Rebranding the C-T-R Company as IBM
Tom Watson Sr.'s Successful Rebranding
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Published August 30, 2021
Updated January 2, 2022 |
In 1924, Computing-Tabulating Recording Company Was Rebranded IBM
- Through 1921, The International Time Recording Company Was Dominant
- 1922 to 1925, The Tabulating Machine Company Was Dominant
- After 1925, International Business Machines Became the Dominant Brand
- The Computing-Tabulating Recording Company Was Never a Dominant Brand
The three charts below show the following (select chart for larger image):
- In pre-1922 literature, The International Time Recording Company was the dominant brand
- In 1922-25 literature, The Tabulating Machine Company was the dominant brand
- In post-1925 literature, International Business Machines became the dominant brand
- The Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (C-T-R Company) is never a dominant brand
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Editor's comment: C-T-R Company was removed from these charts to reduce complexity. It is always the lower of all the "brands." Although there must be obvious problems with the ngram viewer methodology, such as in the advertisements below it is doubtful it was "intelligent enough" to read either IBM or C-T-R Company across a two-page advertisement, this seems like a place to start evaluating brand image. Comments always welcome.
From the advertisements below which highlight "International Business Machines" and place the "Computing-Tabulating Recording Company" and other subordinate "brands" in a less dominant position, it appears that Tom Watson and his marketing team were piloting a new branding philosophy as early as 1921.
These advertisements are from the "Saturday Evening Post" and "System: The Magazine of Business." Notice that in each of these advertisements, although the "product" that is being sold is either an International Time Recording device, a Dayton Computing Scale, or a Tabulating Machine Company appliance, it is the "International Business Machines" brand that is positioned dominantly. Also note the International Business Machines "logo" in the first advertisement: speed, accuracy and economy.
These advertisements are from the "Saturday Evening Post" and "System: The Magazine of Business." Notice that in each of these advertisements, although the "product" that is being sold is either an International Time Recording device, a Dayton Computing Scale, or a Tabulating Machine Company appliance, it is the "International Business Machines" brand that is positioned dominantly. Also note the International Business Machines "logo" in the first advertisement: speed, accuracy and economy.
This is from the Saturday Evening Post: February 26, 1921.
This is from the Saturday Evening Post: March 26, 1921.
This is from System: The Magazine of Business: April 1, 1921.
This is from the Saturday Evening Post: July 2, 1921.
