Xperience by Kentico - a new name for an established Digital Experience Platform

For over 15 years, the brand Kentico has largely been synonymous with one of the leading .NET content management systems on the market - Kentico CMS (or more recently, EMS). Over the last few years however, Kentico Software adopted a dual-rail product strategy, presenting some branding challenges!

Today marks the release of the new name and logo for the artist I mean platform formerly known as Kentico EMS. Say hello to:

Kentico has been a household name (among nerds like me) for a long time now, so here's a quick history lesson to catch you up before we go on:

• 2004: Kentico Software releases Kentico CMS. 🎉
• 2008: Luminary becomes a Gold Partner. 😜
• 2011: Kentico CMS adds a wealth of marketing features, evolving into Kentico EMS (Enterprise Marketing Solution). 💪
• 2014: Kentico launches a second product: Kentico Cloud. 'Kentico' doesn't just mean Kentico EMS any more. 🤔
• 2019: Kentico rebrands Cloud as Kontent, the cloud-based Content as a Service product from Kentico Software. 🙌
• 2020: Kentico rebrands EMS as Xperience, the all-in-one Digital Experience Platform from Kentico Software. 😎

What's changing?

The short answer is that this is a branding exercise, not a product overhaul. New name, logo, colours, fonts, even a new web address.

You'll now find the company and their products clearly separated into three separate identities and websites:

1. Kentico Software at https://www.kentico.com/
2. Kentico Xperience at https://xperience.io/
3. Kentico Kontent at https://kontent.ai/

There are no product or pricing changes associated with the rebrand.

Of course there are plenty of product updates in the pipeline though! The underlying product roadmap is still being followed just as it was before for when it was the EMS, and we're on track for a huge release, currently in beta and codenamed #kenticophoenix. 

Why the name Xperience?

Disclaimer: my opinions are my own... 😅

The aim of the game for Kentico, and indeed with any branding exercise, is to make the brand positioning of their two products very clear. Kentico is a completely made-up word (I know, I checked this with the big man himself) and while it's unique and recognisable, it doesn't say much on its own. Kentico needed to come up with a cohesive brand strategy across their corporate Kentico brand, and their two distinct product lines.

When Kentico renamed their cloud-based Content as a Service product to Kontent, they were very clearly communicating that this tool does one thing, and does it well. They wanted to provide their customer with quite simply the best way to work with content. They wanted a unique name, that screams content. If you think Kontent sounds a hell of a lot like content, you're right. They want to be synonymous with managing digital content.

Kentico's very clear positioning for their other product in the market, is as a Digital Experience Platform, or DXP. So when looking for a new name that says it all for their all-in-one DXP, when they want to be synonymous with managing a digital experience... it just makes sense. You want a unique name that screams experience. Xperience.

(Then there's also the point I like to make that by spelling it Xperience means they're now the only true DXP on the market. 😛)

A clear direction

I welcome Kentico's extensive rebranding they've undertaken over the past few years. I applaud the Kentico team for the bold and clear direction they've taken with their product names, and it certainly helps to give us and our clients a lot of confidence in the direction they're taking their products in for the years to come.