Before making a decision about The IIA’s brand, you should ask yourself one question: Who do I work for? The answer: internal auditors. This answer captures the true spirit of our brand. Knowing that you work for internal auditors first and foremost will help you as you create communication materials for The IIA.
Of course, this does not mean that you should not concern yourself with other stakeholders within our members’ organizations; it simply goes to the heart of what we are all about. In serving the needs of internal auditors, we also serve the needs of their respective organizations from the president, to the CAE, to the administrative assistant.
IIA The Institute of Internal Auditors Brand Standards1 Manual
This brand manual cannot make decisions for you, but can serve as a guide. In it, you will find plenty of information about logos, fonts, colors, photography and style – the more visible brand elements. But you will not find its heart – because the heart of our brand is how we behave and what we do, on a daily basis, to meet the needs of our members and connect them to the resources that will make them better internal auditors. Granted, you must know certain dos and don’ts of logos and design, it’s much more important to take a step back for a moment and ask yourself, “does this reflect an association that puts its members first? Is it giving answers that matter to internal audit professionals?”
This might sound like a simple way of making brand decisions, but it does not mean they will be easy to make. In fact it may make those decisions even more difficult. Choosing the right words and images, and
putting better member experiences first and foremost – all take time, effort, and care. If this is what we strive for, it will set our brand apart and make The IIA the #1 resource for internal auditors around the globe.
WHAT IS A BRAND?
A brand is more than a logo or illustration — It represents the sum total of the experiences someone has in dealing with an organization.
OUR BRAND IS:
Our identity.
Our reputation.
Our image.
The feelings associated with our organization.
Personality.
The thing that makes us unique.
People’s experience with The IIA.
The glue that connects all of our products and services.
A mental construct behind everything we are and everything we do.