Know-How Exchange : Branding

Hi, Isabelle,
I like 3 out of 4 of your other brand names. Economatters does seem to be a name that is hard to identify with...sounds like a business magazine.

Your problem is similar to many "holding companies" where the individual companies' names are more well known than the holding company. I would recommend you take a page out of the book of a very successful company for whom I worked - Danaher Corporation. Danaher has bought up many companies under a loose strategy of six divisions (see www.danaher.com). Under each division, there are many companies. All of them have their own brand strategy, including website. There is little "working together" in it. Promotions are at the "company level." I see your company a lot like this.

So you may want to know why Danaher still uses the "corporate" name. For one very important reason: this is the name that investors need to know. Danaher's promotion strategy is two fold: Promote each company's brands to the market where they have customers and promote the Danaher name to the investors.

I see the opportunity to do the same with your company. Each "brand" has a different customer base with very little overlap. This makes the "brand strategy" for each different.

For the main company, Economatters, this still required "promotions," but to the investors - yet again a separate and relatively unrelated market and a different brand strategy - covering how the company is a good investment, diversified because of the four brands, etc.

If any overlap is desired at the corporate level, You could include something like, "Gas Strategies, an Economatters Brand" somewhere in ads or brochures. Gas Strategies leads, but Economatters is included.

I hope this helps you, Isabelle.

Wayde

Is the issue worth falling on your sword for? I'd pick my battles carefully, and try to lead with something you can win without getting bloodied.

As others have said, why not just focus on building the brands, and insert the company name subtly whenever you can to try to make it mean something.

There isn't a single product named Procter & Gamble (or either one of those, for that matter), yet the company is reasonably well known. Of course it has dozens of brand names that are better known than the parent company, but they don't run away from the company name.

I'd sidestep this battle for now if it were me. Do something that will put points on the board now. Once you have established your reputation and value internally you can take up this hot potato ... and maybe by then you'll have a different perspective yourself.

As all my friends have already pointed out I would strongly recomend that you skip this issue right now.Pls explain what makes you think you " have to do it".Are you really expected to come up with that kind of proposal or it is only your gut feeling?
I suggest you put all your efforts into making your business units consistant with the brand promise they carry- each of them.For as long a your customers do not suffer under the circumstances ,I see no need for such fundamental changes.Make sure that each of your brands carries the most adequate message to its customers and make it your top priority.

Rgds

Adam

hi isabelle

great response from experts. i concur their views of keeping your exsiting generic as well as brand names.

Unilver faced similar type of situation and they have been showing their corporate logo U at the end of all the TVC of their brands, thus communicating the corporate brand riding on the back of their successful individual brands. now people know the individual brand Lux, Ponds and company name Unilever.

if you change your current corporate brand to one of your more-recognized business brand, then you risk losing the whatever brand equity the current brand has, and again the new brand will again confuse the target audience as they will not realize what does Gas Stategies stand for, business brand or corporate brand. also if you change to Gas Strategies as the new corporate brand and start building that you will also loose the hard earned brand equity of the other 3 brands.

so, IMHO, keep your distinctive business names, build those brands, and increase the equity. while you are building and communicating your 4 brands, communicate your generic brand "Economatters" also. this can be like, "Gas Strategies, an Economatters concern" or something in that line. talk to your ad agncy in this regard.

hope this helps.

cheers!!