Why Artex rebranded to Okarno

When Farrokh Bulsara joined his friends’ fledgling rock band, Smile, he decided on a name change. But not just a name change – a complete change of image and personality. He wanted a new identity, to build a fantastical new world with his music that people would feel strongly about. An image and a world that would delight and intrigue many, while turning off and irritating just as many.

If you’ve seen the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” then you probably know who I’m talking about. But in case you haven’t, Farrokh Bulsara changed his name to Freddie Mercury, and his band Smile changed to Queen.

This is one of the great rebranding stories in pop music history. Who now would remember a band called Smile? And while Farrokh Bulsara is a memorable name, it doesn’t carry the same resonance or fantastical imagination as Freddie Mercury. Love them or hate them, pretty much everyone today has a clear image – even a distinctive sound – in their mind when they think of the band Queen.

This is the power of a great brand.

A great brand stands for something.

Think of the young insurance company BoughtByMany. It had a great product and a great offer which resonated with the market, but the name wasn’t quite right. Certainly nothing in the name suggested it was a pet insurance company.? Since changing to ManyPets, this British company has expanded into the United States and Scandinavia and has been valued at over $1billion.

In 1996, a new technology company started that was called BackRub. In 1997, it changed its name to Google. While the original name didn’t really make clear what the company did or what it stood for, “Google” derived from the word “Googol” meaning an unfathomable number, which was one factor that increased its appeal to early adopters of technology who helped to spread its use across the internet.

Think of what these brands mean. “Queen” stands for loud, fun, and irreverent glam rock and camp pop music. “ManyPets” is shorthand for the UK’s fastest growing pet insurance company that’s widely trusted to look after the furrier members of the family. “Google” is a techy in joke that made early adopters feel like part of the in crowd by using it.

Why rebrand Artex?

In short, a great brand stands for something. The reason I mention this is because Artex rebranded to Okarno in January 2024, and I wanted to explain why.

Artex as a name goes back to the 1930s when the business began as a manufacturer of textured finish. Since then, we’ve grown into an essential supply chain partner for a range of leading construction product brands. But for many people in the market, “Artex” always meant textured finish. Nothing we did would change that – as we found out by conducting several market surveys.?

Not only did many people not realise that we were a supply chain solutions partner with a huge catalogue of products, but the Artex name got in the way and misled many into thinking all we did was make one particular type of product. It became a barrier to growth because people couldn’t see past the name to who we had become as a company.

In other words, it created the wrong impression. It no longer represented who we are or what we want to achieve. And part of a great brand is to stand for something the resonates in the minds of customers.

A brand is a promise to customers of consistency, care, and commitment. It's the basis of a relationship with customers, one built on trust and familiarity. This is one reason why we’re making this change now.

Why this year is the perfect time for the change.

Let’s face it – today’s construction industry is not an easy place to do business. We’ve seen a host of real and threatened regulatory changes in the wake of Brexit. We’ve seen continued supply chain disruption and price increases as the long-term impact of Covid lockdowns continues to make itself felt. And, thanks to the highest levels of inflation seen for a generation, customers and employees across our supply chain are suffering from a huge amount of financial stress.

This has been the perfect time for us to rebrand. Because, although these are tumultuous times, we can see the promise of a brighter future. And we’re making a promise of quality and consistency at a time when our customers – and their customers – need it most.

What Okarno stands for, and why

As Okarno, we’re more than just a supply chain solution. Our vision is no less than to be the trusted, sustainable supply chain partner that the industry wants to buy from, and that people love to work for.

As Artex, people couldn’t see beyond the product. As Okarno, we can be the brand that cares deeply about building better for people and the planet by offering flexible convenient supply chain solutions for premium building products to enable superior performance and sustainability.

We spent the last 18 months planning this change, searching within ourselves and our organisation to become clearer about who we are and what we stand for. To discover a mission and vision our customers and the market can agree with and become part of. To create a safe space in a topsy-turvy world of constant change and challenge where customers have the confidence to know that we’ve got their back.

Of course, if you’re familiar with us as a company you’ll know that Artex has been a part of the global Saint-Gobain organisation for a while now. As Okarno, that won’t change. It also means we get to draw upon the broader organisation to deepen our commitment to customers.

Our dedication to our customers and our commitment to delivering flexible supply chain solutions and solving problems remains at the heart of everything we do at Okarno. Although we have a new name, we’re still the same great business with the same great people.

As part of the Saint-Gobain group, we’re committed to customer closeness – to be there for you when you need us. We’re committed to developing innovative solutions to your challenges. To deliver solutions that have a direct impact on your margins and your bottom line. And we’re committed to making our solutions sustainable and safer – meaning you’ll always be able to order from us in confidence that you’re making the sustainable and compliant choice.

Our customer commitments

In practical terms, you might wonder what all this means for you. And it might seem like yet another change for you to deal with amongst a host of others.

But there’s no need to worry. This rebranding is about finding our real identify and being able to communicate it more effectively to the market and the wider world. For our customers, it means just this: that we commit to offering you the following tangible benefits for your business:

·???????? Flexible and convenient access to a premium and varied product range

·???????? Improved efficiencies in stock holdings

·???????? A wider range of delivery options than any of our competitors

·???????? Premium construction brands available at low minimum order quantities (MOQs)

·???????? Transparent value through price, integrity, and sustainability

·???????? Premium construction brands available next day

·???????? Flexible and convenient access to responsibly manufactured premium construction brands

·???????? Our employees are fully trusted and empowered to make decisions to provide a superior customer experience

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this big milestone for us and holding us to our promises to you in the future. After all, that’s why Okarno is here – to be your trusted supply chain partner in the years ahead, regardless of what challenges lie in store.

If you have any questions about the Okarno brand and what it means, drop us a line. We’ll be happy to talk it through.

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