Our POV on Cybersecurity Rebrands

We recently partnered with one of today's top cybersecurity brands and our affinity for brand identity exploration has us exploring the ways this industry is evolving.

The current state of the cybersecurity industry today is complicated. Data is constantly multiplying, gaining more complexity, and becoming more at risk of those who can’t keep their hands off of it. In a world where your data needs more protection than ever before, cybersecurity is an industry that has become crowded in every sense of the word due to there not being one company who can truly do it all. On average, most companies deploy 45 cybersecurity tools to protect their internal networks and systems, which is why it has become essential that cybersecurity firms get clear about every aspect of their brand and how it communicates their clear value proposition within today’s crowded market. 

Here’s why and how these three cybersecurity companies have rebranded, plus our take on whether it was a good move:

Okta’s Refreshed Brand Personality

Why they Changed

Okta founders wanted others to see the future of cybersecurity through Okta’s eyes, where their brand represents a spirit of innovation, optimism, and pragmatism—all of which are tenets of the company remaining relevant within the cybersecurity space. Their new brand purpose revolutionizes how Okta shows up within the cybersecurity world in nearly every way possible. 

What they Changed

Of all the updates that Okta made to their original brand, the most notable to our team was its shift towards a new, innovative voice and tone that impacted everything from their website language to their social media presence. With this “Innovator” voice now leading the brand, the remainder of the updated brand elements (color palette, photography, brand expression, etc.) fall in line to represent all things clever, visionary, candid and vibrant for the Okta brand. 

Our POV

Okta’s brand refresh has allowed the brand to evolve into one of the most human-centric players in the cybersecurity space. In shifting their new brand purpose to “a world where identity belongs to you” they have allowed their brand alone to help lower barriers for the everyday consumer.

New Relic’s Customer-Centric Voice Shift

Why they changed

Last year, New Relic rolled out their new brand complete with voice and tone focused directly on their primary customer base: software engineers. In choosing this shift in message, founders wanted to realign their business strategy with software engineer’s daily success, so that they can better plan, deploy, and run the company to power unique digital experiences for their customers. 

What they changed

New Relic changed their voice and tone to focus directly on their primary customer base and align with their new tagline to “Data for Engineers”. They also created a new logo that reflects an engineer-first approach. This new visual represents the three core teams involved in nearly every engineering process (developers, security, and operations) with New Relic representing the connection between all three.  

Our POV

Both the name and the logo are easily recognizable and help identify the line of business that New Relic operates within. The trio of core engineering teams (developers, security, and operations) allows for a clear visual connection to the industry that they serve. Their revamped landing page is heavily saturated with engineer-based language and lingo that certainly captures your attention if you work within the engineering space. This rebrand achieves the objective of both modernizing the New Relic brand visually and allowing for better communication with their new primary customer.

Trellix’s New Beginning

Why They Changed

Symphony Technology Group (STG) completed its $1.2 billion acquisition of FireEye and has combined it with the McAfee Enterprise business to create a cybersecurity titan. The two fused into a new company called Trellix.

What They Changed

The most notable change here was the joint rebrand of the two companies into a new parent brand called Trellix. STG chose the name because it invokes the idea of a trellis—a strong and safe framework used to support the structured growth of climbing trees—and because it is distinct in the cybersecurity industry. In selecting this symbol, the founders believe that they will deliver its brand promise to build confident organizations through “living security” that is ready to tackle the world’s most advanced and dynamic cyber threats. 

Our POV

FireEye was an established  brand in the cybersecurity space. Dropping this well-known brand name likely causes some confusion with existing customers, new prospects, and investors. However, the company can recover and that transition time was likely built into the decision. Effective brand management will be crucial during the transition for Trellix to be successful. 

To Wrap It Up

No matter how mild the rebrand, it can still have a big impact. While the transition can be tricky to navigate, rebranding gives companies the opportunity to reintroduce themselves to the market, as in the case of Trellix, and allows companies to connect with their customers on a new level, as Okta and New Relic aimed to do. In the world of cybersecurity, brand management is more important than ever. While these companies ensure the safety of their clients’ data, their brands do the work of keeping their reputations and connections with their audience secure.