Image is an important part of human life. A lot depends on the ability to present oneself from the favorable side. Often a person does not even think about it, but all people strive to make a favorable impression on others. All people play certain social roles and strive to interact with each other most effectively. The image helps in this, it is a reflection of our aspirations and desires for ourselves, other people and the world as a whole.
Image: concept and types
Today, there are many definitions of image. If we generalize different points of view, then we can characterize the image as a specially created image of an object used for certain purposes. Depending on the object, the image is divided into types.
Types of image:
- human image;
- image of the organization;
- image of the territory;
- image of the item.
In fact, an external image can be created for any object, you just need to understand forwhat is the purpose of this. At its core, the image is a short amount of well-chosen, most beneficial information that needs to be conveyed to a person.
The need to create an image
The types of image and the functions that it performs should help a person interact with the outside world most effectively. Image functions include:
- an opportunity to demonstrate the best qualities, individuality, moral values of a person;
- the influence of the image on the psychological comfort of a person (increases confidence in oneself and one's abilities, has a positive effect on a person's communication skills);
- an opportunity to demonstrate business qualities and professional competence;
- opportunity to mitigate existing shortcomings by refocusing attention on merits;
- an opportunity to draw attention to your person and make the right impression;
- the ability to interact with different categories of people, providing greater efficiency in the business field.
When creating an image, it is important to use reliable information about a person and his real qualities, because the deceit will quickly be revealed, and the person will ruin his reputation. An image that is far from the real personality of a person is very difficult to maintain and broadcast to others.
Personal image
Each person has an individuality that is unique to him. It consists of a set of certain qualities, temperament and character of a person, hisworldview and moral attitudes. Types of human image:
- Personal.
- Business.
Using various individual qualities of a person, various types of personal image are created. For example, in order to fit into a new team, a person creates a reputation for himself as a “simple guy” or “soul of the company”, etc., depending on the qualities that he possesses. A personal image is made up of certain characteristics, according to which the desired image of a person is built. They take into account the various channels of perception of information that a person uses.
Personal image characteristics:
- Dimensional (appearance of a person): clothing style, hairstyle, makeup, manicure, perfume, neatness and grooming. A well-groomed, well-dressed person is subconsciously perceived as worthy of trust and attention.
- Mimic: facial expressions, eye expression, smile, mobility and artistry of the face. The ability to express emotions through facial expressions makes a favorable impression on the interlocutor.
- Verbal: sounding of voice (timbre, intonation), semantic content of speech, expressiveness of speech expression, literacy and accessibility of presentation. A person who knows the art of communication is able to influence and make the right contacts.
- Kinetic: human movements, gestures, gait, posture. The human body transmits the internal state through movements and postures.
- Material: property, things surrounding a person. A man's house, the car he drives, the things he uses cantell a lot about a person.
- Mental: beliefs, worldview, morality, principles, stereotypes. The worldview and beliefs of a person make him interesting to others or, conversely, unpleasant.
- Background: what acquaintances, colleagues, media say about a person. A person's reputation can play into the hands of a person or against him. Therefore, the image largely works on the reputation. And when the necessary reputation is created, it works for the image.
- Internet: activity in social networks, what a person writes, what photos he puts on the Internet. The Internet has become an integral part of human life, so it is an excellent source of information about a person.
Image features
When creating a personal image, you need to take into account some more features of a person. In addition to personal qualities and abilities, there are other important factors that affect the success of a reputation: age, gender, ethnic, social, regional.
It is necessary to understand that the image of a man and a woman will differ according to gender. A businessman and a businesswoman have the same tasks, but their image will be different. Age characteristics, ethnicity, region of residence - all this will affect the image of a person. It is especially necessary to highlight the social factor - this is belonging to different social strata of the population. This is also an important factor taken into account when creating an image.
Image of a business person: appearance, behavior
Business image has its own characteristics, soas connected exclusively with the business activities of a person. Therefore, the appearance and behavior of a person will be aimed at achieving success in professional activities. The business image will be created in order to show the business skills and personality traits, its competence and perspective.
There are several types of business image:
- mirror (reflects a view from the side);
- current (reflects a person's idea of himself);
- desired (reflects what a person aspires to);
- corporate (reflects the image of the organization as a whole);
- charismatic (reflects the image of a leader).
In the business sphere, a person is given the opportunity to show all his abilities and talents. However, this is a competitive field, so a person who wants to succeed needs to constantly develop and improve his abilities. A business image does not tolerate falsehood and ignorance, it requires knowledge and observance of business etiquette, ethics of business communication.
Self-presentation
One of the components of a successful image is self-presentation. This is the ability to show one's abilities, present oneself, attract attention and interest people. Not every person has these qualities, but they can be developed in oneself. Of course, not all spheres of human activity require self-presentation, but it will successfully fit into various types of image. Basically, it is necessary for people of creative professions, especially in show business, as well as in politics.
Corporate image
Any corporation needs a successful image. Its popularity and demand in the market will depend on it. The corporate image reflects the perception of the organization by various social groups. They purposefully form a holistic image of the corporation based on information about its activities.
Different types of corporate image, well-chosen, can provide organizations with business success, demand from customers, fame and influence among other companies, as well as competitiveness.
Corporate image includes:
- corporate philosophy;
- corporation history;
- appearance;
- famous employees and staff;
- environment;
- relations with society;
- general background.
Image of the organization
Different types of image of the organization are united by a set of internal, external and business qualities of the company. They are made up of eight components:
- Image of a product (service): people's perceptions of the unique characteristics inherent in a product.
- Image of consumers of a product: shows the status and character of consumers.
- Internal image of the organization: reflects the culture of the organization.
- The image of the founder and key leaders of the organization: characterized by ideas about the personal qualities, abilities and intentions of the founder or leader, formed on the basis of available toperception parameters: behavior, actions, appearance and activities of the leader.
- Staff image: reflects the image of the staff with their characteristic features.
- Visual image of the organization: reflects information about the office building, its interior, the appearance of the staff, branding.
- The social image of the organization: characterizes the participation of the organization in the social and cultural life of society, the organization of environmental and social programs.
- Business image of the organization: characterizes the organization as a subject of a certain activity, having a business reputation, business activity and the degree of development of innovative technologies.
Shaping the image
The demand and popularity of the image led to the emergence of a scientific discipline - imageology. She studies the image as a developing information product that has a set of unique characteristics and is created in the minds of people. The formation and creation of the image is carried out by specialists image makers. Using various types of image and current consumer needs, they are able to create a sought-after and working image for a person or organization.
Activity as part of the image
The image of the type of activity includes the analysis of a specific type of activity in order to create the most effective image. It takes into account such components as the direction of the activity, the knowledge and skills necessary for its implementation, the representation and requirements of society for a particulartypes of occupations. By type of activity, the following types of image can be distinguished:
- image of the organization (PR technologies, reputation);
- personal image (divided into the image of specialists, politicians and show business);
- territorial image (housing, recreation areas, business areas);
- social image (promotion of various ideas, ideologies).
Image of the territory
Image also exists in different territories, it includes a combination of rational reflections and emotional impressions that arise on the basis of knowledge, rumors and experience regarding all the characteristic features of a territory that are available for perception and evaluation.
Types of territory image:
- formal (composed of an assessment of natural and produced resources, the size of GNP per inhabitant and the amount of human resources inherent in the territory);
- household (formed by local leaders, rumors and media, therefore considered unreliable and unsystematic).
In today's rapidly developing world, information is of paramount importance. Anyone who knows how to use information technology to their advantage will always be successful and in demand in society. The image is directly related to information technology, therefore it is in great demand, especially in business and politics.
