The constant changes in which we live as a society, make organizations challenge their learning horizons more every day, with the aim of identifying areas of opportunity that give them the advantage of being one step ahead of their competitors.
Smart organizations should always be in a constant search to analyze the factors that provide them with tools for their success and consolidation in the market. In some situations, they use anything to take that step that means the difference between dying or continuing on the long road that an organization has.
In the last two decades, many means have emerged to boost companies, many studies showing that the success of an organization does not only depend on its internal integration, but must pay some special attention to the way consumers perceive it. the organization. For this reason, a new era of study emerges: Imaginology, which aims to analyze the public image of people and companies.
Currently, businessmen and organizations are using the power of the public image to give added value to the company they represent, including, the public image is already taught in the country as Bachelor's, Diploma and Master's degrees, all this possible, thanks to the Founder and pioneer of the College of Public Image Consultants Víctor Gordoa Gil, Mexico being the pioneer country of imaging as a professional activity worldwide.
An organization, by the simple fact of existing, projects through its facilities, people, buildings, vehicles, offices, among others, an image that well used can increase the profits of the company. All the means described above are a form of communication with customers and must be focused and managed in the search for the public image that correctly represents the company.
WHAT IS IMAGOLOGY?
Imaging is a topic that emerged in the early 1940s, according to the Czech writer Milan Kundera. It is based mainly on the study and analysis of the public image of a person or a group of them. Next, I will present two definitions, the first in terms of the specialist Víctor Gordoa and the second in terms of Milan Kundera.
According to the Mexican public image specialist Víctor Gordoa, the imagery defines it as:
The Czech writer Milan Kundera does not give an explicit definition about the term imaging, however he does provide a series of ideas that help to understand this area of study. The application that he gives to imaging is focused on the area of literature, although it highlights the use of imaging as a branch of areas such as Philology, Comparatistics and Linguistics. For Kundera, imaging is the study of mental images or imagotypes.
For Kundera, “the important thing about imagery is that this word allows us to unite under one roof what has so many names: advertising agencies, image consultants for statesmen, designers who project the shapes of cars and from the gym equipment, the fashion designers, the hairdressers and the stars of the show bussines, who dictate the standard of physical beauty that all branches of imagination obey. "
The OBJECTIVE of imaging is to know the individual or the organization, respect their essence and qualities, to detect and work on their areas of opportunity. In such a way that an entire impact strategy is built, both physically, professionally, verbally, visually, audiovisual and environmentally, to project an image of credibility and trust.
The work presented below will be based on the definitions and principles proposed by Víctor Gordoa, because it focuses more on the study and analysis of the public image from two perspectives: individual and collective, whether of a person, a product or a service.
From the previous definitions, it is clear that imaging studies the public image, therefore, to continue in the research, it is necessary to define the concept and mention the characteristics of the public image. First, I will define the concept of image and later I will link it with the second term.
WHAT IS THE IMAGE
The image is the set of beliefs and associations held by the public who receive direct or indirect communications from people, products or services, brands, companies or institutions.
For the public image expert, Víctor Gordoa, the image is a process of perception and can produce a value judgment in who or those who perceive it, the result is that it drives the individual to a degree of acceptance or rejection with respect to the generator of the picture. In his first published book "The Power of the Public Image" he makes a successful approach to what the concept of image is, using four principles:
- The image is a result and therefore it is caused by something. It is the effect of one or more causes, which will always be external, unrelated to the issuer and the effect will be internal. The image will produce a value judgment in those who conceive it, so that their opinion will become their reality. Value is the spring that drives consequent individual action: accepting or rejecting what is perceived. When the individual mental image is shared by a public or group of them, it becomes a collective image, originating the public image.
Starting from the fact that the image is perception, and from the figure that we have on the right. We can define in terms of equation the way in which the image is constructed and the elements that compose it. The stimuli are the cause of the public image and basically consist of the incitement to act or make something work, the stimuli can be verbal (with words) or non-verbal (without words).
Perception and Imaginology
Having understood the conceptualization of the word image, under the principles of Víctor Gordoa, we can now begin to define the concept of public image. I decided to take the definitions of the same author, since as previously mentioned, this work will be based on the methodology and knowledge of Víctor Gordoa. In the last point of the previous text, give a short introduction to what the public image is.
THE PUBLIC IMAGE
The public image can be defined as “the dominant perception that a community establishes regarding a person, institution or cultural reference, based on the impressions and public information it receives.
Víctor Gordoa defines it as "the shared perception that causes a unified collective response", the image is the figure, representation, resemblance and appearance of a thing.
