Reliance (ADAG) re-invented?

One of the country’s biggest businesses house, the Reliance group, after facing some heavy weather, split into two separate entities with the two brothers Anil and Mukesh, seeking different businesses.

Anil, the younger of the two, assumed control of different businesses such as Reliance Capital, Reliance Energy, and Reliance Infocomm. Anil, who has been in the news of late, and appears to be the aggressor among the two brothers a fortnight ago announced the new Reliance ADAG logo for his Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

So, what was the reason for this separate and unique identity? Several reasons can be cited, primary among them being a distinct identity for the shareholders, retailers, employees, and people to identify with ADAG as a new entity that carries forward the legacy and values of the former Reliance and build a new customer-centric image.

Keeping this in mind, the company sought to develop a new logo- The Reliance Apex, with the punch line, ‘Think Bigger‘, which was launched a fortnight ago. The logo is supposed to reflect key attributes of the former such as leadership and innovation. Along with the above, it also seeks to project ADAG as a customer-centric organization.

The logo brings the different ADAG entities under one umbrella and gives them a strand of commonality in terms of attributes with which a non-specialist can identify them.

The logo reflects the Fast Forward, which, in other words, implies a progressive as well as the aggressive nature of this new organization. Conceptualized by Bangalore-based Ray and Keshavan, the logo outlines the need for a change in the outlook, implying a change from earning for oneself to for their children. The concept was designed by London-based Landor, which came up with a three-dimensional logo and a new set of colors.

As against the combo of blue and green, the colors in the Reliance Logo, the new colors include blue and red. In the apex, red is for energy & dynamism, the new mold for the group, while blue reflects eternal peace and confidence.

The company looked to acquire a new identity through its logo and the advertisements which are being aired on television. The company has roped cine star Amitabh Bachchan, who is not being showcased as a brand ambassador but a philosophical ambassador.

This whole initiative shows the importance which companies lay on aspects such as corporate brand identity and image. The enormity of this effort in branding a logo also reflects the ideology of a company which has to be streamlined with it. One of the parameters to chart a company’s growth is to see their spending on corporate communications & advertising!