Rebranding is a strategic move that companies undertake to reposition themselves in the market, reflect evolving business models, and stay relevant. This process can involve changing the company name, logo, visual identity, or even the overall corporate mission. For HR companies, rebranding often reflects a shift from traditional HR functions to more comprehensive, technology-driven solutions. Here’s a closer look at why HR companies rebrand and examples of some that have successfully undertaken this transformation.
Why HR Companies Rebrand
1. Regional Names and Market Expansion: HR companies that include regional names in their branding often find these names limiting as they grow. These names can restrict a company’s appeal to a broader audience and hinder global expansion. By rebranding to a more universal name, companies can better position themselves in the international market, reflecting their wider reach and diverse capabilities.
2. Modernisation and Longevity: HR companies that have been in business for a long time often rebrand to refresh their image and stay relevant. This is particularly important in the HR industry, where evolving technology and modern work environments require companies to continually adapt. Rebranding helps these companies update their image, attract new clients, and better communicate their modern services.
3. Reflecting Evolving Services: As HR companies expand their services and capabilities, their original names may no longer capture the full scope of their offerings. Rebranding helps align the company’s name and identity with its current and future services.
4. Differentiation: The HR sector is highly competitive, and having a memorable brand can set a company apart from its competitors. Rebranding can help a company stand out and attract attention, making it easier to convey its unique value proposition to potential clients.
5. Reaching New Demographics: As HR companies aim to appeal to younger, tech-savvy professionals, rebranding can be a strategic move to update their image and attract new demographics. This involves modernising the brand to resonate with contemporary values and expectations.
6. Mergers and Acquisitions: When HR companies merge or acquire new businesses, rebranding can help create a unified identity that reflects the combined strengths and capabilities of the merged entities. This helps in presenting a cohesive brand to the market.
Rebrands in the HR Industry
EmiratesHR – Yomly
EmiratesHR, a cloud-based HR and payroll solution, rebranded to Yomly. This transformation marked the company’s evolution from a UAE-centric solution to a global entity serving clients in over 50 countries. The original name, EmiratesHR, was geographically restrictive and limited by its association with a specific region and the “HR” descriptor.
The new name, Yomly, offers greater flexibility, freeing the company from regional and service-specific confines. This strategic rebrand aimed to reach a broader audience, enable service expansion, and unlock new market opportunities, positioning Yomly as a versatile and internationally appealing brand.
We are all very proud of the journey that we have been on over the last five years of EmiratesHR. However, as we continue to expand our footprint globally, we felt that the EmiratesHR name no longer captures the full extent of our capabilities and global ambition. Yomly represents our goal to reach every corner of the HR & Payroll technology market and to consolidate our position as a leader in delivering innovative HR solutions worldwide.
Mark Nutter, Chairman and Founder of Yomly
As part of this rebrand, the company secured its Exact Brand Match (EBM) .com domain, Yomly.com, enhancing credibility, authority, brand protection, and online recognition.
ZenPayroll – Gusto
Gusto operates an online platform that provides payroll, benefits, human resources, and integration services. Founded in 2011 as ZenPayroll, Gusto initially focused on simplifying payroll processing for businesses. Recognising the broader potential of their platform, the founders rebranded the company to Gusto in 2015. The term “Gusto” refers to enjoyment and enthusiasm in doing something, better reflecting the company’s vision and mission.
Our new name Gusto was inspired by our customers and their teams who show courage and passion in the work they do every day. When you work on something you care about, with people you enjoy spending time with, it’s an amazing feeling. That energy. That oomph. That’s Gusto. We believe everyone has the potential to feel this way at work.
Josh Reeves, CEO and Co-Founder of Gusto
The company also switched to the EBM domain Gusto.com, a move that opens up new avenues for growth.
XpertHR – Brightmine
XpertHR, a leading global provider of people data, analytics, and insight, rebranded to Brightmine. The previous name, containing “HR,” may have limited the perceived scope of the company’s services. The new name, Brightmine, offers greater versatility and avoids confining the company to a specific sector.
Brightmine, formerly known as XpertHR, is pleased to announce its strategic business transformation to better support HR leaders in today’s complex workforce conditions. Our new brand, Brightmine, reflects our vision of empowering HR professionals with trusted data, AI-enabled technology, and human expertise to deliver better business outcomes.
Brightmine
Alongside its rebrand, the company also secured the EBM domain, Brightmine.com. Acquiring this domain is essential during a rebranding phase as it ensures a seamless transition for current clients and partners, reinforcing the strength and recognition of the new brand identity.
