Displaying items by tag: Brand
What to call a cement association?
20 March 2024The Portland Cement Association (PCA) is currently considering changing its name as part of a wider rebranding exercise. As the PCA’s president and CEO Mike Ireland puts it, “Portland cement no longer adequately represents the products PCA member companies manufacture, as they increasingly produce blended cements in today's environmentally conscious marketplace.” The exercise opens up a host of issues about the promotion of cement and concrete and the role of a trade association in the 21st century.
The reason the PCA holds its name is because ordinary Portland cement (OPC) became the most popular type of cement used to make concrete (and other building materials) in the second half of the 19th century. This continued in the 20th century without any issues. So naming a national cement association after the sector’s key product made sense at the time. The parent organisation that became the PCA was formed in 1902 and the PCA proper officially started in 1916 when cement producers met in Chicago and agreed to set up an expanded organisation.
One topic that was less of an issue in 1916, was considering a national cement association in an international context. Or in other words, should a national or regional cement association say where it is from in its name? Many associations do so elsewhere in the world but not all. Cembureau in Europe, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association in India and the Mineral Products Association in the UK for instance are three examples that do not. The PCA’s current name does not indicate where it is based and it has appeared to have coped for over 100 years. Curiously though, most of the suggestions that the PCA has put forward for its potential new name do include ‘America’ in some shape or form. Another connected problem is whether the general public in the US make the assumption that the PCA is a smaller group based in Portland, Oregon!
Mike Ireland points out another dilemma facing the PCA today with the rise in popularity of blended cements. The PCA, for example, worked on supporting the use of Portland Limestone Cement in the 2010s before lots of US producers started making it in the 2020s. To illustrate the scale of the change that this and other initiatives have created, United States Geological Survey (USGS) data shows that shipments of blended cements doubled from 26Mt in 2022 to just under 55Mt 2023. At the same time, shipments of Portland Cement fell by 37% year-on-year to around 52Mt from 83Mt. More blended cements were shipped in the US than OPC in 2023. So the PCA finds itself named after a minority cement product.
The other issue that Ireland touches upon is the environmental perception of cement by the general public and the problems for marketing, branding and advocacy this presents to a trade association. Simply put, it is far easier for the environmental lobby in developed economies to portray cement as ‘bad’ than it is for the cement sector to publicise the many small but incremental changes it has made or the monumental effect that cement and concrete have made upon human society over the last 150 years. Although it may not mean much to the wider public, to whom ‘cement is cement,’ the rise of blended cements in the US has handed the PCA the opportunity to differentiate cement into ‘good’ and ‘bad’ offerings. In this case high CO2 emitting OPC becomes the old dirty product of the past and blended cements become clean shiny symbols of the future. It follows, therefore, that retaining the name of an old product for one of the biggest cement associations in the world might be considered unhelpful.
In some respects OPC and the PCA have become victims of their own success. Cement built the modern world and has become ubiquitous. So commonplace in most countries, in fact, that people outside of the building industry often fail to realise how crucial the stuff is. The tricky proposition for those marketing cement today is to somehow recognise the historical contribution that it has made to build our world whilst also conveying how it is changing to become more sustainable. Unfortunately for fans of OPC though this may mean dumping it from the name of the PCA.
Titan unveils new branding
11 March 2024Greece: Titan has launched a new, refreshed logo and branding to symbolise its commitment to sustainability and green growth. The logo features the familiar blue globe of the former Titan Cement Group emblem, now interspersed with bright green lines. The producer says that the new branding preserves its heritage, while signalling the modernity of its dynamic, forward-looking strategy. Titan’s new slogan, accompanying the visual identity, is ‘Building a better world together.’
Titan serves 25 markets, complementing its regular operations with over 100 current decarbonisation initiatives.
India: Dalmia Cement has launched new branding identifying itself as a Roof Column Foundation Expert. The identity is accompanied by the slogan ‘Roof, column, foundation strong, home strong.’ The company says that the branding will help it to position its cement as first choice in business-to-consumer (B2C) building materials retailing. The campaign especially targets towns of 20,000 – 100,000 people, outside of India’s metropolitan centres. The producer aims to raise its B2C sales from 65% to 70% in the 2025 financial year. It now operates a 45,000-strong retail network. In order to support further growth in the segment, the company plans to deploy 600 technical staff and 150 vans across India.
Chief operating officer Sameer Nagpal said “We believe that the brand must play a vital role in consumer’s lives so that they can make informed choices. Dalmia Cement has over the years developed proprietary know-how of optimising cement recipes that makes it most suitable for roof, column and foundation.”
Managing director and CEO Shri Puneet Dalmia said “Our new brand campaign manifests not just an eminent legacy, but also a commitment to consumer centricity – it conveys a core message that building a home with due care means building it for generations to come.”
