AkzoNobel introduces corporate brand changes.

Following acquisition of ICI Paints earlier this year, AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has revamped its corporate brand, including a subtle name change (the space in the company's name has been removed), new logo, and new branding tagline ("Tomorrow's Answers Today"). AkzoNobel's CEO, Hans Wijers, states that the tagline is central to the new brand: "It is the heartbeat of the transformed AkzoNobel. It drives our creativity, our product development, and lies at the core of all our activities.

"What does that concept mean exactly? It means we believe that what is good for our customers today is not necessarily good enough for them tomorrow. So that constant search for answers is what drives us. It focuses the whole company and inspires us to achieve great things for all our stakeholders, and for ourselves."

The company has also decided to discontinue the use of the ICI corporate name, but the ICI logo will appear on "relevant products" during this brand transition period.

"Our strategy now is to combine the strong AkzoNobel business-to-business reputation with the former ICI's excellent consumer brands reputation. This will create a powerful brand," says Wijers.

Also central to the whole positioning of the new AkzoNobel are its five new company values, which "provide the bedrock on which the new brand is built."

They are as follows: "focusing on our customers' future first; embracing entrepreneurial thinking; developing the talents of our people; the courage and curiosity to question and integrity and responsibility in our actions."

Launched initially at a special event held in Amsterdam, in April of this year, the new Akzo Nobel brand will be rolled out globally during the next 18 months. A worldwide corporate advertising and marketing campaign to promote the brand change will be launched by the company shortly.