An organization's identity is often strongly tied to its name. When attempting to decide whether to change a corporate, association, or organization name, emotions and opinions are typically flying in all directions.

In some instances, radical changes are made (e.g., Andersen Consulting to Accenture; Cablevision to MediaCom; US Steel to USX Corporation, then back to US Steel). Other changes are often barely even noticed (e.g., Honeywell Industry Solutions became Honeywell Process Solutions; Eagle Point Software to Eagle Point).

After 35 years in business, the owners of Alpha Engineering Inc. knew a name change was overdue to better reflect what they do together with their clients and colleagues.

"We truly are no longer just an engineering firm, nor are we your typical consulting firm," explains Teri Miller, Marketing Director. "Although we offer a comprehensive package of services - structural and civil engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, planning, interior design, development management and development investment - our approach is different. The value we bring to our clients is different. Our culture is different. Our name no longer adequately or accurately described who we are or what we do. In fact, our name had become limiting. It had to change."

In the Beginning
So, in 2002, the company started talking about a change. As an initial and very easy step in this process, the firm went to neutral ground and started abbreviating its name - using the acronym AEI to update how they presented themselves.

"It was a small and simple step, but still a move in the right direction. It called attention to our changing face, it slowly transitioned out the emphasis on the word "engineering" and it gave us the opportunity to start redefining our work and ourselves," relates Jerry Palmer, President.

But, changing to AEI truly was just an interim step. An acronym always stands for something - which led it right back to where it had started - Alpha Engineering Inc.

AEI was neutral ground, but certainly not defining ground. It was ambiguous, and ultimately became part of the process of defining both what the firm wanted to be and what it did not.

"We didn't want a neutral and non-defining name. We don't operate with non-defining principles," states Miller. "In fact, we are very targeted in what we are doing, the value we're bringing to our clients and where we want to be in the future. We didn't just need a name. We needed a brand."

Branding
A name change, and even larger, a brand, is not something to be taken lightly. It is a significant step with significant challenges. Recognizing that a brand is not a marketing tagline, campaign, or logo, company officials started with what a brand IS - the promise you keep in all actions and communications, all the time.

That meant the firm had to look internally first. They tested and inquired with clients, colleagues, and staff. They also conducted market research.

"We needed to answer two questions ≠what is our brand now, and what is our brand for the future," reveals Teri Miller, CPSM, Marketing Director. "We received amazing feedback from public and private clients, colleagues, cohorts, staff and industry acquaintances. It was a fascinating look into not who we thought we were, but who others understood us to be."

Then, over the next two years, Alpha set into play a series of changes internally to support, advance, and challenge their brand - both what it was and what they wanted it to be. The company started placing greater emphasis on its most valuable assets - people: relationships with clients, and relationships with employees.

"We restructured to create the ability to be more responsive to our clients and the relationships we have with them," explains Palmer. "We started redefining the words, language, and actions that guided our daily work. We grew new leaders. We looked, listened and researched. We took those little pieces of what we had been doing that were so good, and we grew them, internally and externally."


Operating Tenets
The company wanted to emphasize four areas in its work, approach, and relationships:

    Taking a holistic approach to everything

    Putting the project within the context of community

    Considering people and places, not just land to be used

    Engaging the community


It was important to acknowledge that development will continue to happen. The company's contribution to the development industry would be to strive for the highest point in a range of opportunity for every project in which it is involved.

"This set the stage for our brand - the performance, expectations, promise and communication - and has helped us to clarify whom we want to work for and with," stated Palmer. "These four points have become the operating tenets behind our brand. They solidify what we had been saying for some time - our expertise is in development with a community perspective. Our services are defined by our clients."

Now that the internal behaviors were in place to back the brand, the firm could solidify its name change. The biggest challenge - defining the firm.

"We needed to express that definition," says Palmer. "There was considerable time spent removing objections - getting everyone onboard, participating and buying into the entire process and the concept as a whole."

Humans, by nature, resist change. The greatest acknowledgement was when the firm started to hear what it had been saying and practicing from their clients. Soon after that, the questions stopped, enthusiasm increased, and productivity improved.

"Our relationships grew. Our staff grew. There was a tangible energy in the office both for what we were doing with our clients and in our community," claims Miller.


Additional Challenges
But, the company's work still wasn't done. Even though it had spent years internally questioning, researching, communicating and building its brand and the behaviors to back it, the business hadn't communicated its brand, aside from its work with clients, to the outside world.

"You don't truly know how many things have your name or logo on them until you start to reprint and redo it all," reveals Miller. "Even with a thorough inventory and planning, there were still little things we overlooked. The company name on Caller ID, for example. We decided to take it a little piece at a time."

They decided to design and print those things that go out of the office first, and then start working on the internal pieces. A communication plan, including schedule and budget, was formulated. Out of that, an entirely new logo, new website, new brochure, new stationery, new signage, email addresses, business cards, electronic forms and more were designed. The list went on. The logistics behind designing and printing all of these things was tremendous.

"Even with help from some stellar consultants," Miller explains, "we had more than our share of work cut out for us. Our office was full of boxes for months as we continued to analyze, layout, design and produce the look, the feel and the message we wanted."

Communication
Ah, but the work still wasn't completed. They still needed to determine how to communicate the new brand to their clients. They felt it was extremely important to spend the time to acknowledge their existing relationships. They didn't want anyone to feel they had found out the wrong way. However, with so many relationships at so many different levels, it would be tough to pull off.

"We finally decided on a three-tiered approach as a start ≠personal phone calls, personally signed letters and a printed announcement," explains Miller. "These three activities occurred roughly a week apart from one another, but were not exclusive of one another. Our clients were very supportive.

Because of the internal work we had already done and the tangible results they saw from the brand promise we had built, most saw it coming and wondered why it didn't happen sooner."

Regardless, the company wanted it to be clear. So, they made calls, sent letters, and mailed announcements.

"We put statements at the bottom of all outgoing emails and embellished our mailing list to include those in the industry whom we may not work with regularly, but whom we connect with at industry events. We sought PR in local papers. We targeted some specific sponsorship and advertising opportunities. We identified a date for an open house in the spring. We will continue our PR efforts over the next year with focused activities to reinforce our new brand internally and externally with clients and the rest of the industry," concluded Miller.

Conclusion
The name change ultimately became a by-product of what the firm had become and where it wanted to go. By focusing first on its brand, it was able to put into place those actions that give their clients the experience that matches the words in their new name.

"We are all so familiar with it now that we can live it, think it, act it, breathe it, represent it," states Palmer. "It's a part of our office. In January 2005, we finally shared what we had been up to for the last three years with the rest of the world and were both proud and excited to announce our new brand and the company name that goes with it - Alpha Community Development."

The new company website, at www.alphacommunity.com, tells the whole story. SLDT