Charge!: When a new company brand is created, it normally starts with an idea of what the company stands for and its mission. What is Accelleron’s mission and purpose?
Magdalena Okopska: We started with the idea that we are the turbocharging experts helping our customers go further today, tomorrow and beyond.
The words were chosen carefully. We are very keen to put people at the centre of our brand, so we focus on turbocharging experts, rather than, say, turbocharging technology. For us, the technology is the end-product that comes from the innovative power of people’s imagination and expertise. While others may make all sorts of claims about themselves, Accelleron really are the experts.
There’s a huge heritage in who we are. The turbocharger was developed and patented in Switzerland, where our headquarters is located, and we have steadily developed this technology for over a hundred years. Our people are 100% dedicated to this work and proud of what they do.
Then, we help our customers go further both literally and metaphorically. Of course, with cutting-edge turbocharging technologies, they have more power, more efficiency and more reliability. But we also help them go further as a business, by giving our customers the tools to succeed, alongside best-in-class service.
Last, we have been supporting customers so that their assets are running efficiently and we will do so in the future. Future developments in turbocharger technology will address:
- Abatement of greenhouse gas emissions
- Improving efficiency
- The use of future fuels
- And enhancing the adaptability of engines
With greater cooperation with technology partners, we will be able to find even more innovative solutions to the future requirements of the engine builders.
C!: Another aspect of brand is personality, that you might be able to imagine what kind of person the brand would be like, or which hero they might resemble?
MO: As a person, we’d very much like to come across as empathetic and approachable. We speak with a human voice, not bureaucratic or over-complex. We also think of ourselves as lean and wiry, so strong but not bulky. I’m a fan of the Marvel universe and the hero that occurred to me is Makarri, from the Eternals. He’s the fastest of the Eternals and also a genius in creating, designing and operating vehicles, so that seemed a good fit. We also thought about sports and the move described as a ‘Hang 10’. That’s a name for an especially tricky manoeuvre, and is used in a number of sports from basketball to BMX, but especially in surfing and skateboarding. You need to use all 10 fingers to perform a Hang 10 (hence the name) and it’s a demonstration of speed, skill and sportsmanship. That seemed a good fit for the company we are creating.
C!: Moving on to the brand elements we can see, what’s the thinking behind the name ‘Accelleron’?
MO: It’s a very strong name, primarily inspired by the word ‘acceleration’. It’s based on the accelerated development of technologies for energy transformation, as well as the accelerated growth we aim to deliver to customers and investors. The name also contains vestiges of other words. It contains elements of ‘access’ because we wanted to nod towards the global access our customers can take advantage of, through our worldwide service network. It also has elements of ‘excel’, because we’re striving towards excellence in everything we do.
Alongside the name, it’s worth having a second look at our word mark. You’ll notice the double-L is slanted. That’s a reference to the blades of a turbine wheel, and thus our heritage and key business. We also think of those slanted letters as a reference towards the shift in the industry, and the transition of our company, which is at the heart of our technology.
C!: One of those first things people will register, perhaps, is the colour scheme. You’ve become purple?
MO: Yes, and why purple? Because if you look at a turbocharger there are hot and cold airflows. Hotness is most commonly represented by the colour red, while cold is typically blue. Mix red and blue and you get purple. And purple is a very strong and proud colour, with an association with royalty.
The colour purple also allows us to differentiate ourselves more fully from other brands in our space. A lot of companies that serve the marine industry use the colour blue, because it’s the colour of the sea. Similarly, a lot of companies on the engine side use the colour red, because of the association with heat. Purple allows us to marry both of those, but also remain distinct.
C!: Lastly, we wanted to know about the partnership with Sauber, which has formed a big part of the brand launch. Why this partnership?
MO: First of all, we signed this partnership for the technology collaboration. It’s a platform for knowledge exchange to see how progress and innovation in one sector can be brought to another. So, we are partnering with the Sauber Engineering division and the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to give us a platform to further the collaboration and also bring the Accelleron story to Formula One audiences around the world.
We actually have a great deal in common. Both industries are faced with challenges on sustainability, and are applying new technologies to meet this head-on. Of course, both teams – in F1 and turbocharging – are operating in very competitive sectors where only the best technology and minute attention to detail will prevail. Also, for both industries, it’s all about teamwork. The cameras might focus on the drivers, but there’s an army of people working behind the scenes to make them successful. Similarly, at Accelleron, there’s a huge global team working in co-ordination to create our customers’ success. One final point is that we’re both global. As you know, we have 100 service centres worldwide, and F1 also happens across the globe.