Feature story
How a 400-year-old chemical company became a 21st century brand
How a 400-year-old chemical company became a 21st century brand
Our company reached deep into its nearly 400-year history for inspiration to reposition its brand following a move into private ownership.
September 2018
Our new name, Nouryon, borrows from one of our predecessors, Noury & Van der Lande, and that historical reference has been combined with a strong new brand and purpose to reflect our goal of unleashing our full potential as an independent global specialty chemicals leader.
The new brand was developed using extensive employee input. “We wanted to find a name and purpose that would both build on our heritage and speak to the future, connecting with customers and making our employees proud,” said Vivi Hollertt, our Chief Communications Officer. Noury & Van der Lande, founded in 1838, was one of the first companies to recognize the important role chemistry could play in everyday life. “Today, we are a world leader in essential chemistry used to manufacture everyday products,” she said.
The concept of Nouryon’s new brand identity also builds on employee feedback about pride in our role as a producer of essential chemicals and history of forming strong partnerships with customers and other stakeholders.
“We used circular graphics based on classic atomic models with intersecting orbits to represent chemistry, which is at the core of what we do, as well as our ambition to work in close partnership with our customers, employees, and communities,” Vivi explained. “Orange was chosen as our key color as it really stands out in our competitor landscape.
Heritage & future
"We wanted to find a name and purpose that would both build on our heritage and speak to the future, connect with customers and make our employees proud."
These concepts are also reflected in our company purpose: Your partner in essential chemistry for a sustainable future. “Our success has been built on long-lasting and productive partnerships and we believe that collaboration is key to our future success,” Vivi said. “Our portfolio is rich with essential chemistries our customers rely on to manufacture everyday products, and we are committed to a growth agenda built on sustainable innovation. We combined all of this to create an identity for Nouryon that is strongly differentiated in our industry.”
The new name, brand, and purpose have been very well received by employees and other stakeholders, as demonstrated by the high level of activity on the company’s brand new digital channels. Vivi notes, “We have strong traffic to our website and exceptional engagement on social media – a fantastic achievement, as we have to build a follower base from the ground up.”
The new brand will be an essential part of supporting Nouryon’s strategy going forward, Vivi says. “We have a clear strategy that is focused on accelerating growth and it is important that we have a brand that helps us to do that. Our new brand will help us build pride in our employees and a strong reputation among our customers. In doing so, it will help us reach our full potential as a standalone company.”
About Nouryon
Nouryon is a global, specialty chemicals leader. Markets and consumers worldwide rely on our essential solutions to manufacture everyday products, such as personal care, cleaning goods, paints and coatings, agriculture and food, pharmaceuticals, and building products. Furthermore, the dedication of approximately 8,200 employees with a shared commitment to our customers, business growth, safety, sustainability and innovation has resulted in a consistently strong financial performance. We operate in over 80 countries around the world with a portfolio of industry-leading brands.