Featured cases

2008


old logo

"CSC is a global business and technology services powerhouse," says its Chairman, President and CEO Michael W. Laphen, and with 90,000 employees and revenues of $17 billion, "powerhouse" is justified.  But until now CSC has been almost a secret brand, known by insiders (notably the U.S. government) for handling the biggest, most complex and long-term projects in outsourcing and systems integration. Two years ago Laphen, then COO, led a strategic initiative called "Project Accelerate" which called for aggressive expansion of CSC's smaller but faster-growing and higher-margin "Business Solutions" consulting arm, to a broader market.  This would require a higher public profile. Interbrand was retained for a brand review, and a little later David Booth came on board with the new title "president of Global Sales and Marketing."

At first, Booth felt advertising could do the job, and saw no need for a logo change (CSC's twenty-year-old logo was dated in personality, but internally popular). He soon realized, however, how powerful a visible change could be in re-charging employee energy, as well as in commanding new attention in the marketplace. Rebranding could also be used to strengthen the consistent global primacy of CSC as the cohering 'mother' brand, and accelerate conversion of acquired brands (conversion of Covansys, for example, to CSC India).

Interbrand thus got its design brief, and responded with this wordmark-in-a-shape, plus a comprehensive visual system — type, color palette and graphic forms (based on the logo shape). Business units will now use a more consistent (virtually monolithic) signature system. In addition, the initials CSC will now be used as the company's formal name, as well as its communicative name; the legal name "Computer Science Corporation" will appear only when legally required. CSC considers this to reflect a change of industry definition -- from computer sciences, to IT solutions and services.

Other strategic changes with rebranding impact include relocation of global headquarters (from California to Virginia/metro DC), and communication emphasis on three defining competences / reporting centers.

A cascading launch started April 26 for 100 top executives, May 29 for 90,000 employees (via video and rolling events around the world), followed by individual presentations to business partners and analysts, and culminated September 9 in the start of a large-space advertising campaign in which the new logo was the focus of striking imagery.

Interbrand (New York)

Submitted by: Tony Spaeth, 18/09/2008
Status: Confirmed by David Booth, President, Global Sales & Marketing, 18 Sept. 2008
Category: Software & Computer Services
Country (HQ): United States