FM Logistic Russia: “Our new motto is ‘the art of winning solutions’”
In this interview, Hugues Laurent, the business development director of FM Logistic Russia, spoke to the TRCW journal about the course and goals of rebranding of his company and the management’s expectations from the firm’s new corporate image in Russia.
Could you briefly highlight the reasons for the rebranding that is currently going on in your company, the targeted priority goals, the spheres of businesses affected and how?
Our company, FM Logistic, has now been existing for over 40 years. During this period it had certainly undergone several changes. First of all, in 1994, it opened its first platform in Russia. Today, this market has become a leader not just in logistics alone. Besides, in recent years the company as a whole has changed dramatically. We now have many new clients, new platforms, and have opened new ways of cooperation. Today, our company operates in 11 countries, covering such industries as retail, food, cosmetic, electronics, household appliances, products, personal consumer goods and health. We feel the time has come to change our image. So, today, we are now a different company with ‘a new face.’ We want to tell our current and future clients that FM has reached a new level of development.
“By rebranding our company’s image we just want to emphasize that FM Logistic had achieved its set goal of becoming the leader in logistics.”
Thanks to the development of the logistics market and new customer demands, FM has become an even more efficient, professional and reliable partner in this industry. Our goal is how to best tailor our services to meet the needs of modern companies. Our new image will make it easier for us to persuade them to believe in our flexibility, agility and professionalism. All these changes are reflected by the heroine of our new corporate identity: a young lady, who is choosing different service options on a sensor screen with a single finger touch. We have chosen this lady to show our clients our 'international mentality,' easy solutions and broad geographic coverage. All our services are available on all markets of our presence and without any complications.
How often, in your opinion, does a company need to undergo rebranding, what factors often necessitate such move, and finally, are the reasons for this policy always the same for companies?
I think every company’s approach to rebranding is different. Some don’t want to change their graphic symbols, seeing it as the only best way to express their reliability and consistency. But in our case, we are a dynamic company that is always and actively seeking for ‘something new.’ Changing our image is a sign of mobility or ‘freshness,’ so to speak. This means that our company is very vibrant and, moreover, is in its prime. The last time we changed our corporate image was seven years ago, and since then a lot has changed. And now back to the question about the frequency of rebranding, I will answer it by saying that a company needs to change when it can confidently say that it has attained a new development level and can offer a much higher level of enhanced services and exclusive business solutions to its target clients.
What key positive effects do you expect from the innovations from this rebranding, both in and outside the company?
First of all, the objective is to match our image with what the company has become over the years. A customer or a prospect has to understand who FM Logistic is, its values, through the brand image. This perfect understanding is a positive effect. However, it is difficult to immediately assess the effects from rebranding. We cannot say or guarantee that the new business orders that we are getting today are due to rebranding. We hope that our new corporate identity will strengthen our existing relationships with our customers. The ‘new face’ will attract the attention of those companies that are not familiar with us, if there are still such (laughing), and, of course, keeps us in the minds of companies that regularly interact with us.
Taking into consideration the ongoing rebranding process, will it be right to say that the strategy and goals of your company in Russia will also change, and if so, how?
Yes, of course. Today, we are facing new and more global objectives. By rebranding our image we just want to emphasize that FM Logistic had achieved its set goal of becoming the leader in logistics. Today, we tend not to sell longer our services separately, but as fully integrated business solutions. Each such solution is weighed, worked out on an individual basis and fully adapted to meet each client’s needs.
“We hope that our new corporate identity will strengthen our existing relationships with our customers.”
Regarding our strategy, we have many ideas for the future, for step-by-step development of new areas and sectors of activities. Indeed, it is within the frameworks of this strategy that we are rebranding our company so as to win new businesses. By providing improved services, we are at the same time helping to promote and develop our clients' businesses. This is because when our clients have new business needs, they turn to us to find the best adapted solutions and work them out with us. This is why our new motto and success driver is ‘the art of winning solutions.’
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