So Sodexho Alliance has become Sodexo.
At Kitchen Rat we’re all for simplicity and it’s hard to argue with this bit of American English style revisionism.
We’ll even accept the new company tagline, “making every day a better day”. It certainly shows ambition.
However, full disclosure of the thinking behind such a change as the company reinforces its image as a facilities management firm not just a caterer, isn’t always best.
For example, in its press release an earnest Sodexo explains the pesky h in its name has been dropped because “h is often associated with the hotel and foodservices business, particularly in Europe”. Really?
It’s also apparently easier to pronounce than, one supposes, something such as L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon or Leicester Square (if you’re American).
Still, people get paid a lot of money to come up with this sort of stuff, not least the bunch that justified the amalgamation of Sodexo’s five stars into one on the new corporate logo thus:
“The single star symbolizes the performance and energy of Sodexho teams directed toward a common objective. This star differs from other stars, just as Sodexo stands out from its competitors”. So now you know.