India: Sanghi Industries has received shareholder approval to supply its cement and clinker to ACC and Ambuja Cements. Additionally, Sanghi Industries will begin to purchase of coal from fellow Adani Group subsidiary Adani Enterprises, according to the Economic Times newspaper. Under the new arrangements, ACC and Ambuja Cements will sell Sanghi Industries’ cement and clinker under their own brands, at a price 10% above production cost. This is reportedly below industry pricing standards for comparable deals of 25 - 30% higher pricing over costs.
Adani Group subsidiary Ambuja Cements acquired a 57% stake in Sanghi Industries on 5 December 2023.
Germany: Heidelberg Materials has launched EvoBuild, a new brand for its range of low-carbon and circular products. It intends to apply globally consistent criteria and tiering for its sustainable products and aims to set new standards for decarbonised products. All countries in which the company is present will gradually integrate their sustainable products into the EvoBuild portfolio.
Dominik von Achten, chair of the managing board of Heidelberg Materials, said “After rolling out our new corporate brand Heidelberg Materials in more than 20 countries, harmonising our strong sustainable product portfolio on a global level is the next logical and important step.” He continued, “We recently introduced our EvoZero brand for the world’s first carbon captured net-zero cement. Now, we are adding EvoBuild to the Evo brand family with a new framework for all products that are characterised by their special contribution to carbon reduction and circularity. This also reflects the strong focus of our business activities on sustainable solutions for our customers.” Nicola Kimm, the chief sustainability officer at Heidelberg Materials added that creating the brand was, “an important step towards achieving one of our key targets on the way to net zero as we aim to generate 50% of our revenue with sustainable products by 2030.”
Products in the EvoBuild range will be available in all business lines and are either low-carbon (cement and concrete), circular (concrete) or feature a combination of both attributes. Low-carbon products must provide a CO₂ reduction of at least 30% compared to the reference value. Circular products must contain at least 30% recycled aggregates, or they must reduce material requirements by at least 30%.
India: Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) has become the latest Bollywood superstar to help advertise cement in India. Khan appears in UltraTech Cement’s Build and It Will Grow (Banega Toh Badhega) advertising campaign, launched on 15 January 2023. The opening advert shows the Aśoka star among workers, school pupils and the Indian Army carrying out different activities facilitated by infrastructure.
UltraTech Cement said “SRK is a shining example of the rise and aspirations of India. His personal journey is one of resetting boundaries and aiming high. We thus believe that he is aptly suited to represent UltraTech’s credo.”
Czech Republic: Heidelberg Materials subsidiary Českomoravský Cement will change its name to Heidelberg Materials CZ on 1 January 2024. Germany-based Heidelberg Materials’ other subsidiaries in the country - including Českomoravský Beton, Českomoravský Šterk, Pískovny Morava and Tras-Servis - will retain their names but appear under the holding company brand. Českomoravský Cement operates two integrated plants in the country.
Calderys launches new brand platform
29 November 2023France: Refractories supplier Calderys has announced the launch of its new brand platform following its integration of HWI (formerly HarbisonWalker International) earlier in 2023. The platform is comprised of four values, reflecting the personality of Calderys’ company culture, namely accountability, authenticity, multiculturalism and tenacity.
Chief people officer Melissa Bihary and global vice president communications Aurélie de Chassey-Hayot said “These new values and the overall platform have been developed through an employee-led exercise. Therefore, they truly define the essence of who we are and how we do business. They guide our actions and behaviors and help us make the best decisions for the benefit of our customers.”
Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento rebrands
22 November 2023Bolivia: Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento (SOBOCE) has successfully completed and launched its new brand redesign. The Periódico La Patria newspaper has reported that the company’s new logo comprises two circles forming an S, a ‘harmonious image’ which also implies the infinity symbol. The colour palette is green, because of its association with sustainability.
SOBOCE chief executive officer, Francisco Shwortshik said "SOBOCE has accumulated almost a century of history, in which time it has contributed significantly to the construction of this country, from its monumental works to the homes in which families have invested their dreams. But it also represents the future, a future marked by innovation and sustainability, and we wanted all this to be reflected in our new corporate image.”
Holcim US rebrands in Atlanta Metropolitan Area
15 November 2023US: Holcim US has unrolled its Holcim branding in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area in Georgia. The producer operates cement terminals at Cartersville, Duluth and Covington.
Southeast regional sales manager Lee Amick said "The rebrand signifies Holcim’s unwavering commitment to Atlanta construction and building companies, along with the greater community that has come to know us as a trusted partner. We're looking forward to building on our long-standing reputation for reliability, dependability, and assurance, now further rooted in sustainability and a profound dedication to environmental responsibility."