New Pitney Bowes identity creates ripple effects

Pitney Bowes is an American company that provides technology solutions for shipping and mailing. Its origins was in postal machines and it is still well known for its mail and document solutions. As any other company that deals with physical papers it has had to reposition itself in an increasingly digital world, and has done this by venturing into different eCommerce services. Last week, the company unveiled a new corporate identity to highlight this transformation. The new identity was developed by Futurebrand, with web development by DigitasLBi.

The idea behind the rebrand is summed up as "Accuracy and Precision for Impact", representing Pitney Bowes' ambition and track record in delivering to its costumers. The new symbol features concentric circles to symbolise "the rippling impact Pitney Bowes creates". Futurebrand says the logo is "modern, bright and dynamic" and that the subtle initials P and B pay tribute to the company founders.

Previous logo.

The company says this is its third logo ever. The first one was reportedly introduced in 1930. In 1971, it was replaced by the now outgoing logo. It was a bit of an early 70s classic, designed by Robert A. Gale of Siegel & Gale.

"Today marks another significant milestone in the company’s transformation. The new brand strategy will clarify our role in the changing world of commerce, emphasizing the interplay between physical and digital communications and also spotlighting emerging technology areas such as location intelligence, customer information management and cross-border commerce where Pitney Bowes provides industry leading solutions. Importantly, the new brand differentiates Pitney Bowes and makes us more relevant to a wider audience around the world." - EVP and CMO Abby Kohnstamm in a press release (archive)

From a Futurebrand press release (archive):

" Informed by robust global employee and customer insights, the updated brand work brings focus to Pitney Bowes’s unique point of difference, namely the meaningful impact created by the accuracy and precision it delivers in its services and solutions around the world. “This simple yet powerful idea – Accuracy and Precision for Impact – is rooted in a foundational truth about what Pitney Bowes has always delivered – first in the world of mail, and now in the connected and borderless world of commerce,” said Kari Blanchard, Executive Director of Strategy at FutureBrand. “Having the opportunity to develop a transformative strategy and identity that will help this iconic brand claim their role in the changing world of commerce is a rare and special opportunity – it has been an incredible experience for us here at FutureBrand.”

To translate the new brand positioning visually, FutureBrand created a symbol that draws from Pitney Bowes’s heritage, but in an entirely future-focused way. That meant creating a proprietary logotype paired with an ambitious symbol representing the rippling impact Pitney Bowes creates. The result is an identity that is modern, bright and dynamic, paying tribute to founders Pitney and Bowes (p and b) and symbolizing the impact of Pitney Bowes’s commerce solutions for clients around the world.

“It is rare that you get the opportunity to develop an identity that fully expresses the brand strategy and touches every aspect of the experience. We set out to create a monogram that is the singular expression of Accuracy and Precision for Impact. Pitney Bowes powers billions of physical and digital transactions every day and we wanted that to come across in a modern, new symbol,” said Lloyd Blander, the Creative lead on the assignment at FutureBrand.

To accompany the logo and visual elements, the agency created a suite of assets, touchpoints and materials that will help bring the story to life and change the way employees and customers worldwide view the brand."