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XRefer is Now Credo Reference
June 24, 2007

Last night I went to a reception at the ALA Annual Conference where XRefer unveiled their new corporate identity as Credo Reference. Meant to imply a solid, dependable, and authoritative presence, this vendor of reference information is seeking to move beyond a rather awkward name into a new level of maturity and corporate branding.

The architect behind this new presence is Jenny Walker, lately of ExLibris, who when she joined XRefer reportedly said the name had to change. Luckily the management believed her, and gave her the responsibility to do exactly that.

I'm not so shallow as to believe that a name change transforms a company, but it can do a lot for how a company is perceived in the marketplace. I think that "Credo Reference" is certainly better than "XRefer", if for no other reason than it has a more marketable presence. But of course the real proof is in the product. If they offer something you want, at a price you want to pay for, then great. But at least you can probably better explain to your boss to whom you're writing the check.

Posted by Roy Tennant on June 24, 2007 | Comments (0)