Ashland Brand Transformation Won 2018 REBRAND 100 Global Awards

Ashland’s brand transformation following its final separation from Valvoline Inc. last year ranks among the most successful rebranding campaigns in the U.S., earning the global specialty chemicals company recognition in the 2018 REBRAND 100 Global Awards.

REBRAND is a global resource for case studies on effective brand transformations: the repositioning, revitalizing and redesign of existing brand assets to meet business goals. Once a year, a new panel of international business, marketing and design executives is selected to jury the competition, with the goal of showcasing the most effective brand transformations.

Five companies were recognized with “Best of” awards by REBRAND. Another 45 firms – including Ashland – were honored with awards of “distinction.” The remaining 50 received “merit” awards. 

“The most compelling entries used storytelling, in various forms, that was relatable, thought-provoking and emotional. Winning rebrands transcend ‘telling’ to ‘showing’ us brand value and why we should care," said 2018 juror, June M. Archer, C-suite business leader and brand builder.

“Ashland has a ‘blueprint for the future’ which is our pathway for creating the leading premier specialty chemicals company in the world,” said Bill Wulfsohn, Ashland chairman and CEO. “Our foundation includes safe, compliant and responsible operations, a winning strategy and a high-performance organization. Our winning strategy has two core components: aligning the organization around a clear sense of purpose and implementing a winning competitive strategy.”

“Ashland’s new brand identity projects our global organization’s passion and tenacity for developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems in applied chemistry, always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and advancing the competitiveness of our customers across diverse industries,” he said.

Added Carolmarie Brown, director of global marketing and business communications at Ashland: “Our ambitious re-branding signaled the realization of a clear corporate vision, organizational transformation, and separation from Valvoline. It inspired us to think, speak and act as one organization, significantly improving our competitiveness, and it has proven to be a powerful tool in increasing the value of our offer and enterprise."

Axel Löber, a 2018 awards juror and head of Branding and Strategic Projects, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, said, “In a rapidly changing business environment, cultural change is pivotal for companies to succeed. Strong brands can support or even drive this change – which turns a rebrand into a much larger opportunity than a simple refresh of colors.”