Xactus —
Merging multiple companies to disrupt an antiquated industry
With the merger of UniversalCIS and Credit Plus, seven different companies in the credit reporting space came together to form the largest player in the industry. But it was clear that the future of the company would extend beyond simply credit reporting – they now had the scale, knowledge, and ambition to revolutionize the mortgage verification industry. In order to unify its internal team and make a bold statement in the marketplace, this NewCo was renamed Xactus – a nod to the company’s focus on exacting precision and promise of purposeful innovation. The messaging & positioning, visual brand, and all other branded elements were developed to support this vision of innovating the mortgage verification industry.
Xactus’ tagline, “Advancing the Modern Mortgage,” asserts the brand’s position as a verifications innovator dedicated to transforming an antiquated industry.
We brought together seven of the nation’s leading mortgage verification companies to advance the modern mortgage. Developing a new brand was a necessity for two key reasons – to inspire and unite our combined teams, and to signal our focus on innovating an antiquated industry. We had confidence in Sustena’s brand methodology to develop our new name, brand, and purpose. We could not be more pleased with our positioning and outcome-focused messages. Our new and modern brand is unique in our marketplace – providing us with an opportunity to define what Xactus represents as we evolve and improve the verifications industry.”Perry SteinerChairman and CEO
As a roll-up of seven different organizations, Xactus was struggling to unify its internal teams. Employees aligned themselves with their legacy organization and had little purview into the broader vision of the company.
We intentionally created a bold name and visual brand for Xactus that was a departure from the legacy companies. The name, logo, and use of purple made a bold, differentiating, statement in the market, but was also intended as a rallying flag for internal teams.
Where Xactus’ legacy companies operated as “Credit Reporting Agencies,” the leadership team had a much broader vision for the future of the company that focused on innovating the verification industry.
Our messaging & positioning always serves to highlight the outcomes Xactus will deliver to clients, rather than resting on Xactus’ internal capabilities. The platform speaks directly to clients, highlighting how Xactus transforms verification to advance delivery of the Modern Mortgage – making it fast, digital, seamless, and efficient.
There were internal and external concerns about the capabilities and offerings of the new Xactus brand. Employees wondered “How does this change my role?” and customers asked, “How does this change my relationship with the company and the products I buy?”
The tagline “Advancing the Modern Mortgage” was carefully crafted to illuminate internally and externally the future of Xactus and the verification industry. The future of verifications is not to digitally replace people, but rather a modern process where technology augments employees and improves offerings to consumers.