The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has gone digital in a move to connect investors to potential opportunities globally. Operating for over 125 years, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange connects buyers and sellers in equity, derivative and debt markets and is one of the top 20 exchanges in the world in terms of market capitalisation.
Though JSE offers a fully electronic, efficient, secure market with world class regulation, trading and clearing systems, settlement assurance and risk management, its rebranding and a complete website redesign now makes it easier for traders to connect with options for private investors, institutional investors and listed companies listed on the homepage.
“At the JSE we’ve been doing some serious thinking about our positioning in South Africa and the world. Our visual identity needed to represent our position as a leading African exchange which is driven for stakeholder growth and showcase the strong technology component of the business. It also needed to be more accessible to investors,” says Zeona Jacobs, Director of Issuer and Investor Relations at the JSE.
JSE’s marketing strategy is digitally focused and its new website fits well with its desire to become more accessible. Jacobs says the website will be a rich source of content for existing and potential investors regardless of their level of knowledge. It will also be ideal listing destination for companies to list.
The JSE’s logo and colour palette moves to a bold black, white and green combination while the typography takes on a clean, digital feel.
The rebranding makes JSE relevant, be totally in tune with all stakeholders, plan for the future and also to maintain a strong brand as Africa’s top market places for investors.
The lines or links in both JSE’s new logo illustrate its role as a secure platform for growth and also shows its role as a link between listed companies, investors, global markets and between human solutions and digital technology.
JSE will also drop brand names such as the Bond Exchange of South Africa (BESA) and the South African Futures Exchange (SAFEX) as the two firms’ services have already been fully integrated into the exchange’s business. The JSE’s derivatives clearing house Safcom will now be known as JSE Clear. The JSE’s hedge fund platform management business Nautilus, as a differentiated business within the JSE’s group of companies, will not change its name. Most of the exchange’s elements will be implemented in a phased approach until December 2014.