Johnell Holly |
Senior vice president of global client service, sales and marketing, FM
1. Your company can trace its origins back to 1835 and has undergone several name changes over the decades. Why was it time for a “brand refresh” again? The name “FM Global” and its accompanying logo served us well over these past few decades, but they no longer capture what our company is about today, nor the progress we’ll be making in the years to come. We’ve grown, innovated and invested significantly over the last 25 years. It was time for a change.
2. Why just “FM”? Were other brand names considered? And can you explain the logo change and new tagline? We dropped “Global” from our name because these days “global” goes without saying. A quarter-century ago, we were establishing ourselves as a global player. Today, we have insured locations in more than 145 countries. … We worked with the renowned firm Prophet to develop the new brand name, logo and tagline – “Protect Your Purpose.” The tagline captures our commitment to our clients for almost two centuries.
3. FM recently sponsored the LPGA tournament at TPC Boston. Is this part of the rebranding strategy? Why golf? Can we expect FM to be sponsoring other pro sporting events? Golf is the sport of business – especially the insurance business. But our sponsorships are also about working with organizations like the LPGA that align with our work in the community. For example, as part of our partnership with the LPGA, FM is supporting programs to enable women and the next generation of students in pursuit of education and careers in STEM [science, technology, engineering and math].
4. FM has grown to what it is today through its long-cultivated reputation among many top companies in the world. Yet, FM has now produced its first-ever TV ads. Why do that, and might we expect more “firsts” for FM? Partnership is central to everything we do, which is why we have such great relationships with our clients. … We believe we have a unique opportunity to help protect even more businesses and organizations around the world against risk – but to do that, we must increase our visibility. That’s why we rebranded, and why we did our first TV ads. And there will surely be more firsts to come. Stay tuned.
5. How committed is FM to maintaining its headquarters in Johnston, considering the company has locations and reach worldwide? With our global headquarters, research campus and InnoVentures office all located in Rhode Island, we are proud to be one of the state’s largest private employers. We have no plans to change that.
