Why iA chose Nobelia as the new brand for Richardson

Why ‘Nobelia’?

Gallagher says that the decision to rebrand as Nobelia involved a painstaking process. 10 months may seem like a long time, but given the number of stakeholders and considerations involved it was relatively rapid. Gallagher says that the firm needed a name that they could use in Canada and the United States, a name that would stand out, and a name that reflected the roots of the firm.

Richardson and iA leadership worked with an external branding firm on the new name and brand. They also assembled a branding committee of advisors as a source of feedback and ideas. Through that process, Gallagher says they found a through-line in a specific shade of purple.

Tyrian Purple, Richardson’s primary brand colour, has a history and association with royalty and nobility that stretches back to the classical mediterranean. ‘Nobelia’ is meant to evoke the ‘noble’ purple and what Gallagher describes as Richardson’s “noble position” in the industry. The name also literally ends with “iA” which Gallagher says explicitly calls attention to the firm’s new ownership and their association with that much larger financial institution.

What the rebrand comes with for advisors, clients

While Gallagher was unable to share the budget that iA set for Richardson’s rebrand, she said there was “good money” being attached to the project, which will be followed up with a national and regional marketing campaigns. She described the rebrand as a “one in a lifetime opportunity,” and one that iA wants to get right. Speaking to WP from Richardson’s recent national summit in Halifax she says the goal is to create a cohort of advisors who are proud of the new identity and want to be ambassadors for the brand. The focus on regional media and advertising campaigns, she says, is part of how the firm is seeking that buy-in.

Until the rebrand is approved by the regulators and formally launched on November 30th, Gallagher says the back-office team still has a great deal of work to do. Websites, marketing materials, apps, and portals all need to be refreshed. That work will dovetail with the digital transformation that iA has embarked on since they acquired Richardson, updating the firm’s CRM and rolling out a new desktop platform built for iA by Google.