Identity

As the growth, skills and character of each living organism is influenced by its specific DNA, so the development, competitiveness and the face of each organization (firm, city, state) is identified by its unique identity which is the manifestation of its own DNA. Therefore we help our clients so their identity becomes their competitive advantage.

DNA in biology:

DNA is a nucleic acid that carries genetic information – code, according to which each cell and each living organism functions.

In a healthy human cell, where the DNA is imbedded as a double helix (with two complementary strands linked together through hydrogen bridges), there are processes in progress thanks to which a human develops, grows, gains certain characteristics, reproduces and regenerates. Under normal conditions the human body is able to function without problems and automatically. It has an immune system that keeps it in healthy state and is able to recognize and destruct foreign substance and causal agents of various diseases (e.g. bacteria, virus).

If the human body is not in a good condition and its immune system is weak, the viruses (made from single helix DNA) are able to strongly build into the human DNA and are even hereditable – this way they transmit disease from parent to child, from one generation to another.

DNA and immune system of a company:

Company as a „living organism“ also needs strong immune system for its growth and development. In a healthy company its internal processes function effectively, they „keep together“ the structure of DNA- where one strand of the double helix represents culture (meaning how identity of a company is reflected inside – towards employees) and the second strand represents image (how the identity reflects outside – towards the clients and market).

Our projects will help you:

• map the state of immune system of your company, identify reasons for undesirable evolution of a „disease“ – problems in its functioning, e.g. in people management, motivation, effective use of human capital, marketing communication and relations with clients.
• find suitable structure, composition and expression of your company’s DNA.
• improve the immune system through fitting development steps that will make the internal process more effective, ensure higher performance and so strengthen health of your company.

Company with no identity is a company with no character. And who would like to cooperate with a characterless company?

Through creation of unified and clear face of your company, you gain the most valuable – trust of your people and clients. Because the face I know is the face I trust.

Almost 80% of the inquired top managers in Europe consider the highly profiled Corporate Identity as the main condition towards the economic success of the company. Only a clearly defined Corporate Identity is able to present itself in the internal environment in the form of a performance oriented Corporate Culture; and in the external environment, emerge as the trustworthy image.

To identify with a company means experiencing that part of one’s own individual identity is also identity arising from belonging to company where the person works.

Strong identification with a company becomes a psychological phenomenon accelerating expressions of an employee on behalf of his/her employer – it is a strong motivation incentive and significantly contributes to accepting responsibility and to proactive behavior towards company’s goals.

It is induced by a fact, that an employee has the company where he/she works inscribed in his/her DNA and at the same time is this unique genetic code of the employee an inseparable part of the company’s DNA.

The research of attitudes is unlike exploration of opinions focused on complex analysis of all three factors of attitude: cognitive (information, knowledge), emotional (experiencing) and behavioral (behavior).

Cognitive factor of attitude is shaped above all by the information that is passed in communication and together with previous knowledge the received information complements the rational argumentation „pro“ or „con“. The current public opinion surveys are focused just on this part of attitude, however the authors declare to analyze the attitude as a whole.

Emotional factor of attitude is the most difficult one to measure, but regarding the behavior of target groups the most important one. The intensity and way of our behavior depends on the emotions evoked by communication message. In case an advertisement evokes strong emotions, a person experiences pressure that is necessary to reduce – and that is possible only through suitable reaction – behavior (behavioral factor of attitude). Without emotional reaction there is no behavior.

The connection between emotional and behavioral factor of attitude is not reflected only in the intensity of person’s reactions, but also in the direction of behavior – whether we will approach or avoid the impulse that evoked emotions (whether we will during the commercial switch to different channel or we decide to use the advertised service). In this way emotions act as activating and also as regulating factor of one’s motivation to behave in a certain way.

Advertisement creators understood long time ago the significant connection between emotional factor of attitude and the behavior of consumers and so they try to affect consumers’ emotions as deep as possible. But the paradox is that the survey agencies continually focus their methods mainly on the cognitive factor of attitude – opinion.

The main reason for that is easiness of survey agencies and unwillingness or inability to step out from one’s own circle. Agencies often use standardized methods, that they took over from their headquarters and with the same set of questions analyze effects of various advertisements. Instead of adapting content and form of methods to specific communication context and taking care of long term building of recognizable identity of subject / product, that is advertised, they rather stick to well known and mechanically mastered, so called, verified methods.

On the other hand, clients have also part of the guilt, as they want to see concrete numbers for as little money as possible and so they force the survey agencies to quantify unquantifiable. But just like we are able to test the level of knowledge and information saturation, so we can find out how a person behaves (if he/she uses our product / service).

The problem remains in finding out the depth, intensity and way of one’s emotions, eventually discover motivation and reasons for one’s behavior. Here we have to rely on subjective opinions that have complex background and cannot be measured by three-item questionnaire. It requires rich interpretation experience, investigative creativity, unconventionality and at the same time also courage to abandon dependance on percentages and averages when arguing.

It requires „hand tailoring research projects“ to the client needs.

And we can do it!

We live in a world which can be characterized by an expansion of space and a contraction of time. We live in a world where we differentiate between two types of companies: either the company is fast, or it is dead. So each company is faced by permanent challenge to gain speed. However, what does speed equal to? If we use the well-known formula

Motto:
Romans did not love Rome, because it was great, Rome was great, because they loved it.
Chesterton

The significance of CI (City Identity) highlights the current situation that is characterized by decreasing activity of citizens, loss of emotions leading to degeneration of democracy resulting in decreasing effectivity in micro sphere.

Civilization and quality of the city is not measured by height of buildings and width of roads, but mainly by depth of relationships. And those are mostly influenced by the City Identity that is part of social identity of its citizens.

The task of top representatives of the city is to create attractive City Identity, find suitable ways for its promotion and integration into social identity of citizens. Only then the city will have active, willing and participative citizens.

The process of City Identity formation is in progress when comparing city where we live with other cities that we know, that we visited and where our friends live.

The goal is that our city will in this comparison look as positive as possible regarding for us relevant criteria.

In practice it means that one can identify oneself with a city that one considers e.g. functioning, beautiful, successful, and friendly towards its citizens and visitors....At the first sight it seems that less developed cities do not have identified citizens. But the identification with city does not depend on its economic level.

The criteria for inter-group comparison are not only based on economy, size, influence or number of modern buildings. Very often the opposite is true.

Our studies show, that citizens consider as the important criteria- nature surrounding the city, cultural life, quality of relations with the local government, opportunities for self-realization and so on.

The answer to the question, why to develop City Identity among its citizens, is easy: Identified citizen does everything to make his / her habitation better than others. This means that one will give maximum to develop city, not only because one cares about the city but above all cares about oneself.

If one finds out in the process of comparison with other cities that one’s own city is in a significatly worse state regarding for one relevant criteria, one will not identify with it (one will not spoil one’s own self-evaluation). This means that non-identified citizen will not try to change the current situation in one’s own city, but will rather look on hands-off.

The more the citizens are identified with their city / habitation, the more they care about it, they are willing to do something for it, actively participate on its development, even do something at the expense of one’s own benefit. This way the city prospers much more and offers more and more possibilities for its citizens’ positive identification.

Clearly defined value orientation enables company to create recognizable and unique brand. At the same time it simplifies the identification process of employees with the company.