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On April 15, 2008, CEAT Ltd. (Ceat), part of
the RPG Group and a major tire manufacturing company, unveiled a
new
wordmark for the CEAT brand, doing away with its 25-year-old
mascot1, the rhino, and
the tagline, 'Born tough'.
The rebranding exercise was carried out as part of a brand
repositioning effort.
The
CEAT logo and the tagline had been in use since 19832.
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While this tagline seemed to work quite well when
strength and durability were the only aspects that customers looked for
in tires, it seemed to have lost its relevance with the needs of both
the primary customers (automobile companies), and the end-consumers
changing.
The fact that the condition of Indian roads was improving, and that
vehicles were becoming more sophisticated, had led to customers
demanding tires that would allow for greater speeds and increased
maneuverability.
Recognizing this, the company repositioned CEAT from a brand that
conveyed toughness to one that was associated more with performance,
style, and comfort. Therefore, they decided to drop the 'Born Tough'
logo as well as the rhino.
There was another reason for dropping the age-old rhino logo, even
though it had high recall. This was the general perception associated
with the rhinoceros - that of an endangered species - and the company
did not want this perception to be extended to the brand as well. It
wanted a more modern and contemporary logo which would go with its new
positioning in the market.
By repositioning, the company wanted to ensure that the brand connected
with the youth segment. Arnab Banerjee, Vice President for sales and
marketing, Ceat, explained that after an exhaustive brand equity study,
it was found that the Ceat brand was no longer relevant to people aged
25 and lower.
This made the company go in for a new branding strategy.3
The new logo, which was introduced at the Golden Jubilee celebration of the company, was developed after an extensive survey, which involved asking customers, partners, and employees about their perceptions of the company and its logo.
Developed by Ray + Kesavan, a Bangalore-based graphic design studio, the new logo included an all-capital typeface intended to give a very contemporary look. The straight, hand-drawn font was meant to depict boldness, strength, and stability.
The letter "E" appeared distinct, without the upright stroke connecting
the three horizontal ones. Its red letter signified motion and movement.
The "E" also represented the idea of "raising the bar", as the brand
tried to raise its performance standard and credibility in the market.
It also signified broadening of the company's capabilities, in terms of
reach across segments and geographies. The red lines of the "E" gave the
logo a very young and modern appeal, while the remaining letters were in
blue, showing maturity and stability.
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1] "Branding Makeover" www.businessworld.co.in, May 16, 2007.
2] CEAT (or Cavi Electrici Affini Torino) International, a Turin, Italy-based tire company, entered India in 1958 in collaboration with the TATA Group. In 1982, the RPG Group acquired the Indian subsidiary and named it CEAT Ltd.
3] "We are Focused on the Replacement Market," Arnab Banerjee, www.financialexpress.com, May 06, 2008. |
