Introduction Work on corporate identity has increased in importance (Cornelissen, Haslam & Balmer, 2006; Cornelius, Tassabehji & Wallace, 2007; He & Balmer, 2007; He & Mukherjee, 2009; Melewar & Karaosmanoglu, 2006; Otubanjo, 2008; Otubanjo & Melewar, 2007; Suvatjis & de Chernatony, 2005) over the last fifty years. The increased importance of the concept of corporate identity (Melewar, 2003; Melewar & Jenkins, 2002) can be adduced partly to the rising volume of academic and practitioner contributions to this important business discipline and the creation of several research centres (around the world) which are devoted to the understanding and development of knowledge on this concept. In addition, the increased importance of corporate identity has become even more apparent following the publication of many empirical and conceptual studies in world class journals. Some of the first class business journals that have published works on this discipline are Journal of Marketing (see Feldman, 1969; Henderson & The Marketing Review, 2011, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 263-279 http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/146934711X589462 ISSN1469-347X print / ISSN 1472-1384 online ©Westburn Publishers Ltd. Practitioner conceptualisations of Corporate Identity 1950-2010: Review and analysis Olutayo Otubanjo, Pan-African University, Nigeria* This paper provides an update on the dominant practitioner conceptualisations of corporate identity since the coinage of the terminology “corporate identity” by Walter Margulies in the early post Second World War period. Literatures contributed by practitioners between the 1950s and today are reviewed using thematic timeframes. The outcome of the study indicates that corporate identity focused on seven dominant issues, namely planning; management; challenges; change; corporate identity (CI) mix; evaluation and meaning. There is also an indication that these conceptualisations are driven by novelty of concept; fierce competition; vertical disintegration of business and publication of influential texts. The paper offers a ‘bird’s eye view’ of important arguments in corporate identity to academics just starting a career in this field. Insights from this study allow researchers to gain a quick understanding of the debates in corporate identity and in so doing grow quickly in knowledge about it. Keywords Brand, Corporate communications, Corporate identity, Corporate image, management, planning. *Correspondence details and a biography for the author are located at the end of the article. Delivered by Ingenta to: Guest User IP: 185.106.104.174 On: Thu, 30 Jun 2016 05:51:37