs five times less than acquiring a new one.

Even the most famous companies protect their internal image and try to maintain the morale of employees. There is a well-known story about how, during the formation of the computer industry, Xerox assembled a team of famous computer scientists and gave them the task of developing the first personal computer. The activity of this team, which worked on the creation of computer shortcuts, "mouse" and computer networks, was extremely successful. But internal conflicts and competition between its members led to the fact that in the end the Palo Alto team broke up. Leading positions in the development of personal computers captured Apple company computers.

The team spirit and morale of the employees determines whether a company with big plans and talented employees will become world famous or will leave only a slight trace in history.

Company introduction

Perhaps no employee need is more important in boosting morale and loyalty to the company than the desire of employees to keep abreast of the activities of their company. One of the main responsibilities of management should be to constantly familiarize employees with the concept of the company's development.

James Houghton, head of Corning Glass Works, is an exemplary leader who perfectly translates this thesis into the practice of his company. Houghton makes 40 to 50 trips a year to the company's outlying locations to preach about product quality. It also requires all new hires to attend courses that emphasize the company's high standards and goals. Many companies with a strong internal image have similar programs for newbies.

If you are a small business owner, I would recommend that you at least host a new hire party and talk about the company's history, goals, and standards. This is necessary in order for the employee to have a sense of pride in their new job.

Belonging to a company with high standards appearance and behavior raises the morale of the new employee. But some executives fear that maintaining high standards of appearance and behavior could negatively affect the quality of work of employees. Nothing like that - just the opposite. The very fact that a company hires only good people and thereby maintains high standards increases its attractiveness in the eyes of candidates for vacancies. And of course, it strengthens the team spirit of those who already work there.

Putting clear standards of behavior and appearance in writing makes problem solving much easier. The manual with the standards set out in it will help you start any conversation of this kind.

It's great if the development of standards, job descriptions is carried out simultaneously with the creation of the company, even before the first employee is hired. Preliminary work strengthens the image of the company and saves time in the future when solving problems related to employees. Many of us know how boring instructions can be, so your company's code of conduct should be written in a positive style and tone. When people are bombarded with conditions and demands that they are unable to fulfill, they can only stage an uprising.

For example, policies may state that employees must take vacations during a certain period of time. It is necessary to change the style of such a statement to a more positive one and write that the company offers its employees to take vacations in the summer so that they can have a better rest. Try to include a few relevant cartoons in such a pamphlet, and then it will look much more attractive, it will be read much more willingly. When new employees become familiar with job descriptions, it will become clear who wants to work in a company with certain standards and goals, and who does not want to overcome the set bar. Providing each employee with such brochures is one of those "little things" that work to create a positive image, although from your point of view, preparing them can take too much time in a difficult start-up period for a company.

The need for respect

Modern companies in which they work best managers, try to satisfy another desire of their employees: the need for respect.

The American subsidiary of the Japanese company Honda, for example, in order to create an atmosphere of equality in the company, abolished traditional management privileges. No more separate car parks. Everyone eats in the same cafeteria. Managers and workers wear the same uniform. In addition to these symbolic gestures, Honda encourages the participation of its workers in decision-making, overtime schedules and shifts, which has always been the prerogative of management. Do equal employee relationships at work strengthen their commitment to their company? Undoubtedly. Here is how one of the employees put it: "Finally, I have something in my life that I can believe in."

Whatever forms the common denominator of the company's success takes, its essence always remains the same - mutual respect of employees. For example, Domino's Pizza pizzeria employees treat each other as if they were customers. To reinforce this standard, the company's sixteen regional branches regularly conduct a staff survey on the level of office service by head office employees. Monthly bonuses for company headquarters managers depend on the number of points that they earn in this ranking.

Managers should at least avoid collisions with employees. In conditions of confrontation, both respect and the morale of the team disappear very quickly.

The need for two-way communication

One of the strongest needs of company employees is the need for an improved internal corporate communication system. A study among employees of large financial corporations shows that at the top of their list of complaints was poor communication between subordinates and management and a feeling that superiors do not respect their employees. When subordinates are involved in two-way communication, when they are constantly informed about what is happening in the company, they feel that they are valued and trusted.

And this, in turn, gives rise to a positive attitude of employees towards the company.

