Case Study Archives: Acceris, a bold new name in telecom

Former Westinghouse telecommunications unit RSL Communications recently emerged from bankruptcy to join its assets with those of ILink, Transpoint and WorldXChange, three other struggling telecom businesses. The acquiring venture capital firm, Counsel Corporation, tapped BrandLogic to create a new identity and brand architecture that leveraged the unique strengths of each, and facilitated a smooth transition to a new management team, brand and identity, and a restructured distribution system.

BrandLogic initiated a thorough discovery process, which uncovered unique positioning opportunities in the beleaguered telecommunications industry and informed a strategy for a new business model, name, and identity. The first issue that the team worked through was the brand architecture for this complex merger. At the center of the problem was a critical choice to use a sub-brand or master-brand strategy.

Once BrandLogic established the brand architecture, the next phase of development involved creating a new corporate name. Based on an extensive naming brief, 2,000 names were generated. Through the next two refinement stages, the team chose approximately 25 names as potential candidates. These names were then sent through preliminary clearances, leaving the team with several candidates for design explorations.

Based on final legal review, name evaluation, branding requirements and design treatment options, the BrandLogic team (including naming consultant Tony Spaeth) recommended Acceris: a strong and positive identity that could integrate the different business units and inspire the momentum needed for growth.