Earlier this year one of the country's best-known gambling companies announced it was rebranding, at a corporate level, from Paddy Power to Flutter Entertainment. Amongst other things, two reasons cited for the change were; the intention to move into the U.S. markets; and to reduce confusion about businesses owned by the group.
Mergers & Acquisitions and new markets are two common reasons for FTSE100 companies deciding to rebrand. Others include;
- Repositioning of the company;
- Reputation;
- Modernisation; and
- New CEO appointment.
Whatever the reason for a corporate rebranding exercise, it's never a decision to be made lightly and there's a lot to think about and consider!
History is packed with examples of rebrands that have been hugely successful, for example, Apple Computers to Apple, as well as those that haven't worked out so well (I'll let you refer to Google rather than naming and shaming).
If a rebrand goes wrong, no matter how iconic the company, the damage can be extensive, expensive and hard to recover from. Once loyal customers become alienated, brand identity is lost, and messaging becomes confused.
But enough of the negatives!
If it's done well, corporate rebranding will rejuvenate a business that has started to feel a little tired and wake the world up to a company that may have faded in comparison to its competitors.
Procuring the right partner
One of the most important elements of any successful corporate rebrand is finding a partner who can work cohesively with the wider corporate team. Whereas smaller businesses often have greater autonomy and flexibility when it comes to decision making, your project needs to follow established processes and protocols.
To implement digital change and transformation within your organisation you need a partner with a demonstrable ability to work within your corporate processes and effectively manage the implementation of change.
Bringing together seemingly disparate elements including compliance, security, privacy, brand values, corporate social responsibility, language, tone of voice and brand portrayal is no mean feat, so you need to procure a partner with both technical and logistical know how.
An enviable track record
Pivale boast an enviable record when it comes to working in partnership with large organisations to deliver the required digital solutions. Combining technical excellence with effective communication, whether presenting solutions to the Board or working out the technical detail with your in-house IT team, the ethos is always to deliver solutions that will enhance your business and support future growth.
Compliance, Security and Privacy
Ensuring your digital solutions are robust is a critical part of your corporate rebranding project. Pivale build solutions that incorporate cutting edge security and privacy features from the very inception of your project. The recent incidences of data breaches and security failures are evidence of the reputational risk in not taking this matter seriously. Whilst retrofitting solutions after a problem has occurred is possible, prevention is always our preferred route.
Communicating your brand values
How you choose to communicate key information such as your brand values has a huge impact on the success of the project. If you want your customers to view you as an organisation that is committed to certain issues, for example, ethical trade, this needs to be clear at all levels, including any digital platforms you use.
Our structure enables us to understand your business in a way many other agencies would find difficult. As a result, your solutions are built to convey your values, speak in the right tone of voice and use language that appeals to your target audience. A great example of this is highlighted in our M&S case study.
Approvals processes and corporate protocols
Pivale are no strangers to the importance of following established processes and protocols. In fact, a key benefit of working with the team is the relationship we will inevitably develop with your in-house teams. Project plans are designed to work with your corporate processes using milestones and deadlines that facilitate, rather than obstruct, progress being made in line with agreed timescales.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility has come a long way over the last few years. From being something that companies 'did' in order to tick a box to achieve accreditation, it is now firmly embedded in the minds of businesses and their clients. In fact, some businesses can sink or swim on their ability to demonstrate a commitment to being more responsible!
An important aspect of being able to demonstrate your approach is understanding and knowing, who is in your supply chain. How do your suppliers recruit staff? Are they committed to anti-slavery, not just in policy but in practice? Where do they source their supplies – for example are perishable products completely traceable?
This kind of information can be unwieldy to obtain, retain and check. You need a system that is easily updated, secure and will provide a sound audit trail in the event you need to track anything. A comprehensive back-office system will do this for you and can be built to bespoke requirements allowing for varying levels of access, file sharing, auditing and approvals as well as reporting and escalations protocols in the event of an incident.
Pivale have built these systems for household names – allowing them to reduce the resources needed to manage the data whilst providing a robust hub complete with self-healing script and proactive monitoring. What's more, with security built-in, users can be confident that they are complying with relevant legislation, including GDPR.
Real solutions for real situations
Pivale set themselves apart from the competition through the ability to provide real solutions for the real-life situations faced by businesses. When you choose to partner with Pivale you don't deal with account managers who don't know your project or your business. You speak directly to the team working for you and they communicate with you, or your team, in the most appropriate way. When the Board needs an update on expected ROI, we provide a business focused response. If the IT department needs to understand deeper technical information about integrations or scripts, that's the information they will receive.
If you're in the process of choosing a rebranding partner speak to Pivale.
