NSG Adopts Pilkington Name in New Branding Structure

Following a review of its branding strategy, Nippon Sheet Glass (NSG) Group has decided to adopt the "Pilkington" brand for its global flat glass business (which includes its automotive glass business).

"In the new NSG Group, flat glass now accounts for around 85 percent of our global operations, with manufacturing in 27 countries worldwide and sales in over 130," says NSG chairperson Yozo Izuhara. "We aim to present a single face to all our customers in both building products and automotive—and that means adopting a single global brand for all our markets in those sectors.

"Since the acquisition in June 2006, we have made good progress in integrating our businesses. In parallel, we conducted a major review of our branding. Research showed that the 'Pilkington' brand has very good recognition worldwide and a high reputation for innovative products and good customer service.

"To ensure that this commercial advantage is fully exploited globally, NSG has taken the decision to use the 'Pilkington' brand for all of the Group's Flat Glass operations. Ownership of the Pilkington brand was an important element of our acquisition strategy and we intend to make effective use of it."

The new logo for the NSG Group Flat Glass businesses (building products and automotive) in all markets worldwide, except in Japan where a Japanese language version is used, is:

A new logo also has been adopted at the executive level. The new logo of the NSG Group, which will also be used for the Specialty Glass business, is as follows:

A black and white version is also approved; all other versions are discontinued. The name "NSG Group" will be used to describe the company at the group level, as well as by the company's information technology and glass fiber businesses where the NSG name is well established.

The legal company name "Nippon Sheet Glass Co. Ltd." now will only be used for legal and postal address purposes in Japan, and not in branding or logos.

The changes to the logo come following a study undertaken for the NSG board by Wolff Olins/Hakuhodo, which included a survey of global brand awareness in the glass industry.

These changes will take effect immediately, with the new branding being progressively introduced into the company's operations worldwide in the coming months.

As for what this might mean for the industry, some believe it will have little to no effect.

"I don't believe the vast majority of consumers have any clue who Pilkington is and who owns them and what that means," says Neil Duffy of Auto Glass Menders in San Jose, Calif. "It is sort of a black-and-white market at present. There are those who want the 'same glass as what is now in it' and that means it has to look the same and say the same thing."

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