After a 14-month review of the bank's brand Citigroup (C) is leaning towards a new name and brand look, although no definite decision or announcement 
has been made.
If a change is made it will effect nearly all of the financial services company's businesses, of which there are quite a few, including retail branches and its investment bank concentrated in the New York area, according to this NYTimes.com article.
And all these businesses, with years worth of acquisitions, will be pulled together under this new, single brand which is being touted as a very ambitious campaign and would consist of the Citi logo and a arc over the name.
Citigroup isn't alone as other big companies are making changes too such as Apple Computer (AAPL) who last week dropped the 'computer' from their name, Morgan Stanley (MS) who cut the Dean Witter suffix, and Federal Express (FDX) who became just FedEx.
The confusing array of logos and titles will be brought together with the Citi prefix as has been the case with CitiMortgage and CitiBank with each business using a different color arc to maintain their own distinctive look, although Smith B
arney and BanaMex, its Mexican retail bank, will most likely keep their old names.
The old looks won't go quietly into the night as some groups are worried that Citi gives age old companies a cheap look and the decision to drop the 137-year-old red umbrella symbol wasn't easily reached.
Citigroup has hired Landor Associates, a brand-consulting firm owned by the WPP Group (WPPGY) who has helped PepsiCo (PEP), Pizza Hut and KFC (KFCKF.PK), to work on the evaluation of the future of the brand.
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