Architecture and naming
Our name
The name Kyndryl is a blend of the words "kinship" and "tendril," with "kyn" representing the strong, nurturing relationships we build with our customers and employees, while "dryl" evokes new growth and connections. Together, these two elements signify our focus on innovation and advancing human progress through technology services.
Our brand architecture
Our brand architecture is the framework that helps us organize and define the relationships between our brands, our products and our services. Kyndryl is our hero brand — all other brands ladder up to it, serving to strengthen trust and equity in the Kyndryl name.
Line brands
Our three line brands, shown above, represent our strategic services — the pillars of our business.
Associated brands
Our associated brands, shown above, further support and lift our hero brand.
Space brands
Our space brands, shown above, represent where the work happens — where Kyndryls collaborate with customers and partners every day.
Subsidiaries
Our subsidiaries are companies that are legally part of our parent company, but function as independent businesses. With this in mind, they often maintain their own distinct brand identities separate from the Kyndryl brand.
Naming at Kyndryl
While it can be tempting to choose a unique name for products, services, or even internal groups, at Kyndryl, we generally name things descriptively rather than creatively. Below, you can find a few reasons why we choose the names that we do.
01
We are only building one brand: Kyndryl. Rather than spending time and resources on marketing multiple unique names, we focus on building equity for our hero brand around the world. Too many unique names distract from this goal.
02
With a business as complex as ours, giving everything a unique name can get confusing for customers over time. Descriptive naming makes it easier for our customers and the market to understand our offerings at a glance. Descriptive names are also easier to clear from a legal perspective.
Please note
All names (internal or external) require brand and legal approval. Use of a name that has not been approved puts us at reputational and legal risk.
Naming principles
Below, you can find the rules we follow when naming things here at Kyndryl. These principles help to ensure consistency, mitigate confusion and build equity for our hero brand around the world.
01
Every name starts with Kyndryl, the brand we are building and imbuing value in.
02
Name descriptively with 2-3 words max.
Please note
The only exceptions to these naming principles are our line brands: Kyndryl Vital, Kyndryl Consult and Kyndryl Bridge.
