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IN the face of increasing competition and challenges to retain customers and woo new ones, one of Bahrain's oldest companies, Batelco, has undergone a BD500,000 brand makeover, writes ANASUYA KESAVAN.
Today it will also be launching an 'up to 16mbps' broadband package claiming to offer the fastest high speed broadband connection in the kingdom to cater for high bandwidth applications like streaming and downloading of high definition video and audio. This is in addition to current broadband packages that provide speeds up to 10mbps.
Batelco can now be identified with its new red brand mark, which conjoins the alphabet 'B' in English and Arabic and suggests an infinity sign that aims to link the brand in colour and symbol to Bahrain.
The re-branding comes in the light of a new entrant into the market - Saudi Telecommunication (STC), which was awarded the country's third mobile licence in January. STC is reported to be investing more than $100 million to develop required infrastructure in the kingdom.
With penetration rates at 131 per cent in the beginning of the year, STC is expected to eat into the market share of both Zain and Batelco, which are reported to have an equal share of subscribers. The Batelco Group currently serves around 4.5 million customers throughout Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and India.
Batelco's new trade mark was designed by the Dubai-based brand consultancy firm FutureBrand which claims that the infinity sign symbolises Batelco's 'ability and commitment to bring people and ideas together to improve lives in infinite ways'.
Batelco chief executive Bahrain Gert Rieder said that the new identity celebrates the company as a Bahraini icon.
"Our new insignia reflects our reassurance to our customers that Batelco is 100 per cent committed to improving their everyday life, every day," he added.
"We are focussed on how we can give our customers an advantage over others. We are striving to make our customers' lifestyles better by providing unmatched products and services. This is what has driven us and will continue to drive us."
Marketing expert Alec Peck, Gulf regional director at international communications consultancy, Hill & Knowlton, believes Batelco is on the right path as re-branding can assist a company to get closer to its customers as long as it truly understands who they are and what motivates them.
He told GulfWeekly: "Personally I like it. I do think it is fresh, clean and, dare I say it, vaguely Zain-esque!
"What counts most is pricing, services and value for money but it is precisely these elements and more that make up a company's brand. The new logo and website are just the visual manifestation of the re-brand ... window dressing if you like. It will have to be supported by a rejuvenated customer experience for it to have any lasting and meaningful impact."