Well-established corporate communication means more than just the distribution of a constant stream of information. It also includes the study of employees' opinions by managers and personal contact with them. Honda executives, for example, walk around the factory for an hour every two months and talk with company employees who have come up with the best ideas for improving production. In the words of Honda's EVP Toshi Amino: "If you really want to have stable two-way communication and employees feel like a team, you will need a lot of time."

Need for creative work

Employees' need for creativity and the opportunity to make a personal contribution to the company's business are closely related to the desire for sustainable two-way communication. We all think that we have unique talents, that we are special and not like others. When we get a chance to show our creativity at work, we feel our importance to the company. No one will be able to maintain a high morale if he feels like a small cog in a corporate colossus. If you give your employees the opportunity to make even a small contribution to the common cause, their morale will increase significantly. Conversely, if department heads believe that good ideas are born only in their heads, the motivation for work and the mood of employees fall below zero.

The American company ZM pays serious attention to the promotion creativity workers. And the result, you ask? The company sells over 50,000 products, from the popular sticky notes to bioelectronic hearing aids for the deaf. When Teresa Guzman, an analyst at Salomon Brothers, was asked to explain the reasons for the success of this company, she replied: "3M creates an environment for its employees in which they can create, and then brilliant ideas are born one after another." The creative contribution of employees to the company's business brings it success.

The need to be appreciated by others

The need for our work to be appreciated touches the deepest strings human soul. We can move mountains if we feel valued and are not willing to lift a finger if we feel unappreciated.

In order to express your approval to subordinates and colleagues, you should not come up with grandiose events, the implementation of which will take you a lot of time. The simplest and most valuable thing you can do is send a note to a colleague with words of praise and appreciation. If you want to boost employee morale and be successful at what you do, try taking ten minutes each day to write a few words of encouragement to one of your employees. When others around you start doing the same, your company will be swept by a real "epidemic" of compliments.

Bobby Gee in the above book describes such a case. "While working on the preparations for the Calgary Olympics, I pitched the memo idea to a group of Convention Center managers and asked them to send two memos each to their subordinates. Al Richards, director of the Congress Center, chose an elderly cleaning lady. She had worked at the center for many years, she was never late, she always looked very neat and was a very nice person.It was because she had so many qualities of an ideal worker that she never had any problems and the woman fell out of sight of the managers.To write a note in which the Director of the Center thanked the cleaner for her special qualities ", it took only two minutes. The next morning, a cleaner came into the director's office with tears in her eyes, she clutched a note in her hands. "Never in my life," she said, "no one appreciated me like you do." Thank you for taking the time to write the note to the manager.Al later told me that he thought he was getting as much out of these notes as the ones to whom they are intended. When an "epidemic of praise" begins in a company, any of its employees feel better ... "

So what is the end benefit? Employees who are valued by management will value their customer. And the client will definitely feel it. A simple but very useful summary.

Need for recognition and reward

The need for recognition and reward is akin to the desire of employees to be highly appreciated by others. Recognition of the merits of an employee is a high appreciation of his contribution to the common cause in the presence of colleagues. The praise of an employee in front of his colleagues brings a double benefit, because the effect of its impact is doubled. The promotion serves as an immediate reward for good work to an actor, musician, satirist, professional speaker, or priest. They receive it in the form of laughter, applause and applause. Each of us needs the same recognition, and each of us wants to receive it. But who will applaud the cashier, the secretary or the cleaner? What can they expect? Is it for a small salary increase at the beginning of next year?

A company that understands the need of its employees for encouragement is very smart. It is not at all necessary that the reward be expensive and abstruse. It can be an unscheduled day off, a gift, a bouquet of flowers, tickets to a sports competition, or even an invitation to a party at the office.

Attention to employees is returned a hundredfold by the devotion of the company's employees, satisfaction from their work, and therefore, the increase in their eyes of the image and prestige of the company. No one can contribute more to a company's corporate image than employees who take pride in their work.

The need for growth and advancement

M. Mescon writes that in 1987, USA Today published a very interesting study called "Reasons for the dismissal of workers." It was based on the materials of the survey conducted by consulting company Robert Half International. To their surprise, the researchers found that in the list of top reasons for quitting, money ranks last place. The main reason for workers' dissatisfaction was limited opportunities for growth. This was mentioned by 47% of all respondents. Another 26% cited the fact that no one from management appreciated their successful work as the main reason for their departure.

