08.11.2018

Ramirent brand update

Finnish international rental group Ramirent has updated its branding, including giving its Rami man a facelift, with new overalls, safety boots, a new hard hat and a hi viz vest. The company has also changed its stock market share trading code from RMR1V to RAMI.
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Rami now has all the PPE safety gear

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The old Rami

The company says that it worked with award winning, Swedish NoA Agency, and invited its “customers and employees play a central role in the design and strategy work behind the new brand positioning.” It also added: “Through the brand repositioning Ramirent will further clarify its role as a service company providing equipment and includes a new tagline ‘Gear up’.”
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The new Ramirent logo

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The old Ramirent logo

Chief executive Tapio Kolunsarka said: "Ramirent is a very strong player - among our large customers in particular - and we intend to remain so. However, we want to be better at being the preferred choice also for our small and medium sized customers by providing them outstanding customer service. Our brand positioning emphasizes our new mission to provide smooth service with a smile. That is what the name Ramirent should in the future stand for."

Group communication manager Terhi Jokinen added: "The aim of the project was not to create a radical change, but rather to clarify what the company is today. The modern brand image honours Ramirent's history but it has been optimised especially from a digital perspective. The end result is already visible on our renewed website ramirent.com. The new brand image will be introduced in all our operating countries from autumn 2018 onwards."

Vertikal Comment

All too often rebranding exercises involving expensive retail agencies such as this cost a fortune, change little, and cause distraction. Hopefully in spite of the fancy and meaningless branding jargon that will not be the case here. Otherwise ‘money’ and ‘old rope’ or new clothes for the emperor springs to mind.
Having said all that Rami has a strong brand identity, which thankfully it has not changed much, and the new website does look clean and bright so perhaps this was a good rebranding after all?? And to be fair updating the share trading code makes good sense.

At the end of the day what makes a difference is the service customers experience and the attitude of the staff – if these are not good then no amount of fancy rebranding will make a difference. Ramirent seems to be positive in this area so the rebranding and buzz words will only enhance or make little difference to its performance.