Reckitt is a British multinational consumer goods company, operating in over 60 countries. Selling around 30 million products per day, it is a leader in consumer health and hygiene and is known for its portfolio of household names which includes brands such as Dettol, Lysol, Harpic, Finish, Vanish, Nurofen, and Durex, to name a few.
Reckitt's Challenge
In February 2020, Reckitt undertook a corporate rebrand, launching a new strategy and purpose. Global digitisation, including the internet and social media, had made corporate brands more visible and valuable. People increasingly cared about the corporation behind the products. The change of brand from ‘RB’ to Reckitt enabled the brand to articulate its story: to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.
In an era where trust and purpose matter to both consumers and investors, Reckitt wanted to better reflect its role in global health, hygiene, and nutrition. To do this, the small brand team had limited resources and would need an experienced partner to work closely with both them and other Reckitt employees throughout the business functions; to help steer the overall Project Management Office for the rebrand; bringing subject-matter expertise across workstreams, where required, ultimately driving the programme forward to ensure minimal impact on the day-to-day business.
Our Solution
Before embarking on a potential costly and disruptive rebrand, RB contacted VIM Group to conduct an Impact Analysis into the likely organisational, financial and branded asset impacts to the business. VIM spoke to key stakeholders and recommended a roll out approach over three years, which would balance current replacement cycles against budgets required to make the transition to Reckitt. These figures were presented to the board and used as the basis for the programme’s approval.
Once the project was given the go-ahead, VIM further supported the organisation with a wider PMO to assist workstreams with brand implementation. This entailed working closely with IT & Digital, Facilities, Product, HR, and Legal teams to ensure their rebrand plans were on schedule, addressing and removing any blockages while keeping the brand team and senior management up-to-date. The PMO also involved direct management of the brand change across office, research and warehouse environments around the globe, assisting the in-house team to ensure that the change happened on-time and on-budget.
During the programme, VIM also adopted an advisory role in budget monitoring and liaising with Finance to ensure cost transparency throughout the project
In addition, one of the challenges faced by Reckitt was managing the sheer volume of brand-related queries from employees leading up to, and following the rebrand. To combat this, VIM set up an exclusive Brand Helpdesk to manage and provide a response to the brand questions, escalating queries where needed, proving a much-needed, and experienced resource for the Brand Team.
Federica Di Persio, Former Head of Corporate Brand & Collateral
The Results
Reckitt's rebrand was more than a name change - it was a strategic repositioning to align its corporate identity with its consumer purpose and global reputation. It marked a move toward clarity, heritage, and purpose in how the company presents itself to the world.
Reckitt’s rebrand strengthened its corporate identity with the products it represents, and can be seen across the globe in its offices and research facilities, and on the products it sells. Moving away from the abstract ‘RB’ helped distinguish the corporate brand from others and clarified the link between the company and its trusted consumer products. And internally, it supported a cultural refresh focused on agility, accountability, and impact.
VIM contributed to the success of the corporate rebrand across the Project Management Office, which, from an IT perspective, saw over 40,000 employees and 29,000 shared mailboxes/distribution lists migrated to Reckitt; 50+ facility sites fully rebranded; and thousands of product artworks changed to include the new brand. The Legal team registered more than 300 trademarks and over 100 new domain names, ensuring they were protected and future-proofed.
During the programme, VIM also assisted with the reorganisation of Reckitt’s Brand Library, its internal brand portal, re-categorising and reorganising hundreds of assets to make them easier to find and store. Along with adding interactive brand guidelines, we were able to improve the overall user experience, seeing over 34,000 monthly logins from employees, and further reinforcing the positive sentiments of the new brand.
50+
Sites Fully Rebranded
300+
Trademarks Protected
Library
UX Upgrade & Structure
