Managing a major rebrand is a difficult task for any company – so how did Volvo CE manage it with Rokbak?
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The rebrand included a livery change
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One full year has passed since Rokbak unveiled its bold new name to the construction industry – a decision which remained a secret until its announcement.
The manufacturer formerly known as Terex Trucks entered a knew chapter in its history on September 1, 2021, when the brand was officially rebranded as Rokbak at the production facility in Motherwell, Scotland.
The brand was built on over eight decades of heritage since the 1934 when the first highway rear dump truck – the Model 1Z – was built, in addition to seven years under the guidance of the Volvo Group, which acquired the brand in 2014.
To celebrate Rokbak’s first anniversary, managing director Paul Douglas has revealed the inside story about how the team kept the rebrand hidden from public eye until the announcement.
“I was amazed that it didn’t filter out, I kept thinking I’d see something on social media,” Douglas says.
“As the project progressed it pulled in more employees and more departments – there wasn’t a single function in the business that didn’t have to get involved.
Among the changes of the rebrand was unveiling a new colour scheme and livery for the trucks, which now is a sandy brown with yellow accents on railings, as opposed to the white-coloured Terex machines.
The few models which donned the new colour scheme were sold as ‘customer-specific colours’ – something Rokbak has done before.
Of course, pandemic-related restrictions helped as well, with fewer customers and journalists visiting the factory meaning the risk of anyone finding out was lower.
“It was incredible how everyone in our team, the dealers and our external partners worked together to ensure it remained confidential. It just goes to show what a fantastic team we have, everyone pulled together and did their bit,” Douglas says.
A rebrand was not possible when Volvo CE originally purchased Terex Trucks in 2014, but that caveat has since expired, and after focusing on other aspects of the business, a fresh name was soon born.
“For the first few years changing our name wasn’t a high priority, as we focused on stabilising the business and investing in the product, manufacturing and our people,” Douglas says.
“But after we’d made such significant performance improvements to our articulated haulers, it was a natural progression to rebrand.
“Our customers and dealers also expected and supported a name change to reflect the new machines, so the rebrand was set in motion about four years ago.”
The name Rokbak was selected following customer and focus group feedback which implored the brand to stick to its roots in hauling heritage.
One year on and Volvo CE has hailed the Rokbak rebrand as a success – not for the secrecy used to keep the changes under wraps, but in how the brand has since grown over the past 12 months to where it is today.
Rokbak’s appearances at European trade shows attracted the awe of the public while their social media channels also enjoyed a pilgrimage of new followers.
Orders of both the RA30 and RA40s have been steady as well, with interest in them coming from across the UK and the United States, through to Australia, France and Indonesia.
“The new name and colour really reinforce the point that our haulers operate on a completely different level now, and our customers have had nothing but praise for them,” Douglas concludes.
“That means our dealers have never been happier, and that in turn has led to a buoyant mood at our factory, with more than 150 new colleagues now in place to support the increased demand.”
The Rokbak rebrand has been recognised for its success from the Star Awards 2022 with five accolades, the Ceed Industry Awards, and the RoSPA Gold Award.