Iconic Sanlam Brand is reinvigorated and modernised: Introducing Sanlam Wealthsmiths™

Listed South African financial services group Sanlam celebrates its 96th birthday this month with the unveiling of its refreshed brand, including a brand new pay-off line, Wealthsmiths™. The group’s new brand will more accurately reflect Sanlam as it is today – a global, fully diversified financial services group. As part of the refresh, Sanlam’s iconic logo has been updated and a new positioning and brand architecture developed.

Yegs Ramiah, chief executive of Sanlam Brand, explains: “As a major South African listed entity – which employs 12 000 people and manages more than R722 billion in assets – it is crucial that Sanlam remains a competitive financial services group which contributes immeasurably to the South African economy. As such, we believe it is important to periodically invest in the Sanlam image and renew the energy of our brand. A robust brand contributes to stronger business performance which is ultimately to the benefit of employees, clients and shareholders.” 

Ramiah says that at the heart of the makeover is a new external positioning designed to capture the essence of what the group stands for. “Our new pay-off line, Wealthsmiths™, is a simple description of what we do and what we believe in. It represents our roll-up-your-sleeves, pragmatic approach to doing things, our ethos, and our appreciation for the raw materials with which we work – our clients’ money. We have a deep understanding that wealth does not come easy – it comes from hard work and dedication and we take our role in this process extremely seriously.” 

Another aspect of the brand refresh is the use of one flagship brand across the board. “Our previous brand strategy was centred around the building of an entrepreneurial culture at Sanlam. It included the use of sub-brands for individual business units so that they could flourish in their own right. This strategy was exactly what the group needed at the time and has led to stand-out performance across the board. But the time is now ripe to revert to a single, strong brand to communicate our offering in a simpler and more unified way,” says Ramiah. 

She says a simplified brand architecture will help create one strong Sanlam identity. “We will now go to market with a set number of expertise fields: insurance, financial planning, investments, retirement and wealth. This will make it easier for consumers to navigate the business and allow us to demonstrate the breadth of the group’s offering.” 

The new logo is an updated version of the previous logo, first adopted in 1973. “Our research indicated that the Sanlam logo had a lot of equity associated with it, so instead of replacing it, we rejuvenated it to a more contemporary look to resonate better with today’s clients. The protective hands of Sanlam's financial expertise represent shielding the world of our clients, the pointed fingers represent powerful growth and the solid base, stability.” 

Sanlam Group chief executive, Dr Johan van Zyl, says the rejuvenated logo and simplified brand architecture all work together to demonstrate what it is that makes Sanlam unique and meaningful.

“Our business has expanded and diversified over many years, with our footprint now spanning over 15 countries across five continents, offering expertise and experience to our partners, world class products and services to our clients and growing value for our shareholders. Intrinsic to this growth and our satisfactory performance over the years is a strong focus on our strategy as well as one of our most valuable assets, our brand. 

“The exercise to revitalise our brand is in line with the progress we are making as a company and as our business diversifies, it is important for us to ensure that our brand continues to reflect the essence of who we are and what we do. The time has come for us to tell our story with conviction and pride, through our brand - about how we are ensuring the sustainability of this business into the future.” 

Ramiah adds that Sanlam’s brand refresh has been a long time in the making, and has been executed within a well-defined, special budget. It will be rolled out gradually, and with due consideration for costs, throughout South Africa and the rest of the world.

 “Our new brand essentially encapsulates what has come to be known as the Sanlam Way: we have the courage of our convictions and are resolute and determined, we are solid and sensible, and we have an internal culture of doing things properly. At Sanlam, we treat our clients’ hard-earned money with the importance and respect it deserves, as if it were our own,” Ramiah concludes.

Sanlam brand infographic to view the Sanlam brand infographic.

 

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