It is by no means a high level of salary that helps to reduce staff turnover or increase the motivation for the work of employees. It's all about meeting the emotional needs of employees. When their employees feel that they are being bypassed by inviting managers from outside, the morale of the team inevitably falls. Employees feel that no matter how well they work, they can never get promoted. This does not mean that it is not necessary to determine whether a certain employee is suitable for a higher position. Career opportunities for employees are related more to the overall corporate philosophy of the company, and not to any particular situation. The fact is that a company that uses a policy of promoting its employees (like, for example, IBM with its lifetime employment system) and appreciates their merits, receives in return a dedicated, highly motivated, productive employee and low staff turnover, which predetermines its financial success. .

The word "image" comes from the English "image", which, in turn, comes from the Latin "imago". AT English language the word "image" has not one, but at least five meanings ("image", "statue (idol)", "likeness", "metaphor", "icon"); while more often in English speech the word "image" is used in the meaning of "image".

Currently in domestic literature and in the practice of image-making, the term "image" is interpreted so broadly that some forms of its use, even by image specialists, often contradict each other.

Imageology is the science and art of how to give the appearance of a person the effect of personal charm, how to master the ability to "shine" people. Not all are its owners. That is why many people have gained interest in imageology, they strive to create an attractive individual look. Without it, one cannot achieve major success in any activity, one cannot gain confidence in one's position in the family, in communication with colleagues.

Image is a kind of magnifying glass that allows the best personal and business qualities person, bring comfort to everyday communication, create an optimistic mood. The activity of a teacher, doctor, service worker is unthinkable without their benevolent appearance. It is very difficult for a manager to become magnetically attractive, but there are even more problems for someone who does not aspire to be magnetically attractive.

The Brief Psychological Dictionary defines an image as “a stereotyped image of a specific object that exists in the mass consciousness. As a rule, the concept of image refers to a specific person, but can also apply to a specific product, organization, profession, etc.” Marketer F. Kotler defines image as "the perception of a company or its products by society."

Management specialist O.S. Wikhansky gives a general definition of image: "The image of a phenomenon is a stable idea of ​​the features, specific qualities and features characteristic of this phenomenon." 1. Vikhansky O.S., Naumov A.I. Management. - M.: Higher school, 1994.

A.B. Zverintsev, who specializes in the development of communication technologies, understands an image as “a relatively stable idea of ​​an object”.

Without pretending to be absolutely indisputable, I propose the following definition of image: Image is a kind of synthetic image that develops in people's minds in relation to a particular person, organization or other social object, contains a significant amount of emotionally colored information about the object of perception and encourages a certain social behavior.

THEM. Sinyaeva defines the image of the organization as follows: “Corporate or organizational image is the image of the organization in the representation of public groups. The commercial success of any enterprise for a long time is determined by the steady receipt of profit through the sale of manufactured products (services) to consumers and lies in the ability to ensure that buyers in a competitive environment give preference to this particular product. To a large extent, the stable commercial success of the enterprise is facilitated by its positive image.”12. Pocheptsov G.G. Imagelogy. - M. Refl-book. Wackler, 2003. The disadvantage of this definition is the absence of an addition that the image of an organization can be formed artificially, or it is formed spontaneously.

The most complete definition of the image is given by M. Medvedev. The author writes that in the content this concept, you need to see two faces:

• - image as a purposefully formed information-figurative construct that holistically characterizes the subject marketing communication and addressed to the audience with the aim of emotional and psychological impact on it;
• - image as an image subjectively perceived by the audience, containing the essential characteristics of the subject of marketing communication (personality, organization) and expressed in assessments, judgments, forms of consumer behavior.

The main communicative functions of the image include:

1. Identification

It comes from the fact that a person tries to read a message about an object in the shortest possible time. He needs basic, key information so as not to "digest" the entire amount of data. This communicative function characterizes the “lightweight” perception of the object by the audience, the possibility of providing it with only the most key points that set the main parameters of the object.

2. Idealization

The named function means the practical provision of the most favorable treatment for the perception of the image of an object, the projectability of those characteristics of a person or organization that are most preferable in a particular target audience.

3. Contrasting

The function implies an orientation towards preparing the ground for creating a positive image of this particular object. The most common mechanism is comparing an object with competitors and pedaling its advantages. The organizers of R. Nixon's election campaign defined their actions to form the candidate's image as follows: “We must be quite precise on this point: the choice is determined by the image, not by the person, since 99% of voters do not have contacts with him. What is important is not what it represents, but what is projected, and, to be more precise, not what is projected, but what the voter receives. We should not change the person, but the impression we get.”

