The Impact of Brand Identity Design on Internal Corporate Communication

This study examines the impact of brand identity design on internal corporate communication. While extant research has explored brand identity largely from an external market perspective, less attention has been paid to how visual and verbal identity elements influence internal stakeholders, workplace culture, employee engagement, and organisational communication flows. Using a qualitative, multiple-case study approach with semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis across three medium-to-large organisations, this research identifies how brand identity design (logo, typography, colour systems, tone of voice, and visual guidelines) shapes employee sensemaking, internal messaging coherence, leadership communication, and informal peer-to-peer exchanges. Thematic analysis reveals four primary mechanisms: alignment (shared meaning), enactment (behavioural modelling), translation (adapting brand cues for internal audiences), and friction (mismatch between identity and internal reality). The study contributes a theoretical model integrating organisational identity, sensemaking, and design communication and offers practical recommendations for managers and brand practitioners to leverage identity design for healthier internal communication. Keywords: brand identity design, internal communication, organisational identity, sensemaking, employee engagement, qualitative research