How Illumia Got Its Name: The Story Behind the Rebrand
August 13, 2026Two hundred and fifty potential new names. That's where the list started. Client surveys, qualitative research, legal vetting, leadership reviews, advisory board input. Months of work, narrowed down to one word: Illumia.
Jenn Chellew, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Illumia, was at the center of all of it. The Higher Ed Geek Podcast sat down with her at Illumia Momentum in Nashville for the final conversation of the conference, and she walked us through the full arc of the rebrand: where it started, what surprised her, and what she'd do differently if she had to do it again.
Why a new name at all
When Transact and CBORD merged in August 2024, the combined entity went to market as Transact+CBORD. It did the job, but everyone knew it was temporary.
“We recognized that we likely needed a new name, but we wanted to be sure. So we really made sure to ground any of our decisions in research.”
That research phase involved conversations with clients, partners, and employees. Surveys. Market comparisons against competitors in both healthcare and higher education. The goal was to make sure the decision to rename wasn't just an internal instinct, but something grounded in what the people they serve actually needed from a brand.
Many choices, one winner
Working with agency partner DeSantis Breindel, the team built a value proposition around a central idea: the art of the experience. That foundation shaped what the new name needed to feel like, and a long list of candidates was generated and systematically narrowed.
Names were tested for unaided awareness, meaning what does this word mean to you before you know anything about the company? Results were mapped back against the brand's intended positioning. Leadership weighed in. Client advisory boards from both healthcare and higher education gave feedback. And then, the piece Jenn hadn't anticipated at that scale: legal.
“The big lesson learned was having legal at the table from day one. We kind of started down the process and then had to back up a little bit once we pulled legal in. You can only do this once. You can't do it and undo it.”
The legal review eliminated candidates that were already registered, too similar to existing marks, or unusable in certain markets. It's unglamorous work, but it's the work that determines whether the name you've spent months developing is actually yours to use. Illumia passed.
A visual break from the past
The new name came with a deliberate departure from everything that came before it visually. Both Transact and CBORD had leaned heavily on blue. Illumia went the other direction entirely.
Cerise. Maroon. Cranberry. Bold colors that signal something new rather than a refinement of what existed. The messaging, by contrast, preserved what mattered most: a commitment to clients, a broad partner ecosystem, and the belief that technology should create seamless experiences for students and patients. The visual identity changed. The values underneath it didn't.
Launching in the room where it counts
The decision to formally unveil Illumia at Momentum, in person, in front of clients and partners, was intentional. And by the end of day one, it was clear it had been the right call.
“To see it come to life on day one in person, in the booth, all of the apparel that everybody's wearing, it really was a fantastic way to immerse folks in the brand. Normally when a client rolls this out, they roll it out on the website and social media. But to see it come to life in person first was something else.”
One of the more telling moments came from the clients themselves. Illumia team members, still catching themselves using the old names out of habit, were being corrected from the audience.
“Clients are flagging them and saying, you're Illumia now. The clients are engaged in this too.”
That kind of adoption, unprompted, from the people the brand was built to serve, is a signal that the research paid off.
The phased rollout and what comes next
Not everything changes at once. Jenn was clear about the sequencing: marketing and visual identity went first, all in, at launch. Product naming and app experiences will phase in over the next year and a half. Email addresses are still in transition. Internal systems take time.
The discipline is in knowing what needs to move fast and what needs to move carefully. Clients need lead time to prepare their students and patients for changes in app names and interfaces. Rushing that creates confusion. Phasing it creates trust.
The advice Jenn gives other marketers starting this journey
For marketing leaders in higher education or healthcare who might be facing a similar rebrand, Jenn had one clear takeaway beyond the legal lesson.
“Ground your decisions in research and data, making sure that you talk to all of your constituents across the board, hearing their voice, and really intertwining that into your decision making process. Do a lot of research, do a lot of testing. Put the brand in front of folks and get their reactions, both aided and unaided, so that you can take all of that together and come out with a strong decision that you feel good about.”
A rename is a one-shot exercise. The visual brand can be refreshed. The name, once it's in the market, is in the market. Getting there slowly, carefully, and with the voices of the people you serve shaping every step, is not caution. It's good strategy.
Listen to the full discussion here or wherever you get your podcasts!
Make sure to also follow Illumia on LinkedIn and explore the full brand at IllumiaTech.com.
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