The image, in addition to communicative, has other functions: nominative, aesthetic and targeted.

The nominative function designates (highlights, rebuilds, differentiates) a person or organization among others, demonstrates its distinctive qualities, emphasizes its merits. 4. Zverintsev A.G. Communicative management. - St. Petersburg: Speech, 1999.

The concept of image includes corporate identity. Corporate identity is component and at the same time a means of creating an image. In terms of content, corporate identity is a combination of visual (graphic, color), plastic and acoustic techniques that give style unity to all components of the company's activities: its products, management, marketing policy and tactics, and personnel.

There are two approaches to understanding corporate identity:

• - in a narrow sense, corporate identity is a color and graphic brand of a company and a product that is used in advertising and design of business papers;
• - in a broad sense, corporate identity is a single principle for designing a brand of a company and goods, business papers and documentation, an office and the appearance of employees.

The main components of the corporate identity, which subsequently create the image of the organization:

• - verbal and graphic trademark: the name of the company, made in a certain graphic manner, its logo (some conventional designation registered and owned by this company), as well as its color scheme;
• - corporate font;
• - slogan (motto of the company, in advertising - a short phrase expressing the main idea, appeals);
• - advertising symbol of the company (a certain character placed in graphic form on the printed materials of the company and acting on its behalf in advertising campaigns and PR promotions);
• - an audio image (a musical phrase, a composition for voice or musical instruments, a combination of certain noises that serve as an additional identification mark of the company in radio and television commercials).

The corporate style of the organization performs very significant functions. Among the main features of corporate identity:

• 1. Identification. Corporate identity allows the consumer to easily recognize the desired product (company, service) by some external features.
• 2. Trust. If the consumer is once convinced of the quality of products (services), then this trust will largely extend to all other products of the company. In addition, the presence of a corporate identity in itself inspires confidence.
• 3. Advertising. The presence of a corporate identity significantly increases the effectiveness of advertising. In addition, all objects containing elements of the corporate identity of the company are themselves advertising.

It is advisable to divide the image into:

• 1. corporate (image of a company, firm, enterprise, institution, political party, public organization, etc.);
• 2. individual (image of a politician, businessman, artist, manager, leader of a social movement, etc.).

In both cases, i.e. in relation to the organization and the individual (personality), we can talk about the image of the external and internal. The external image of an organization is its image, the idea of ​​it, which is formed in the external environment surrounding it, in the minds of the "counterparties" of this organization - customers, consumers, competitors, authorities, the media, and the public. The external image of an individual is made up of various forms of verbal, visual, ethical, aesthetic expression and behavior, and the subject is those people who come into direct or indirect contact with him.

Researchers offer three possible approaches to the classification of the image: functional, in which its different types are distinguished based on different functioning; contextual, in which these types are in different implementation contexts; comparative, in which similar images are compared.

F. Jewkins, a supporter of the functional approach, offers the following types of image:

• - Mirror - an image characteristic of our self-image.
• - Current - a variant of the image, characteristic of the view from the outside.
• - Desired - the type of image reflects what we are striving for.
• - Corporate - the image of the organization as a whole, and not some individual units or the results of its work.
• - Multiple - a variant of the image is formed in the presence of a number of independent structures instead of a single corporation.

The contextual approach to the image means that it must be holistic, consistent, take into account the conditions for implementation, and individual features must not contradict each other. The systemic nature of the image allows one visible feature to evoke accompanying characteristics in the mass consciousness. At the same time, it is not necessary to set the task of winning universal love.

The English researcher E. Sampson, speaking of personal image, distinguishes three types of image depending on the combination of external and internal factors: self-image, perceived image and required image. This typology reflects a view of the image from different perspectives: from the side of one's "I" and from the side of other people, from the side of realities and from the side of desires.

The image itself follows from past experience and reflects the current state of self-esteem, self-confidence.

Perceived image is how others see us. Naturally, this point of view may differ from the previous one. We often do not know how they really treat us, how they really speak of us.

The required image means that a number of professions (roles) require certain image characteristics. In some cases, this is facilitated by the type of clothing. A military uniform, a judicial mantle, a royal crown - all these are image signs indicating the performers of specific roles, they seem to be included in the required set of symbols necessary for the performance of these roles.

