ACG Launches New Global Brand; Association for Corporate Growth Enters 50th Anniversary Year With New Brand Positioning and Identity.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2003

The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), the premier global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions, announced today that it has launched a new global brand, including a new brand positioning, identity and nomenclature system.

ACG's new brand platform was developed by branding and identity consulting firm, Magnet ID. The result of a year-long research, analysis and development effort, it is being rolled out worldwide in conjunction with ACG's 50th anniversary in 2004.

ACG's new positioning as the leading authority on corporate growth accurately reflects the association's value proposition of delivering a wide variety of educational events, such as the annual ACG InterGrowth(R) Conference and many chapter events; proprietary content, such as surveys on corporate growth issues; and networking opportunities with senior executives from corporations, private equity firms, investment banks, as well as service providers such as intermediaries, law and accounting firms.

"With its platinum color and simple bold typeface, the new logo more clearly conveys the authority of ACG," said Christopher Johnson, senior vice president and executive creative director for Magnet ID. "The use of green signifies growth and pays homage to the green of the former brand identity. In addition, the green within the letter "A" forms an arrow, reflecting the former logo in a more contemporary fashion. Overall, the new logo is strong, contemporary, distinctive, and enduring."

"In an effort to strengthen the ACG brand worldwide, over the last year, we marshaled many internal and external resources to conduct research, evaluate ACG, the issues it faces and value it provides. Ultimately we crafted a new brand strategy and identity," said Charles W. Downer, ACG president and president of Downer & Company, LLC, a mid-market global investment bank. "I am pleased to say that this effort is now complete, and the results are strategically sound, visually stunning and extremely useful. I believe the ACG brand now holds its own against the best in the world. The brand now reflects who we are, where we have come from over the last 50 years, and, most importantly, where we are going."

The overall goal of the branding initiative is to strengthen the brand in support of ACG's 44 chapters. Specifically, the initiative aimed to: clearly identify and articulate the extraordinary benefits of ACG to existing and potential members; unite the organization around a common vision while providing flexibility at the chapter level; differentiate ACG from competitive organizations; increase membership; and expand the organization by developing new chapters.

The brand development process was research intensive, involving several months of primary and secondary research, surveys of membership, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews with ACG leaders around the world. The brand development work was done by Magnet ID, the branding and identity consulting division of Euro RSCG Partners, along with branding consultant Dave Studeman, president of GreyGhost, and Bill Haynes, senior vice president of Arnold Corporate Communications.

"We thoroughly enjoyed the ACG Branding process and are quite pleased with the results," said Sean O'Connor, vice president of brand development for Magnet ID. "We launched the branding work at a critical juncture in the growth of the association. ACG membership has been increasing and becoming more diverse, but ACG lacked a common way to describe itself and its purpose. ACG members are proud of their community, and they are eager to communicate those benefits to a wider audience. But to do that, new communications practices and materials were needed that capture the unique attributes of ACG and communicate them consistently. This brand alignment is even more important as the association continues its global expansion."

"It was a terrific, very collaborative process," said Patrick Hurley, ACG vice president of marketing, and managing director of MidMarket Capital Advisors, a Philadelphia-based investment bank. "We are confident we will be able to leverage our new brand to communicate better to the marketplace and become the most highly regarded association addressing corporate growth issues globally."

About ACG

Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth (www.acg.org) is the premier global association for professionals involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions for mid to large companies. Leaders in corporations, private equity, finance, and professional service firms focused on building value in their organizations belong to ACG. They recognize the multiple benefits of networking within an influential community of executives growing public and private companies worldwide. For 50 years, ACG members have focused on strategic activities that increase revenues, profits and, ultimately, stakeholder value. Today ACG stands at more than 7,000 members representing Fortune 500, Fortune1000, FTSE 100, and mid-market companies in 44 chapters in North America, Europe and Asia.