GE
2004
Twenty-first century powerhouse
With 300,000 people in 174 countries, and 3,500 businesses, all number one or two in their markets, GE defined the twentieth-century corporation. With the transfer of leadership from Jack Welch to Jeff Immelt, GE was poised for transformation. From manufacturing to technology and service. From US-centric to an emphasis on Asia and Europe. From a business driven by organizational silos to greater focus on the customer. From an under-leveraged atomized old-world brand to a twenty-first century powerhouse of innovation and impact.
Market-facing brand
Wolff Olins worked with GE to create a market-facing brand architecture that hugely simplified its portfolio of businesses into solution platforms for customers. This allowed GE to enhance existing relationships with businesses and develop new relationships with consumers. We created a modern identity that liberates and celebrates the GE monogram, and that’s flexible enough to work with everything from jet engines to light bulbs. We travelled the world to excite GE leaders about the brand idea ‘Imagination at work’, and defined with them how the brand should be made real throughout the business.
10% annual revenue growth
GE was named ‘most admired company' for two years running by Fortune magazine. It's now pitching to countries and governments, using its new ability to bring unified solutions to its customers. $25 billion in additional revenues have been added by 85 ‘Imagination breakthroughs', inspired by the brand idea. GE is now the fourth biggest brand in the world, valued in 2008 at $50 billion. Since the launch of the new brand GE’s revenue has increased consistently at an average rate of 10.25% per year, reaching a phenomenal value of $183 billion in 2008.
