CSG Companies is rebranding but IMO they did a very poor job of it if they wish to do business “online” and present a clear branding message for the company and it’s new brand. The new business name is Forte Benefits and the tagline “Forward Thinking Benefits”.
Everything looks pretty good so far!
Now, Forte is a great brand name with a powerful meaning (a thing at which something excels) but in branding, it’s important to be consistent with who you are. Since the clear trend is “online”, it is vital for your branding to match and be YOU with your home online, your domain name!
Misstep #1, the logo is boldly focused on “Forte”. aka they are wishful thinking and are branding themselves as “something they are not” online. That’s the reality, Oracle Corporation owns Forte.com, not Forte Benefits! Confusing! To back up my point of this focus, Forte is used 15 times in the companies press release (below), where as “forte benefits” is used 8 times. Then references like “said Logan Dickinson, Forte Managing Partner” so it’s clear to me they want to be short, sweet and fancy aka premium brand.
Misstep #2 The companies name is “Forte Benefits”. The online home of “Forte”? The useless, confusing, $12 hand registered domain “DiscoverForte.com” they registered on March 21, 2017 is the flagship domain for Forte Benefits. The face of your company online is only worth $12? AND it doesn’t even match your company’s name? Confusing!
Misstep #3 They didn’t purchase ForteBenefits.com from it’s current owner, Seth Forte, who happens to have the domain listed under the organization name of: Forte Benefits and has since 2014. Potential legal issues? This was a KEY asset purchase for Forte Benefits, which they failed at securing.
Misstep #4 There are a slew of vitamins that use Forte in some fashion and when somebody does a current Google search for: forte benefits, the entire first page of Google and beyond all focus on vitamins, V-C Forte Oral etc. Now keep in mind that Forte Benefits is an employee benefits brokerage service but Google is showing “benefits” results relating to the benefits of using the vitamins. Between other companies using the forte term, the vitamins, it will be an uphill climb for this effort to stand out in the crowd. The totally different domain name from the company’s name will not help in the matter either! Since they are focusing on “Forte”, things get far worse if people expect to find the company just searching forte!
Companies really piss me off when they do this crap! Did they do any research? Did they hire professionals to help in the rebrand? Did they hire a domain expert? Here is the “excited” press release from the company, rebranding themselves to something they are not online. Clearly the companies branding efforts are not its forte!
Trust, authority, professionalism are three key factors into your HOME online, aka your domain name. Your front door! Your “online sign”. Your digital name representing your company! The destination. The easy path to view the services you provide! You will provide, announce, type, write this domain name thousands and thousands of times.
DOMAIN NAMES ARE REALLY F’NING IMPORTANT!!!!
If your brand name is Forte Benefits, you should invest into securing THAT exact match .com domain name asset, no questions asked. It’s you, it’s your company, your blood, sweat, tears and passion!
I’m sure they had a significant investment into this rebrand with logo design, a new website, the cost of the PR, switching over content from the old domain to the new domain, likely email, physical sign, letterhead and so much more! Many of which will yield your domain name! I’m sure they are a great company and offer good services but this rebrand is going to spell trouble due to the many missteps ignored in its effort to display authority and a clear branding message online.
$12 hand registered domain that doesn’t match your business name…. oh my! It’s 2017! Companies are spending thousands, tens of thousands and even millions of dollars to secure the exact match .com domain name to its brand name.
Nothing makes me puke in my mouth more than seeing a company “rebrand” and do so without owning the exact match .com domain of the companies name! Don’t do that! If branding isn’t your forte, hire a professional or you just might have to rebrand all over again.
Searching from the U.K., when I use “forte benefits” at Google.com, I get many results on page 1 for erectile dysfunction!
@Logan,
Maybe that has to do with your search history 🙂
Weird. Both Mr. Seth Forte and the newly rebranded Forte Benefits are based on Ft. Worth, Texas. Coincidence?
That is weird Logan, but they are not connected.