Hanseatic Global Terminals, based in Rotterdam, was founded in 2024 as an independent subsidiary of Hapag Lloyd and focuses on the terminal and infrastructure business globally. Currently, this includes holdings in 21 port terminals in 11 countries across five continents, with further investments in container terminals planned as part of the 2030 strategy, which aims to strengthen the global terminal network and expand the range of services offered to customers worldwide.
Challenge
The South American business of Hanseatic Global Terminals was initially bundled under the name SAAM Terminals. SAAM Terminals group of companies and its portfolio were acquired by Hapag-Lloyd in 2023. As part of the legal requirements of this acquisition and the value created by establishing a consistent brand, the SAAM Terminals group and part of its portfolio required rebranding to Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America. This kicked off a comprehensive rebranding and renaming project, which also meant that a tight timeframe was set for the planning and implementation of the rebranding efforts.
It was decided that the South American division would operate under the new name Hanseatic Global Terminals Latin America and that the headquarters in Santiago de Chile would serve as the first regional headquarters. This also marked the first regional expansion of the Hanseatic Global Terminals brand and the beginning of a long-term integration strategy. Therefore, the expectation was to conduct this rebranding in such a way that its structures and processes could serve for potential future rebranding projects in other regions the company operates in. Moreover, it was the ambition to manage the rebranding from the global headquarters in Europe with a focus on digital collaboration with the local representatives of the company.
Securing the necessary legal rights to the new name was a key part of the preparations, as the new name had to be secured in many countries. Another initial challenge was posed by the different ownership structures at the port terminals. Some terminals belonged entirely to Hanseatic Global Terminals, while others had a minority stake. This resulted in very different levels of visibility of the current brand and, in some cases, very limited scope for action regarding the future use of the new brand.
“Being able to rely on the expertise of the team at VIM Group was critical to the success of this rebranding project, especially given the tight timeline.” - Nienke Kools, Communications and Marketing Manager
Solution
VIM Group began by conducting an impact analysis to gain an accurate picture of the current brand touchpoint landscape. This analysis provided an assessment of, for example, the type of existing digital and analogue brand touchpoints- amongst them
some very specific brand touchpoints like container terminals, cranes and related machinery-, their requirements for the transformation process, which areas of the company will be particularly affected by the rebranding and an estimate of the necessary financial framework for the rebranding, including various cost scenarios. This enabled important fundamental strategic and operational decisions to be made for the rebranding, e.g. at which touchpoints the company would opt for a debranding strategy or at which touchpoints a full rebranding would be implemented.
A key part of the rebranding implementation was the replacement of physical brand touchpoints such as building signage and workwear at all corporate and operational locations. Aspects such as sustainability, safety at work and consistent quality were the focus here.
The further development and integration of Hanseatic Global Terminals' regional and global digital ecosystem was also a key focus of the rebranding, as many decisions had to be made that were relevant to the future brand and digital strategy.
VIM Group was involved in planning the rebranding and setting up an efficient project organisation structure, monitored the progress of the individual working groups and supported the early identification and resolution of potential problems. The subject matter experts at VIM Group were available as sparring partners throughout all phases of the project, contributing their expertise also in areas such as building signage and digital technology. The entire rebranding process was managed remotely, across different time-zones and with a culturally diverse team.
Nienke Kools - Communications and Marketing Manager
Results
With the help of VIM Group, an efficient planning and therefore a smoother execution could be achieved. Through continuous close alignment between the various stakeholders involved in the rebranding, it was possible to successfully implement the rebranding project within the specified time and financial framework and achieve good visibility for the new brand at all physical and digital brand touchpoints. This was preceded by the successful completion of all matters pertaining to the name change, such as the legal registration of the new brand and the updating of all administrative processes.
All rebranding activities were well coordinated from the outset by the Hanseatic Global Terminals rebranding working group and embedded in a well-thought out overarching communication campaign, maximising the impact of the new brand both for the employees and all external partners and stakeholders.
“Strong communication as an overarching theme was essential for the success of this project. This applies both to all external measures aimed at making the new brand known to all stakeholders and involving external partners in the legally necessary steps resulting from the name change, as well as to all internal measures to prepare employees for the changes in the organisational structure. Thanks to the successful communication, employees developed enthusiasm for the new brand at an early stage and are now delighted to be an active part of a globally operating company.” - Nienke Kools, Communications and Marketing Manager
10
Terminals rebranded
2300+
Employees equipped
250+
Partners informed
