Zimbabwe: Lafarge Cement Zimbabwe, which recently merged with Holcim, is considering retaining its Lafarge brand in the country, according to All Africa.
A Lafarge spokesperson could not clearly indicate how the merger would affect the local brand, but suggested that Zimbabwe could remain with the Lafarge brand with a LafargeHolcim endorsement, in comment with the Financial Gazette's Companies and Markets,
"There will be three different approaches to the branding of the new countries. In countries with a balanced overlap, including cement operations in Bangladesh, Brazil, Morocco, Russia, Spain and the US, as well as for the trading business of the new group, LafargeHolcim will be introduced as the corporate brand, while existing Holcim and Lafarge brands on the market will remain and be complemented by the endorsement, 'a member of LafargeHolcim'," said the spokesperson. "In other countries with overlap of activities including France, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, either Lafarge or Holcim will become a corporate brand receiving the endorsement. In the countries without overlap, the existing brand will remain at all levels, also with the group endorsement." Zimbabwe has no overlap as Holcim did not have a presence in the country.
