ETISALAT REBRANDING: FROM A BRAND CONSULTANT PERSPECTIVE

It is now official. The rebranding is seemingly in-line with mascot arthouse proposed concepts except for the colours and certain logo elements.
This is not the first time a telecommunication will change its name in Nigeria. You could recall Econet changed to Vodacom later to Vmobile, Celtel, Zain and now Airtel. Brand restructuring exercise is usually very costly, hectic and poses a great danger to customer loyalty. I have been involved in one before sometime in 2011, serving as the Creative Officer, Starcomms Plc, one of Nigeria's largest CDMA telecommunication companies while there were in operation and the experience was unprecedented.

Ⓜ️ What exactly is REBRANDING?

In simple terms; it is the process of branding an already existing or developed brand; be it a product (including services), company or person. Here the brand is projected with a different identity, the brand logo can be evolutional or revolutionary. With this revamp, the marketing strategy and advertising themes, brand strategy, values and corporate image completely wear a new look.

Ⓜ️ How Strong and Distinctive is the New 9mobile Brand?

A strong brand must be disruptive.

From a brand consultant and designer point of view, the new logo looks great but I think the colour choice is monotonous and does not resonate with the ‘revolutionary brand name change’. Colours are a powerful brand asset that should not be overlooked when embarking on either a new brand development or rebranding process. Colour gives a brand a distinct look and differentiates it from entrenched competitors. Studies have revealed that our brains connects easily with brands by the colours, for instance MTN-Yellow, Airtel-Red, Glo-Green and now 9mobile-Green. You would agree that this colour conflict between Glo and 9mobile may affect the customer’s psychology. It is of paramount significance for brands to learn about desired colour choice in proper brand communication.

Recently, Business Insider shared a list of 7 top companies in the world who have trademarked their brand colors and you can be sued for using them within the same industry. I hope to give more insights on those colours in subsequent articles.

Ⓜ️ Suggested Solutions

9mobile must know that it is starting afresh and should make the effort to face the huge financial cost implication rather than seek a safe zone of reusing the old Etisalat advert communication themes and brand colours.

#Color:
as mentioned earlier in this article, colours play an important role in branding. Having an entirely different colour would have given 9mobile a fresher look in the telecommunication industry hence helping create a fresh customer perception.

#Logo:
one of the assets that keeps a brand different from its competitors is the Brand identity. Having a subliminal yet simple logo as against the cliché (the network signal sign in 9mobile new logo) would have helped reposition 9mobile as a disruptive brand.

#Slogan:
the adopted tagline ‘Here for you, Here for 9ja’ could be considered too long and similar to what Starcomms Plc used sometime ago, which does not make 9mobile innovative.

#Innovation:
Etisalat was known for its innovative ideas. It attracted the youth market and took a good percentage share of the market, therefore getting highflyers on the 9mobile team will help. Its public relation, brand image, communication tone, and creative advertising must reflect the spirit of an innovative brand.

#mascotarthouse
#branding
#design
#digital
#consulting

-------------
Build a brand that's beyond design. You are God's endless possibility and His special brand.
------------
Hashtags
------------
#ifiokbeyonddesign #design #9mobile #Etisalat #GodwinAkpan #ibd #ifiok #wisdom #MadeInNigeria #brandpersona #brand #dreambig #thinkbranding #bebold #God #creation #creative #Rebranding #greatness #nature #inspiring #mascotgroup #mascotarthouse #impactplus #brandmyspace #GodIsAble #Blessed #CEO

Image Credit: mascot arthouse 9mobileng
--------------
Social Media
--------------
Facebook @Ifiokbeyonddesign
Instagram @ifiokbd
Twitter @ifiokbd
.......................
👓
I am Godwin Akpan and I endorse this message. (19.07.2017)
Keep doing great exploits! :::