Some researchers put forward the type of charismatic image as an independent one. The concept of charisma, a charismatic leader was introduced by the classic of sociology M. Weber. He wrote: “Devotion to the charisma of a prophet or leader in war, or an outstanding demagogue in public education or in parliament, just means that a person of this type is considered internally “called” to lead people, that the latter obey not by virtue of custom or institution, but because who believe in him. True, the “leader” himself lives by his own work, “is eager to accomplish his work,” unless he is a narrow-minded and vain upstart. It is to the personality of the leader and her qualities that the devotion of his supporters of the apostles, followers, only to him devoted party adherents belongs.

Depending on the areas of activity, on the different social context in which the image is formed, one can single out the image in politics (and politicians), the image of business, the image of the mass media (the image of pop stars), the image of the organization, the image of the country. These images differ both in content, and in the mechanisms of their formation, and in the forms of manifestation.

Thus, the formation of the image can and should be included in the system of rational social management, since a wide layer of yet unused managerial reserves is hidden here. Not all practitioners, managers have realized the importance of the image in presenting themselves, their firms and organizations to contractors and the public, many continue to act according to the well-known advertising slogan: “Image is nothing, thirst is everything!”. And they lose the competition.

Thanks to a correctly chosen image, you can quickly enter a specific social environment, attract attention, and quickly establish friendly relations.

Highlighting the best personal and business qualities. A favorable image makes it possible to visualize the most attractive qualities of a person, allowing people in contact with him to know precisely these features that cause sympathy or good disposition.

Shading negative personality characteristics. Through make-up, fashion design, accessories, hair, etc. you can distract people from the shortcomings that a person has.

Organization of attention. An attractive image involuntarily attracts people, it impresses them, and therefore they are psychologically easier to accept what he says or demonstrates.

Overcoming age limits. Skillfully mastering the technology of self-presentation, which is specifically manifested in the successful choice of behavior models and the performance of various roles, one can feel comfortable in dealing with people of different social status and professional status, without fettering oneself with a “complex” of one’s own age.

Knowledge of the technological functions of the image offers its wide practical use. Let us refer to one of the statements of Napoleon: “I am either a fox or a lion. The whole secret of management is knowing when to be this or that.”

Thus, the image is a polymetric phenomenon, the functionality of which is diverse. Its main purpose is to achieve the effect of personal attraction. Whoever fully owns the functions of the image, such a state is inherent in it, which is called the magic of location. The emphasis on the practical meaning of the image distinguishes our understanding of its content and purpose from foreign approaches.

The image can be the property of a specific person, as well as a group one, such as the image of a company or a state structure. As a rule, the image is a positive phenomenon. At the same time, there are many facts in life when a person adopts outrageous behavior patterns, thereby attracting the attention of people, gaining access to the media.

Unfortunately, there are many people who underestimate the role of image in business success, although it is known that a "good name" always wins people over to someone who has a positive reputation. If we take into account the ethnopsychological peculiarity of Russians (meaning the tendency to easily perceive rumors), then it is obvious that an attractive image of an entrepreneurial structure will be a powerful advertising factor and a humanly natural condition for customers to cooperate with it.

When developing the image of, for example, an entrepreneurial structure, a concept of its business intentions is drawn up, personnel and technical and economic characteristics, sponsorship and patronage opportunities are carefully prescribed. Then a technology is created for presenting the entrepreneurial structure to the “eyes and ears” of partners and clients, in order to reproduce a positive “social echo”. During the implementation of the project, advertising is involved (press releases for the media are especially carefully prepared), public relations methods, designers for the internal and external arrangement of the office.

Particular attention is paid to the training of personnel for the ability to make a good impression on business partners and customers. Special work is organized to master the rules of business ethics and business etiquette, holding briefings and negotiations. In the process of such work, it is not uncommon for companies to turn to image makers with a request to create a “Code of Professional Honor” for employees, conduct a series of workshops, and teach protocol communication technologies.

When forming the image of any structure, personal responsibility lies primarily with its leaders. That is why it is advisable to conduct practical exercises with administrators on the preparation and pronunciation of speeches, on receiving visitors in your office, but communicating with staff, on working out a model of behavior on business trips, on observing the requirements for your own appearance.

The main directions in the formation of the image in the short term can be called the improvement of the advertising and marketing strategy through the improvement of the main elements of the company's image (logo, advertising slogan, graphic and color techniques).

