Whenever the royal monarch of Britain dies, his or her government is tasked with changing the emblems of their reign across the reach of the empire.
Mailboxes and passports emblazoned with the initials of the Queen are changed slowly. They are altered only as they require updating, regardless of the monarch’s death.
Eversource Energy, formerly known as Northeast Utilities, doesn’t have that same luxury as it quietly launches a new brand across three states.
“Talk about an undertaking,” spokesman Mitch Gross said Thursday. “We had to get new security badges for 8,000 employees in three states, and 200-plus new signs in 70 locations in three states. We’re rebranding 3,800 vehicles, and now six websites merged into one.”
As of Feb. 2, divisions formerly known as Yankee Gas, Connecticut Light & Power, Public Service Co. of New Hampshire, Western Mass. Electric, and NStar, as well as the parent company, Northeast Utilities, all fall under the same name: Eversource Energy.
Nothing about customers’ billing and payment process will change, though envelopes and electronic bills will now bear the new logo of Eversource.
Divisions like Yankee Gas will now be referred to only as Eversource Energy.
Though the rebranding process has been in the works for 18 months, some industry professionals questioned the company’s rollout of the new name.
“NU missed an epic opportunity here,” wrote Greg Davis, of Mascola Group, a New Haven-based marketing firm. “They have been understandably quiet about their plans since pieces of the rebranding began happening over the past year, but to dismiss the goodwill both internally and externally that the launch of a new brand brings seems alienating.”
Regardless of what seemed to be a quiet rollout, Mr. Gorss said one of the most important drivers for the name change regarded the opening of new avenues for the company.
“We deliver natural gas and electricity, but we also stay current with technology,” he said. “It’s a streamlined approach, but it’s also more broad in scope… We’re no longer restricted just to light and power. Everything has to be regulatory approved, but the old names limited us. This doesn’t. This gives us more opportunities to build on what we’ve been building on.”
Also important, he said, was giving customers and employees a “one company, one name” approach to branding.
“When NU and NStar merged, there were six different companies operating in three states each with a different name. Since that time, our focus has been on integrating companies and improving how we did business. Operating as one brand is a more effective way to do business,” Mr. Gross said. “It streamlines things for the company and for consumers as well. There’s no longer a question of who your natural gas company is.”
The cost for the company’s rebrand was paid by shareholders, Mr. Gross said, noting none of the process was funded by customers.
Specifically, the new logo was designed to represent the three states in which Eversource operates, and the three services it provides.
The official name of the company is Eversource Energy, but Eversource is an acceptable shortened version, Mr. Gross said.