How a good brand name is emotionally carried by the organisation
Apart from being a marketing tool or intellectual property, a new name is important as an anchor for people in your own organisation. It represents the values and ambitions you share. When a name is decided on, investors, employees and senior management themselves are often surprised how important they find it.
Such involvement is important with new products or organisations, but even more so during mergers where different pasts unite into one future. That puts naming as a central part in a rebranding exercise. It is especially then that proper guidance of the naming process is crucial.
Clear considerations
This means that the considerations behind the new name must be clear to everyone and, where possible, the preconditions are coordinated with those involved. Examples of such considerations include the new brand positioning, trademark law, brand structure, regions and target groups.
Often, the past also plays a role: what are those involved proud of, what part of their own background do they want to carry over to the new situation?
Why support for a new name is so important
Even the best-executed rebranding fails if the employees, the people who should feel good about the new organisation, do not feel involved and cannot agree with the strategy and the new name.
At the same time, deciding on the name is a great opportunity to create a shared identity that reflects the best of the past and ambitions for the future. It is the opportunity to talk with each other about the added values and effects of a merger. Sensitivities are identified and stakeholders are heard.
Healthcare, housing and commercial institutions
Globrands has regularly guided such processes, leading to new shared identities in care, for example: Middin, Levvel, Tergooi and Amsterdam UMC. In the residential sector, we developed new verbal identities for organisations such as Lefier, Rijnhard Wonen and Ymere.
Strong leadership also organises support and a shared vision in commercial organisations.
Alrijne is a great example of a process where we used a general survey followed by workshops to involve employees and stakeholders in a meaningful way, that led to a a beautiful and engaging name, and, more importantly, commitment from everyone who had to move to the new identity.
When AkzoNobel sold its Specialty Chemicals division, it had to undergo a complete rebranding in which the name would play a central role.
Often, a rebranding of this magnitude is prepared in a small circle, sometimes even only at management and board level. This time the board decided to involve as many employees as possible in the process because they were the bearers of the division's unique quality.
After a thorough internal and external analysis, Globrands gathered input from all employees as basic ingredients for the new positioning. Then, 15 focus groups worldwide, formed from employees from all levels of the company, formulated a common purpose in several sessions, which guided the naming and all communications.
The final name made a connection with Noury & van der Lande - two founders from Deventer in the 19th century who discovered how chemistry could contribute to better flour and bread. This would be one of the foundations for the new multinational that today operates in 80 countries in essential chemistry: Nouryon.
In doing so, the new brand reflected the strength of the company, carried throughout the organisation as employees also really recognised themselves in the brand and felt proud to be part of the independent Nouryon.
Since its inception in 1985, M&A International had grown into one of the world's larger corporate finance and investment banking networks, with some 60 offices in 40 countries. But each member office operated under its own name, which often raised questions and sometimes made cooperation unnecessarily difficult.
Chairman Maarten Wolleswinkel made every effort to get everyone behind his vision. The process started with a thorough evaluation of the existing cultures within the organisations involved and an analysis of the market. After several meetings, it was decided that there should be one umbrella brand that was well aligned with the shared values, norms and behaviours of the members, also based on a careful positioning process. This name became Oaklins (a link to the project description can be found in the comments).
Merging under a common name
Developing a new name in a merger is a process that requires careful planning and execution. Through transparent communication, involvement of all stakeholders, and a thorough evaluation of corporate cultures, an organisation can introduce a new name that reinforces the identity of the merger and lays a solid foundation for future growth and success.