The public image can occur in two ways:
- IndividualGroup
To better understand the concepts previously described, it is essential to mark or define three important points; the first, to understand that the image is the representation of an internal effect in which certain factors that come from the outside intervene that condition the way of expression of the thing or person that is being analyzed. Subsequently, the value of the public image indicates a cultural value judgment, this means that as people we are subject to judgments issued by other people. And finally, and in my opinion the most important point is that public image is a form of communication, of which companies have not made the most of this tool,because it was commonly made the mistake that public image was only important to politicians or important people in the media.
For people who intend to design a public image, it is necessary to have knowledge in communication, semiotics, marketing and psychology. All this is necessary, because by unifying them it is possible to design a physical image or a functional and pleasant space, which will be able to make the most of the use of the public image.
"The theory teaches us that every public image, whether personal or institutional, is subordinate to six images: physical, professional, verbal, visual, audiovisual and environmental." That is why imaging specialists must master issues related to the areas of knowledge described in the previous paragraph, because finally, the public image, aims to be placed in the political, business, institutional or commercial markets.
Public Image Diagram
Next, I will present the diagram of the public image:
The diagram presented shows the two ways in which the public image can be given. In turn, it is appreciated that both types are related to each other, since people are the ones who support the image of a company, and vice versa. Finally, the six types of image that describe both the personal and the institutional are observed.
PUBLIC IMAGE IN AN ORGANIZATION
Before beginning to describe the six types of image that describe a person or a company, it is necessary to emphasize that the public image of what is being analyzed must be consistent with what is actually being described. For example, we cannot say that a person is punctual, when he is always 5 minutes late, or that a company is socially responsible when it is exceeding the permitted limits for the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. If what is projected in a company is cleaning, it is because the collaborators who work and carry out their activities in that organization have a commitment to the company to keep their work areas clean and have a culture of not littering.
It is important to note that in order to analyze the public image of a company, it must be understood that it is an organism made up of a set of six images, which result in a global integration of the company. As the book of the fifth discipline says… we are used to trying to see things by breaking them down into the parts that form it so that its analysis is easier, however, when we want to unify it it is practically impossible, it is like breaking a mirror and analyzing alone one part and then wanting to unite it in all its parts.
Physical image. We must understand that the image of a company is made up of the sum of all the collaborators who work in said organization. It is important to highlight that one of the most influential physical impressions with the external and internal environment is of the person who is in charge of the company, since he is the leader and is usually the one who closes important and juicy contracts for his company. Without subtracting weight, there are the rest of the collaborators, and especially those who are in direct contact with customers and suppliers. The physical image of a person not only includes the way of dressing, speaking and acting in different situations, but also includes personal physical characteristics, height, weight, color, among others. Costumes, body language and accessories.
Professional Image. It is clear that the public image of the company is the result of the combined sum of the people who work in it (sales area, logistics, quality, production and all those that form a company). The professional image speaking of a person, is one that by habit is associated with an activity. The professional image encompasses executive skills, as they demonstrate the skills to develop the qualities of a person or a company. The professional image includes the way we act in a waiting room, our way of greeting others and above all the way we handle a crisis. The professional image even includes aspects as simple as the way to answer the phone. Basically, they are protocols of conductof people in a normal state or under pressure.
Verbal Image. The verbal image of an organization encompasses the perception generated by a person or a company to its target groups, using the word, either orally or in writing. In this section, it is important to highlight that care must be taken with the way in which the members of the organization express themselves and communicate with other people, through presentations, which can be about products, results, in conferences or in interviews with the media and public presentations.
Visual image. It is very difficult to change the first impression of a person or object, therefore it is important to create a great visual starting image. Speaking of a company's visual image, it is one that is formed by the design of the containers or packaging, labels, logos or any other symbol that can differentiate its product lines from the competition, including how they are designed and painted your transportation vehicles. Use is made semiología to give further support to the visual image.
Audiovisual Image. The audiovisual image is related to advertising forms (tools or means to sell a product or service to clients, it translates as: buy me), propaganda (it is the tool to obtain greater clients, it translates as: love me) and all those media-related aspects such as infomercials and instructional videos. In short, the audiovisual image will be the way in which the company seeks to increase its customers through the use of the tools previously described.
Environmental Image. The environmental image refers to the scenarios where we work, such as the management of colors, lighting, furniture, music, decorative items, aroma, among others; the scenarios can occur in a functional or recreational way. It makes use of the five senses of people.
