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The term Corporate Identity (CI) refers to both a company's characteristics and the image it conveys to the public. In the early years, when Sony was still relatively small and unknown, CI was a totally new concept in Japan. However, people at Sony realized the importance of CI early on and began to promote the Sony brand name worldwide.
In 1955, Ibuka and Morita registered SONY as an official trademark of Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo with the intention of establishing the name as a global brand. One month later, when Bulova Inc. of the US promised to order 100,000 transistor radios on the condition that they be sold under its own brand name, Morita refused, saying that his company would only allow its products to be sold under the Sony brand. When pressed, he asked Bulova, "How many people had heard of your company fifty years ago? My company is just starting out, but fifty years from now it will be just as famous as yours."
In 1958, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, which was gaining recognition for its Sony brand goods, changed its name to Sony Corporation. The name "Sony" is easy to pronounce and read in any language. Moreover, it has a short lively ring, which matched the spirit of freedom and open-mindedness which Ibuka emphasized in the company's Founding Prospectus. The name "Sony" was neither derived from anything connected with the electronics industry, nor from the names of the company's two founders. At the time it was introduced, the name was considered by many Japanese to be quite strange. The fact that it was introduced at all can be attributed to Ibuka and Morita's progressive philosophy.
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The SONY logo displayed in neon lights in New York's Times Square |
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After changing its name, Sony set about building its brand image. Morita firmly believed that brand image could be built from the ground up, and that a company had to work hard to develop it. For him, corporate image was like a product; it had to be carefully manufactured and marketed and he always kept this in mind when conducting business.
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