Coatings World: Please describe the initial process of rebranding DuPont Performance Coatings as Axalta.
Michael Crickenberger: Looking back over the past year, I’d
characterize Axalta’s rebranding process as a combination of
collaboration and creativity. Collaboration
was the starting point. We began by asking
questions. We asked employees around the
world what they hoped our company could
become now that it was an independent
business. Who better than our own people
to know what our untapped resources were?
Then we asked our customers what they
thought of us and, just as importantly, what
they expected from a world class coatings
company because, at the end of the day, our
business is all about meeting our customers’
expectations. The answers provided the goal
line we wanted to reach. Once we knew
where we were headed, the process unfolded.
The creative component, of course, was
coming up with an identity – a new name,
a logo and an entire communication sys-
tem to support and promote that new identity. Axalta Coating
Systems captures the scope of our business. The Axalta name
is at the top of the alphabet. Coatings describes every product
we make – liquid or powder - in 35 manufacturing plants on
five continents. Systems conveys our approach to our business:
integrated systems in our R&D and manufacturing facilities,
consolidated process systems for OEMs, application systems to
enhance the refinish customer experience for color matching,
Once we knew what the goal looked like and had a name, we
created a logo that would visually convey the spirit of our new
company. That’s the image of the organiza-
tion. One of the things that sets us apart is
that our logo – unlike those of many other
companies – appears in many different col-
ors. Look at the landing page of our website
axaltacoatingsystems.com and you’ll see the
logo transitions through our colors. This re-
ally communicates the essence of our com-
pany - we’re in the business of color.
CW: How long did the rebranding process take?
Crickenberger: The formal branding process has taken almost a year so far. But I
think our most important learning has been
that the process will never really stop. You
can have a a new identity but a label is only
skin deep. Every day we look at new ways
to bring the promise of our new identity – a company built for
performance – home to our customers. How can Axalta develop new brands that, for example, meet societal and regulatory
demands for reduced environmental impact? How can we improve the customer experience? What can we do to continually
improve product quality? This is what will keep long standing
customers coming back and give us the ability to attract new
ones.
After the Carlyle Group acquired DuPont Performance Coatings for $4.9 billion last
year, the company was renamed Axalta Coating Systems. Coatings World recently had
the opportunity to talk about the rebranding process with Michael Crickenberger, vice
president of marketing, corporate affairs and planning at Axalta Coatings Systems.
Anatomy of
Axalta’s Rebrand