Administaff – Insperity
Insperity, a leading provider of human resources and business optimisation services, has a rich history dating back to 1986. Originally founded as Administaff, the company rebranded in 2011 to better reflect the extensive nature of its services and to move away from the temporary staffing connotations of its former name.
The reason for the rebranding was partly because of the limitation of the old brand. Administaff had a connotation of being in the temporary staffing business, which we never were, and we found that it limited our ability to get in the door because people presumed that was what we did…So we needed kind of a bigger vessel, something that could really allow us to extend our competencies into other product offerings and into other markets.
Paul J. Sarvadi, Chairman and CEO of Insperity for Smart Business
The name “Insperity” is a creative blend of “inspiration” and “prosperity,” embodying the company’s mission to help businesses succeed so communities prosper. Embracing this new identity, Insperity has secured its EBM domain Insperity.com.
We chose the word ‘inspiration,’ which is so important in entrepreneurship — having that inspiration about a new product, a new service or a new company to provide an improvement in the marketplace, that particular inspiration in the business owner — and the desire to find ‘prosperity,’ not just financially but to be successful to achieve, to create.
Paul J. Sarvadi, Chairman and CEO of Insperity for Smart Business
EddyHR – Eddy
Eddy is an all-in-one HR suite designed to streamline hiring, onboarding, management, and payroll processes through a single, user-friendly platform. Initially known as EddyHR and operating under the domain EddyHR.com, the company later upgraded to Eddy.com to reflect its broader services.
Eddy has been featured in our recent report on the effectiveness of using personal names as brand names. The report highlights that personal names can enhance brand trust, foster closer connections with customers, and imbue the brand with distinct character and authenticity.
Michael Page International – PageGroup
PageGroup, one of the world’s leading recruitment companies, has a history dating back to 1976. The business was founded by Michael Page and Bill McGregor as Michael Page International. In October 2012, the company announced its rebrand to PageGroup to reflect “growth, diversification, and remit, providing a new corporate group name that represents our brands equally,” according to a company statement. The group now includes brands such as Page Executive, Michael Page, Page Personnel & Page Outsourcing.
PageGroup also secured the premium domain Page.com. The company bears the name of its founder, Michael Page, but the domain itself, Page.com, is a dictionary word and a CVCV (consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel) domain. This makes it highly prized for its memorability, clarity, and authoritative presence, significantly enhancing the brand’s online visibility and credibility with users.
Kronos and Ultimate Software – Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG)
UKG is an American multinational technology company providing workforce management and human resource management services. It was founded in April 2020 through the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated.
Our new brand, UKG, truly unites Ultimate Software and Kronos, both as a business and as people. Our new brand is rooted in our combined passion and history of focusing on people at work. We believe the UKG brand represents our continued commitment to our employees, customers, and their employees—while at the same time giving us a modern new identity for our future together as one organization. Separately, Ultimate and Kronos have proven that remarkable cultures led by inspired people drive success, and now we are together as UKG, one company with people at our core.
Aron Ain, CEO
The company now operates under the three-letter .com domain UKG.com. These domains are highly valued for their rarity, brevity and adaptability, commonly serving as easy-to-remember acronyms for longer company names.
Domains Names in the HR Industry
HR companies are strategically selecting domain names to reflect their services, target market, and brand identity. Our recent report analysing 155 HR companies shows that the .com domain extension is the preferred choice, with 94.2% (146 out of 155) of companies securing a .com domain name. Additionally, 75.5% (117 out of 155) of the companies secured Exact Brand Match (EBM) .com domain names for their online presence. These findings highlight the importance of domain name selection in building a strong and credible brand identity, maintaining brand integrity, and improving online visibility in the HR sector.
Lessons for HR Professionals
1. Reflect Evolving Services: Ensure that your brand name evolves with your expanding service offerings. A rebrand can communicate your company’s growth and new capabilities.
2. Global Appeal: Choose a name that resonates internationally, avoiding regional limitations to facilitate global market penetration.
3. Simplicity and Memorability: Simplified names can enhance brand recognition and make your company more relatable and memorable to a wider audience.
4. Market Positioning: A rebrand can help reposition your company in the market, aligning with current industry trends and customer expectations.
Rebranding is a powerful tool for staying competitive and relevant. For HR companies, a well-executed rebrand can open new opportunities, improve market perception, and position the company for sustained growth and success.
In today’s competitive online market, a premium domain name can set your business apart from the competition. Don’t settle for a compromise – contact us to explore the many benefits of premium domain names and how they can help your business grow.
Other resources
branding business domain domain names domains HR naming rebrand
Previous Next