Equitone set in stone
With a broad product offering, building materials manufacturer Etex Group would typically create a different product name for every market. However, for their new architectural fibre cement panels, the company wanted a name that would work and resonate in all target countries. With Equitone, Etex Group was ready to spearhead innovation and convince architects globally.
By creating the unique name Equitone, we ensured maximum efficiency from a brand-building point of view. We chose the name that conveyed the quality and high-end feeling of the product. Thanks to extensive linguistic, cultural, and legal checks, we made sure it could function worldwide.
Continue reading to discover the process behind this case.
Approach and methodology
As it was the first time Etex Group launched one unique international concept brand instead of separate brands for each country, its name had to meet international standards and appeal to all possible stakeholders. For the creative naming process, we assembled two sets of criteria (the expressive ones and the technical ones) that served as a basis for the briefing.
The expressive criteria revolved around the quality of the product and its features: prestigious, strong, pure, authentic, made out of one material that is coloured through and through. Moreover, the name needed to be unique, creating a completely new value in the world of architecture.
Thanks to extensive linguistic, cultural, and legal checks, we made sure the name could function worldwide.
On the technical side, the crucial criterion was the new trademark's legal availability in all target markets. Linguistically, we aimed at one word evoking a classic design feeling through North-European, Scandinavian or German sound. Last but not least, it needed to be easily pronounceable and understandable in all possible languages, with no pre-existing cultural connotations. Equitone stands for balance (equilibrium) between aesthetics, technology and tone that refers to the material’s colour and structure.
Keeping all these aspects in mind, we created three final proposals. Eventually, we accomplished the mission with Equitone, a name that first won all hearts and minds internally and globally.
Equitone stands for balance (equilibrium) between aesthetics, technology and tone that refers to the material’s colour and structure.
A solid foundation for innovative products
The name Equitone and the whole product range were launched worldwide and subsequently developed into a strong umbrella brand, with sub-brands such as lunara, tectiva, materia, natura, linea and pictura. Today, this highly prestigious product range illuminates the facades of architectural masterpieces, appealing to professionals around the world.
