The making of a Superbrand
 | G4S is currently positioned at 128 on the list of well-known and respected brands. That is higher than Barclaycard, Samsung, Lloyds TSB and EasyJet, to name just four other British household names among the 500 who received the award. That is a truly remarkable result for a brand that did not even exist five years ago. |
G4S, as most of our readers will be aware, came about through the merger of the security business of Group 4 Falck and Securicor in July 2004. The new business name – Group 4 Securicor – was soon abbreviated to G4S and, as part of the consolidation and integration process, a powerful logo was designed with which customers and employees in over 100 countries could identify.
The purpose, of course, was to integrate the merged businesses under one, new banner. But a brand is far more than a name or logo design. It also represents the organisation’s reputation which is a measure of how well it achieves its objectives and lives up to its values.
When G4S chief executive officer Nick Buckles introduced the Group’s new icon he described it as “a significant step in our brand development”. It was supported, he added, by the G4S value statement, “A World of Security Solutions” which “encapsulates the Group’s capabilities, our global coverage and the vast amount of expertise we have across the security sector”.
Naturally, it was hoped that this rebranding would be successful as it was rolled out across the globe to the Group’s 120,000 national and international customers. But it needed to be judged by independent experts.
Business Superbrand awards
When the Business Superbrands awards were announced in 2007, based on a list of 1,400 of the best brands which had also been assessed by business professionals, G4S (listed as Group 4 Securicor) had leapt into the top 500 at position 137.What, then, is a Business Superbrand?
It is one that “has established the finest reputation in its field, and offers customers emotional and/or tangible advantages over competitors which (consciously or subconsciously) customers want, recognises and are confident about investing in,” says Superbrands (UK), adding: “Business Superbrands must represent quality, reliability and distinction.”
It was, therefore, reassuring to learn at the beginning of 2008 that, in the eyes of the external judges, G4S has maintained its brand values and its position in the top 500 is almost unchanged. Business Superbrands, incidentally, is in its eighth year and has become a key barometer on the performance of brands across a wide variety of industry sectors.
In the three years since G4S unveiled its powerful new logo, it has become a familiar name and icon in over 100 countries. Our customers know it represents our many qualities, including professionalism, integrity and quality. It also embodies other virtues which, though not directly related to our business operations, are highly relevant to our core values.
Around the globe, for example, G4S companies are making important contributions to local communities through various initiatives. Managements and employees are playing an active role in supporting projects that benefit deserving causes by giving their time and effort to make a difference to community life.
This reflects the Group’s “giving back to the community” philosophy which recognises that its success is dependent on the people it employs and the communities in which they live. As a result, five community projects in different countries have been identified as being particularly deserving of G4S corporate support.
Though the G4S community projects and the Business Superbrand and European Sponsorship Association awards relate to very different corporate initiatives, they all share one thing in common. They reinforce the fact that there is much more to a brand than a name and an iconic image that identifies the source of their products and services.
A Superbrand is also about the values that are important to those who manage that brand
As far as G4S is concerned, it is about making the world a better place, for its customers, its employees and the communities in which it operates.We will continue to build on our reputation and values to make our brand even stronger.
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The making of a Superbrand
