All in One – Exploring our new brand

Changing a brand is no small undertaking, particularly for a company that operates in 60 countries with a long-established history and significant brand loyalty from clients and employees. But it’s that very history, and the perception that SoftwareOne is still a traditional software reseller, that made this change essential.

Following five years of successful acquisitions and investment, we have now set the standard for a new category of global software and cloud solutions provider. We have expanded our professional and managed services for cloud and application services, SAP, workplace and security while evolving our next-gen software advisory, procurement and asset management capabilities, all optimised by FinOps. Our focus is cloud-first and SaaS-centric, free of the data center baggage of hardware providers and more pragmatic than the massively scaled approach of global systems integrators. It’s been nothing short of a full transformation.

Against this backdrop, in mid-2021 we embarked on a mission to define our new market position and translate that into a brand position, architecture and identity. As part of discovery, we interviewed clients, employees and partners in eight key markets to get to the heart of how we meet their needs and aspirations. In parallel, our leadership team carved out SoftwareOne’s Purpose and established the next four-year vision cycle. You’ll be hearing more about these soon and see how powerfully they fit together.

Driven to Deliver

As we dug deeper into the research with our branding agency Metaforce to develop the new positioning, a theme that emerged was how much clients valued our attributes of accountability, integrity and intense customer focus. Another theme that emerged was a growing need for practical and attainable outcomes that propel businesses forward. Outcomes that, in the current economic environment, clients expect to be landed in shorter periods of time with clearer cost savings and investment returns.

Our positioning lands squarely on this need: Technology doesn’t create impact on its own. It’s the people who are driven to deliver that make the difference. Driven to Deliver: the concept comes from creating a balance between engineering and humanity. “At SoftwareOne, we walk side by side with our clients, taking on every opportunity and challenge with intelligence and grit to ensure your technology delivers for you.” This is our new brand promise. We are driven to deliver for our clients.

All in One

Once the positioning was clarified, we developed a bold new identity that communicates our new integrated category. We combine our global and local know-how, commercial (software) and technical expertise, and human and data-driven insights all-in-one, to unlock the value of technology for our clients.

To reflect this dynamic in our logo, we reengineered the SoftwareONE name to highlight the relationship between “Software” and “One.” The new logo demonstrates that software is embedded in everything we do. We help our clients build or buy software, and we complement this with an expanded portfolio of software and cloud services, from independent advisory, specialised technology execution, procurement marketplace and managed services. When it comes to your success, you can pick and mix your solutions needs all in one provider, SoftwareOne.

Examples of SoftwareOne’s digital ads in the new brand

We’ve evolved all core elements of our visual identity from color, fonts, imagery and applications. The new brand also guides the tone of all our communication from written and spoken word. It lets us authentically express our personality – dynamic, authentic, uplifting, and straightforward.

We’ve also tackled brand architecture. Having added six service lines, four verticals, 18 acquisitions and eight global strategic partners, we needed to streamline a fast-growing portfolio. For over 200 “products” including solutions, services and offerings, we created an easy to navigate map for buyers of both technology and software. At the same time, services and products were renamed in intuitively clear terms.

Rolling out the brand

Over the course of 2023 the new brand will be updated across every touchpoint, giving clients around the world interacting with any part of our business a consistent experience. We’re launching our new brand with an anthem video, digital ads, a social campaign, and new website. While the majority of brand elements and materials for the new system will be in place by summer, physical building signage and office updates will be phased in to manage costs. Individual country updates will occur in a series of roll outs based on specific market requirements. (Spoiler alert: you’ll have to visit us in some of our fantastic new headquarter offices!)

For a time, the two brands will live side by side until the final switch over is completed, but the message our new brand conveys holds true for the entire organisation:

We are one company offering end-to-end software and cloud solutions and services. We are one company with unique DNA that comes through in our Purpose, core values and brand promise wherever we do business. We are one company driven to deliver exceptional results that unlock the value of your technology. We’re all in. All in one. SoftwareOne.