PUBLIC IMAGE ENGINEERING
Let's imagine that we want to build a brick wall,…, so that our wall can resist environmental impacts, we need to build foundations and beams that give support to the fence; the partitions have to be joined through a mixture of cement with the right ingredients in exact quantity and proportion. The same happens with engineering in public image, instead of gluing bricks we are going to join stimuli (verbal or non-verbal), and we are going to glue all the stimuli with coherence and foundations called essence.
It is called public image engineering, because it is a work that combines the strengths and seeks to reinforce them through the aspects described. To build the public image of people or organizations, the stimuli must be put together, but divided into the six images previously described. Which in turn, give rise to the public image of the company.
AXIOMS OF ENGINEERING IN PUBLIC IMAGE
The specialist in Public Image, Victo Gordoa, raises thirteen axioms that govern the public image.
- It is inevitable to have an image. All people and things have an image, this can be positive or negative. The public image is not only focused on important people in a society. 83% of decisions are made through the eyes. We take or judge things based on what we are observing. The brain process that decodes stimuli takes only seconds. The amazing processing speed of the human brain is so fast that we immediately generate an idea. The mind decides based mostly on feelings. When we feel something, our brain interprets that it is real and true and therefore, we generate a reaction pertaining to what we perceive. The image is dynamic.The fact that the image is dynamic means that its growth must be proportional to the advance of the essence of the stimuli and to the growth of the receiver's needs. The creation of an image must respect the essence of the issuer. This means that the image must be consistent with the bearer of the image, creating a wrong image will result in an unreal image that may work in the short term, but will not be efficient. The image is always relative. The construction of the image has three foundations: its essence, the goal to be achieved and seeking to satisfy the needs of the public. The process of creating an image is rational, so you will need a methodology.You cannot create a public image without following a scientific method, which seeks to improve it as a result. The effectiveness of an anger image is proportional to the coherence of the stimuli that cause it. It is based on the need of the mind to rig to understand; otherwise the answer is rejection. It is more time consuming and complicated to rebuild an image than to build it from the beginning. It is necessary to take into account that stimuli must be planned before starting a project. As long as the image is better, the influence will be as well. The image of ownership permeates the institution. The image of the director or an executive representing an organization will be accepted as the general image of the company. The image of the institution permeates all its members.
Axioms of the Public Image
HOW TO CREATE A PUBLIC IMAGE IN THE ORGANIZATION?
Víctor Gordoa proposes a methodology called Intima, which consists of four steps to analyze and build the public image.
- Investigation. The first step is to identify the public's perception of the company, which is called external research. With the same importance, it must be analyzed which is the concept that collaborators have of the organization where they work. Design.Once the information is collected through research, we can then begin to design and create the image based on the essence of the organization. Let us remember that human resources will be an important part of the company because people are the ones who reflect the organization (by expressing that the company is good, that it offers them excellent benefits, among others).In this stage and once the organizational image has been designed, all stimulus-generating sources must be coordinated so that they can jointly project a single message. Evaluation. It is the last of the four stages, and it is here where, through feedback from the target audience, adjustments can be made to improve the public image.
PUBLIC IMAGE AUDIT
Audit, has the objective of evaluating the performance of a certain activity, verifying if it is really generating the expected results in a previous planning and design. In this sense, auditing the public image means that we will investigate the perception of customers, suppliers, and the general public regarding the organization, in order to identify areas of opportunity that can benefit the company and its collaborators.
To find out what the perception of people of a company is, it can be done in two ways:
- Quantitative. The most used and exact technique statistically speaking is through a census. The disadvantages of this tool is that it takes a long time and economically speaking the cost is high. Therefore, it is advisable to use a well-designed survey that generally covers the entire society that surrounds the company. Through the survey, certain requirements must be met for it to be efficient. What to order? How to request it? Who can I order it with? Qualitative. Qualitative factors are more complicated than quantitative ones, this is because the former seek to analyze the profile of each person and how to interpret the image produced by the issuer. The psychological reasons that drive people to purchase a certain product.
PUBLIC IMAGE: RESULT OF A COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The public image is an excellent communication tool for the organization and can increase profits for the company. In previously seen issues related to organizational communication, we note that the basic communication process is made up of a sender, a process, a receiver and a feedback, in turn, there are obstacles that prevent communication from being effective. Since this topic is focused on the public image, we should take into account certain factors external to it, which can alter that the image perceived by the public is not the most effective, or that the information is lost or does not reach its receivers.
