Deutsche Post is no longer called Deutsche Post – what sounds absurd is at least partially correct. Because since the beginning of the month, the Bonn-based group has only been known as “DHL Group” – the previously applicable name “Deutsche Post DHL Group” was shortened by its national postal reference. However, the Deutsche Post brand, including the post horn in the logo, will continue to exist; it stands for the national mail business. This accounts for only seven percent of group sales, while the various DHL services including parcel shipping account for 93 percent. “What’s on it should be in there,” CEO Tobias Meyer explains the renaming.
The company announced the decision in mid-June, and it came into effect on July 1. According to Meyer, it will be easier for group representatives to appear in front of investors on the global stage in the future. He cites India as an example: Everyone there knows DHL, but Deutsche Post is not known. The manager says that the strong global brand DHL will be better expressed by the changed company name.
On the stock exchange, the company appears as Deutsche Post as before – a change of this name would be too expensive in Meyer’s opinion, because numerous contracts would then have to be drawn up again. The ticker symbol, which was previously DPW and goes back to the former name Deutsche Post World Net, is now called DHL.
Critical voices from politics
The renaming was received critically in politics. “It’s not a broken leg, because the Deutsche Post brand will continue to exist in Germany,” says SPD member of the Bundestag Sebastian Roloff. “But it’s not a nice statement, for which there was no legal necessity.” Even if the mail business only accounts for a small proportion of the group’s turnover, these are still the historical roots. “It’s good that the postal service is making big profits with DHL on the world market, but it could continue to do so with its current corporate name.”
The FDP MP Reinhard Houben is also not very enthusiastic. “Just to change the abbreviation in the Dax and to only appear internationally with three letters is a very big effort with questionable benefits,” complained the liberal. He points out that the word “German” in the company name also has a positive connotation. “That sounds like “Made in Germany”, which is recognized worldwide and stands for quality.” It is regrettable that the group is saying goodbye to “Deutsche Post” in its name.
It is not the first time that the national component of a company or brand name has been dropped or toned down. The real estate company Deutsche Annington became Vonovia in 2015, and there were three cases in 2021: Royal Dutch Shell became Shell, Dänisches Bettenlager became Jysk and Alitalia became ITA Airways. The reasons for this are different. The examples make it clear, however, that the Bonn-based group is not breaking new ground with its decision.
And what do brand experts say about the renaming?
Stefan Hencke from the agency Convensis calls it “absolutely sensible and understandable”. Standardization is good and important for internationalization.
Christine Stark from the Endmark agency sees Swiss Post’s decision as consistent. “This is a logical step in a rebranding process in which DHL has long been integrated into the name and will in future become an international brand on its own.” An international harmonization of the brand identity is correct. Other companies followed a similar path before DHL. “In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of having an adequate and concise linguistic presence on international markets.”
In Germany, on the other hand, the renaming is of little consequence, after all, the Deutsche Post brand will remain in Germany. In addition, the parcel and other logistics services continued to run under DHL in Germany – this made the brand better known and more familiar. “It is gradually being integrated into everyday life.” This also speaks for the renaming of the group to DHL Group.
Brand expert Colin Fernando from the management consultancy BrandTrust also sees the renaming of the Bonn group as a “plausible and understandable step” in times of globalization. However, he points out that the group will in future dispense with its historic part of the name. “A storytelling factor is lost that could actually be used positively,” says Fernando. “Only with the DHL group name will one no longer be able to point so proudly to its centuries-old history as Deutsche Post.” Compared to competitors, there is one differentiating feature on the global stage.
Deutsche Post DHL Group: “Positive stumbling block”
Fernando admits that the previous name “Deutsche Post DHL Group” is long and a bit cumbersome. But in the sense of “positive stumbling blocks” it would also have had an advantage: the name gives rise to inquiries, whereupon company representatives can talk about the long tradition of the post office. This “positive stumbling block” will no longer exist in the future. “The company name is simplified to just three letters, its history has been sanded away.”
Instead of referring to its German company tradition, the global conglomerate now refers to the American entrepreneurs Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn in its name, from whose initials the name of the US logistics company was derived in 1969. In 2002, the Post bought the US company. Fernando doesn’t see it as a problem that the new name only consists of an abbreviation and no longer of words written out in full. “You’ve gotten used to it,” says the expert, naming BMW as another example of an abbreviation that has long since become a strong, global brand.
