04.08.2008

Nationwide Platforms

Lavendon Access Services has unveiled the new identity for the forthcoming merger of Nationwide Access and The Platform Company. The new name for the combined company will be Nationwide Platforms and will be officially launched on 3rd November 2008.
Please register to see all images

The new name in the new logo style

Lavendon says that it reached the decision after conducting extensive market research among customers of both companies. It quickly became clear that the name was really not important, of far greater concern was the maintenance of service levels and contacts.

A further brand awareness survey was undertaken among a wider range of aerial lift users, to identify which names are most widely known in terms of powered access rental, while Nationwide had the edge in terms of overall recognition - both names scored highly.

Andy Wright, chief executive of Lavendon Access Services- (‘Lavendon UK’) said: “Reflecting both companies within the name is important as they both represent strong positions in the UK market. Finalising the new name is clearly a critical step in the merger process, which continues to progress well.”

“I believe Nationwide Platforms is a strong name which will support the birth of this new company and help to establish it as a world class powered access rental organisation. We shall strive to continue to improve our service offering to our customers and to cement Nationwide Platforms as the undisputed market leader in the UK’s powered access market.”

As part of the merger which will be complete by year end, Peter Douglas – previously managing director of Nationwide Access becomes managing director of Nationwide Platforms North.
Grant Woodward previously managing director of The Platform Company becomes managing director of Nationwide Platforms South, while Lee Perry, previously sales and marketing director at The Platform Company becomes sales and marketing director of Lavendon Access Services.

Perry said: “The name represents what we do and where we do it! Both businesses have an exceptional market place presence and reputation. I am certain our customers will be delighted to know that equipment availability and service quality will be at the forefront of Nationwide Platforms; along with a name they recognise and know they can trust to deliver.”

Douglas said: “I think we needed to ensure that we retained the two best brand names in the industry whilst bringing them into one business. Nationwide Platforms I feel does this. We have retained the Nationwide name as it has the history and is known by most powered access users, whilst the Platform Company’s reputation for service is first class”

Woodward adds: “With the experience and talents of two of the strongest teams in the business, Nationwide Platforms will offer an unrivalled combination of products and service, backed up by the most knowledgeable team in the UK.”

Vertikal Comment

The choice of which name to use has been the undoing of many a merger - choose a completely new name and you dump millions of pounds of brand value as well as confusing the customer. Drop one name in favour of the other and you are likely to de-motivate or even disenfranchise a large portion of your workforce. As Lavendon’s surveys show the customer does not really care that much, what’s important to him is the contact person, service and lack of disruption.

Where a name is most important is internally, employees become very attached to names, logos and corporate identity, after all it is a core part of the company culture around which you build team spirit. Changing a company name or even a logo, is a very emotional move. This is particularly true in the case when two strong and overlapping businesses are merged.

In Spain Lavendon’s two operations elected to drop the Zooom and DK Rental names and adopt the Lavendon moniker – eliminating the problem of choosing one or the other or any attempt to combine them. In the UK dropping the Nationwide name would have been a very brave, even foolhardy, move and yet loosing the Platform name would have certainly sent the wrong message to the team that has achieved so much in such a short space of time.

Fortunately in this case linking the two names together works rather well and looks as though it was always meant to be. Unlike the awkward appellations that have often come out of some attempts to link names together. The fact that the group was in the process of adopting a new corporate style will also help separate the new name from the two old ones.

All in all a logical and sensible choice.

What will be far more of a challenge is the management structure, at a depot and regional level most of the decisions, if not all, have already been made and announced and are apparently already working. As to the senior management the current north/south arrangement could work indefinitely within the Lavendon UK set up.