Market familiarity builds trust

WHEN SAFMARINE reverted to its original name after a period as SCL (Safmarine Container Lines), it also converted a host of other brands that had been created over the years.
The line, FTW heard at the time, was fully aware of the importance of a single global brand - "global operation, global brand, global identity", we were told. And it gladly moved in that direction this year with the full support of shareholder, the A P Moller group.
Some of the changes proved a real challenge. Getting rid of the old CMBT name was not an easy, overnight event. CMB Transport and its acronym had a connection with its markets from colonial days - despite having been Safmarine-operated in the latter years of its time.
But, after a familiarisation exercise, the Safmarine trading name is now fully established in former CMBT strongholds such as East and West Africa, India, Pakistan and South America.
Similarly SafBank (a tie-up of Safmarine and Bank Lines at its formation) is no more on the America services - and the landside operational name Saflink has also gone.
Probably the one thing that made this re-branding task easier was the historical connotation of the Safmarine brand - a familiar name to all, and with a resoundingly patriotic touch.
As to the continued use of what some protest is the "old fashioned" scroll lettering in its name, Safmarine suggests that again there's the historic attachment - and market familiarity.
Any change in brand factors like this, FTW was told, could have a detrimental effect, many people wrongly meeting change in a name they trust with a loss of trust.
Safmarine pointed to other leading brands which have this long-standing market identity - such as Coca Cola, Ford, Kelloggs, Boots and the like. All have retained a similar style in their logos over their lifespan.