FTW's Alan Peat takes a closer look at
what's involved in changing your name
IN AN industry currently beset with takeovers and mergers - and their associated name changes - the concept of appropriate "branding" has become critical for a number of companies in the freight and transport sectors.
Safmarine, for example, with takeovers of its own - and then being taken over itself by the A P Moller group - was one of these. It had to move from a new name, SCL (Safmarine Container Logistics) - and stitch up all its international brand names like CMBT and Saflink, under its latest title. In this case, it decided to trade globally under its traditional Safmarine banner.
At the same time the sister company, Maersk Line, had an even larger global exercise when it took over fellow giant international line Sealand - and changed to Maersk Sealand.
Amongst the forwarding fraternity, even more changes have taken place in recent times.
Ršhlig Grindrod; Safcor Panalpina; MSAS becoming Exel Logistics; Danzas AEI; Renfreight Circle returning to Renfreight are just some.
To find out what this all means, FTW approached a number of people who have intimate knowledge of the branding (or re-branding) exercise - and let them tell you just how it is.
