US-based Educational Testing Service (ETS), the 75-year-old global test provider that owns standardised exams such as the TOEFL and GRE, has undertaken a rebranding exercise with the launch of a new logo.
With a notable foothold in India, a country consistently ranked among the top five global TOEFL takers and the primary GRE test market, ETS has maintained robust engagement, drawing over a million students to the GRE examination during the 2022-23 period.
The updated logo features a novel emblem dubbed ‘The Source,’ accompanied by a fresh wordmark. ‘The Source’ incorporates a stylised asterisk shape, intersected by an upward diagonal slice. This design pays homage to the familiar symbol often associated with footnotes in written text.
“The new logo was carefully selected to symbolise that ETS is elevating its groundbreaking research from out of the footnotes in this new rebrand as the source that builds new benchmarks for education and talent solutions across the globe. The upward diagonal slice symbolises human progress, serving as a reminder of what ETS aims to achieve,” the company said in a release.
Added Michelle Froah, global chief marketing and innovation officer at ETS, “For me, brand transformation is business transformation. Our goal from the outset has been to build a brand that not only reflects our business transformation but also propels it forward. With our brand relaunch, we’re not only supporting what people know and can do, but reintroducing what ETS knows it can do for businesses, governments and learners across the globe.”
Brand experts, such as Samit Sinha, founder & managing partner, Alchemist Brand Consulting, added that a new visual identity allows a brand to inform its stakeholders that change is on the way. “Changes like this create curiosity and give brands a good window to explain the transformation. If your brand has stood for something for several years, a new logo indicates that a rehaul is in process,” he said. Indeed, the company also announced that the relaunch encompasses a new brand, brand architecture, design system, and the development of a new website experience.
Somdutta Singh, founder and CEO, Assiduus Global, LP angel investor and ex-member, Niti Aayog observed that the shift towards “future readiness” felt significant, and could signal that the company’s assessments might evolve to go beyond traditional knowledge and encompass skills more relevant to the modern workforce. “The rebrand has the potential to revolutionise how students prepare for, and ultimately thrive in, the competitive landscape of the global workforce,” she said.