For further work, it is necessary to determine the concept of branding.

Branding is a technique for creating a special impression that contributes to the overall image and the relationship of the target market segment to the brand.

Branding occupies the boundary area between marketing research devoted to the problems of segmentation and product positioning, and the creation of an advertising creative.

In the modern Russian economy, the importance of the problems of brand formation and management is largely determined by the development of competition in the consumer market. Foreign manufacturers, actively using the concept of branding, create sustainable competitive advantages of their brands in the minds of domestic consumers.

In essence, in the modern market there is a struggle between brands and their advertising images for a place in the minds of buyers. The result is the presence of emotional motives in the behavior of individual consumers, which often prevail over rational ones. As a result, success factors consumer goods and services are based not on objectively given, but on subjectively perceived benefits by consumers. These advantages lie in the uniqueness of brands, the ability of buyers to identify brands when making purchases. The purely functional value of a product or service may then be relegated to the background.

Given all of the above, it is necessary to determine the strategy for developing corporate identity.

Since the organization already has a name, and from our point of view meets the requirements of a successful marketing campaign. The image carried by the trademark and the name of the company includes several associative levels. Image development organization

The first is the level of meaningful associations. Research shows that the name always allows one to hypothesize about the company's profile, even when it is a meaningless, meaningless word. Another question is that the degree of scatter of guesses for different names is quite numerous. Some of them leave limitless room for speculation, while others direct guesswork in a certain direction that corresponds directly or indirectly to the true profile. Some, it happens, are sent on the wrong track. Studies show that very often in the names of firms there are words that mean nothing, words whose meaning is not related to the type of activity of the firm, or words that are exactly the same for many different firms.

The second level is the level of archetypal and cultural associations. Based on them, one can draw conclusions about the national-state affiliation and historical roots of the company. At the same time, the introduction of archetypal symbols into the advertising text that characterize the collective unconscious (the term of the Austrian psychologist C. Jung) makes it possible to evoke effective associative complexes in consumers.

The third level is emotional coloring sound. When foreign words, artificial words or abbreviations are used in the title, this side comes to the fore.

The same can be said about the graphic images of emblems, symbols. Graphics can also be represented by several different associative levels:

• - meaningful associations - whether they direct associations in the right or another direction, or do not give them any direction;
• - pictorial signs and symbols - carry a charge of emotional experience, involuntarily resurrecting this experience in the subconscious of people;
• - an analogue of the level of cultural associations - the image can be made in a different style, which reflects the place and time of its creation, and a certain content area;
• - emotional load of visual elements - lines, colors and other elements of the image carry one or another emotional load, due to which it is possible to make the sign more or less stable.

Corporate identity makes a product or service recognizable to the consumer. It is subject to a group of applied requirements: memorability; informativeness; readability; showiness; palpable emotion.

The company logo is also important. Based on the name, it is necessary to make it just as joyful, causing only pleasant sensations and associations in the consumer. In the formation of the logo, it is necessary to pay attention to the colors that should be present there.

The consumer's perception is the meaning he ascribes to things. This process takes place at the individual level, thus, it turns out that each object has a different image for each individual consumer. A consumer may believe that a certain product is of good quality in terms of rational, technical, but at the same time does not like and does not want to buy it in terms of perception (irrational, affective perception).

It is believed that goods and brands retain the same image for a long time, regardless of whether it is good or bad, and it takes a long time and great effort to improve this image.

Therefore, it is necessary in advertising and PR campaigns to initially form the image of the organization, which subsequently does not have to be redone. It is these campaigns that contribute to the formation of the image of the organization in the mind of the consumer, and therefore it is necessary to pay as much attention as possible to the process of developing and introducing the company to the market.

In addition, to retain and attract the attention of the client, it is possible:

• - presentation of already known material with new accents;
• - a consistent increase in any signal parameter (signals should be understood as any impact on the audience);
• - transition to another means of PR-composition or even a channel of perception;
• - "convolution" of all shares in a symbol or name that is well identifiable by the client.

Only a systematic study of the market and the correct positioning of the corporate identity contributes to the development and expansion of any organization.

An important role in attracting a non-regular customer is the level of service: the degree of attention from the staff, the sophistication of the interior, the calm, inviting atmosphere of the entire institution. In other words, the client should receive a level of comfort to which he would like to return.