Transforming a Content Pioneer into a Tech and AI Leader
Services
Brand architecture
Brand strategy, including a new brand promise, platform, personality, and messaging playbook.
Verbal and visual identity.
Integrated brand campaign across social, audio, print and web
Once a renowned arbiter of content and research for professionals, Thomson Reuters faced two major brand challenges: a fragmented product ecosystem that hindered growth and outdated perceptions that impacted purchase intent. A new CEO saw the urgency of solving this problem as part of a broader corporate strategy to transform Thomson Reuters into a technology leader.
Thomson Reuters came to Code and Theory to help rearchitect their portfolio, shift the brand from a content company to a technology company, transform perceptions, and build deeper customer understanding.
Over six months, Code and Theory led a critical business and brand transformation to simplify, unify, and reimagine Thomson Reuters as an AI and technology leader. Through comprehensive brand strategy development and an integrated awareness-driven campaign, Thomson Reuters is now known for clarifying the complex — empowering the world’s most influential professionals to lead with confidence.
Impact
- +53% increase in unaided awareness since launch
- +88% increase in consideration
- Nearly 1.5 million new assets downloaded internally to date, up from 85,000 pre-launch
- 2024 Revenue reached $7.26B (+7% YoY)
From content giant to tech pioneer
For the first time in over 16 years, Thomson Reuters invested in rearchitecting and refreshing its brand to reflect its investment in AI and technology. This effort was essential: for decades, Thomson Reuters has used AI to help professionals streamline tasks, focus on complex work, and improve job satisfaction, well-being, and work-life balance, yet outdated perceptions of it as an ‘answer company’ were holding the business back.
It was time to reveal the reality: Thomson Reuters has been a technology pioneer all along.
Clarifying the complex
Extensive research and customer insights revealed a common need: professionals in the legal, tax, accounting, risk and fraud fields needed clarity in navigating ever-growing, ever-changing complexity—especially in the era of AI. Our team inspired Thomson Reuters' new brand promise: To Clarify the Complex, reinforcing a legacy of delivering trusted content, cutting-edge technology, and industry-leading insights to help professionals tackle today’s challenges and prepare for what’s next.
A refreshed brand identity
This wasn’t just a facelift. It was a full-scale reinvention. With sharp typography, dynamic digital guidelines, and a bold color palette, the new identity is built for the professionals shaping the world.
This new brand was not only well-received by those who use it, but it was celebrated: in the first week, a record 1.5 million assets were downloaded internally (up from 85,000 pre-launch), alongside 32K visits to the brand guidelines site.
The Thomson Reuters rebrand is a monumental achievement and not possible without Code and Theory.
Rolling out the rebrand
Bringing this brand to market at this scale isn’t a solo act—it’s a global symphony. We launched Thomson Reuters' bold awareness campaign, which included connected TV, podcasts, social media, video, digital media, and public relations. We used storytelling and striking design to position Thomson Reuters as a technology leader, exceeding the target for landing page visits by 45%.
Nearly every customer touchpoint has been transformed. From the logo on their new headquarters to the event materials for their sponsored White House Correspondents' dinner to their website and social presence, the new promise is ever-present for customers and employees alike.
Transformation. Delivered.
Thomson Reuters' once disjointed ecosystem has transformed into a unified platform. By evolving its brand, Thomson Reuters is doubling down on technological innovation, tackling the increasingly complex challenges professionals need to know today — and those they’ll need to navigate in the future.