Public Image and Communication Relationship
In the previous figure, an organizational communication scheme with respect to its public is presented, where the difficulty of creating a public image of the company that responds to its expectations and desires is observed. The company structures its messages in a studied and worked communication process, even so, the message that arrives can be internalized, correctly or not, depending on multiple distorting factors such as culture, attention, interest, the noise generated by the competition or a louder and clearer message from another company that grabs your attention more. This internalization of the message, as a communication mechanism, is what will create the public image of the company. It is a slippery, difficult and, in many occasions, unexplored terrain.
ADVANTAGES OF A GOOD PUBLIC IMAGE IN THE COMPANY
There should be important reasons why a company should invest in the public image, rather than looking good and that the public has a good impression of it, what organizations really move them to is how useful it can be to implement new strategies and how much that investment will cost them. Here are some of the advantages why an organization should pay special attention to this issue.
- Increase the portfolio of clients and suppliers Create a more pleasant work environment Maximize the profits of the organization Improve the aesthetics of the company Attract new or potential human resources, due to the desire to belong to an important and well-positioned organization in the market Strengthens marketing activities of the company.
CONCLUSIONS
Well used public image, it can generate the company the possibility of increasing its sales and profits. Public image is more than looking good…. It is a powerful communication tool, which requires a sender, a process, a receiver and feedback. To carry out an effective design of the public image, it is necessary to take into account the six aspects: physical, professional, visual, audiovisual, environmental and verbal image, not taking into account one of them can mean wasting and neglecting an important area of opportunity for the company.
The public image can only occur in two ways: individual and collective. The public image of a company is represented and determined by the entire group of collaborators that make up the company, these are in charge of making the decisions that can be accepted or rejected by consumers and final audiences.
Currently, the imagery is not only linked to politicians and important figures that appear in the social life of a society; All people have a public image, which must be constantly renewed so that it continues to attract the attention of the general public. Failure to do this can mean the decline of the organization.
Although I do not mention it on the subject, I must clarify that the public image and the corporate image of an organization is something very different. The first is more external in nature and seeks coherence between the company and its public, and is used as a communication tool (Design of logos, product labels, facilities, offices, people). The corporate image could say that it is a complement to the public image and that it is more focused towards the interior of the company and seeks coherence with the essence of the company (mission, vision, values, culture, policies).
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ELECTRONIC REFERENCES
- Gordoa, Victor. Imaginology. Editorial Grijalbo. 1st. Edition. Mexico. 2003. Kundera, Milan. (1988). Immortality (Original Text "Nesmrtelnost"). Czech Republic. Edit. Tusquets. Gordoa, Victor. The Power of the public image. Master plan to inspire confidence and gain credibility. Editorial Grijalbo. 11th. Edition. Mexico. 2004. Gordoa, Víctor. Presentation of Engineering in Public Image. Recovered http://www.slideshare.net/carlosgradilla/1-ingenieria-en-imagen-publica Echeverria Remon F. (2010). The public image. A communication value. Icon 14 Magazine (Online) July 1, 2010, Year 8, Vol. 2. pp. 264-275.
Links
Gordoa, Victor. Imaginology. Grijalbo Editorial. 1st. Edition. Mexico. 2003
An imagotype is one that consists of an image and text; the image is at the top and the text at the bottom. The image also works in isolation, receiving the brand in that case the isotype name. Most company brands fall into this category.
Kundera, Milan. (1988). Immortality (Original Text "Nesmrtelnost"). Czech Republic. Edit. Tusquets
Gordoa, Victor. The Power of the public image. Master plan to inspire confidence and gain credibility. Grijalbo Editorial. 11th. Edition. Mexico. 2004
Gordoa, Victor. Imaginology. Grijalbo Editorial. 1st. Edition. Mexico. 2003
Gordoa, Victor. Imaginology. Grijalbo Editorial. 1st. Edition. Mexico. 2003
Semiology is the general science of the modes of production, operation and reception of the different systems of signs that ensure and allow communication between individuals and / or collectivities of individuals: “It is common for semiotics to receive a diversity of definitions: as a science of signs, of symbolic behavior or of communication systems ”.
Gordoa, Victor. The Power of the public image. Master plan to inspire confidence and gain credibility. Grijalbo Editorial. 11th. Edition. Mexico. 2004
Gordoa, Victor. Presentation of Public Image Engineering. Recovered from
Public image audit: Qualitative and quantitative research, retrieved from
Echeverría Remón, F. (2010). The public image. A communication value. Icon 14 Magazine (Online) July 1, 2010, Year 8, Vol. 2. pp. 264-275, Retrieved on March 22, 2011, from
