Cell C on Thursday refreshed its model at a significant launch occasion in Johannesburg geared toward signalling the cellular operator stays a power to be reckoned with in South Africa’s telecommunications business.
South Africa’s fourth largest cellular community supplier, whose greatest shareholder is JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms, took the wraps off a brand new brand, model design, payoff line and audio mnemonic that it hopes will make shoppers take into account it as a prime possibility when deciding on a mobile service supplier.
CEO Jorge Mendes, a former Vodacom government who took the reins on the troubled cellular operator in 2023, mentioned the model refresh varieties a key a part of the turnaround plan being pushed by the corporate’s management workforce.
“We need to construct the very best tradition within the nation, not solely within the telco enterprise however in any enterprise,” Mendes declared at Thursday’s launch. “I imagine now we have the very best technique within the nation on this house.”
Chief advertising and marketing officer Melanie Forbes conceded that Cell C has had “many rebrands” previously. “However we’ve been absent from the market in recent times, and this has led to missed alternatives. We knew it was time to alter, time for us to take again our place within the hearts and minds of South Africans.”
Forbes mentioned the model refresh follows in depth consultations with clients, companions and different stakeholders. “What was clear was that we weren’t seen sufficient [in the market] in comparison with our rivals. Cell C simply didn’t have the requisite share of voice, and in the end share of pockets.”
‘Consideration’
Cell C is well-known by South Africans – the problem was what Forbes known as “consideration”, having shoppers take into account the corporate as a severe possibility for his or her communications wants. She mentioned the change just isn’t merely “beauty”, however marks a “transformation” of the enterprise, supported by its community partnership with MTN and Vodacom.
The corporate not operates its personal radio entry community (RAN) – the a part of the community that serves shoppers from tower infrastructure – and now leans on its greater rivals to offer RAN companies. That is after it decided that competing in capital expenditure in community infrastructure had put it on a hiding to nothing, contributing the large money owed that just about dragged it underneath.
“We knew to remodel our model we wanted to considerably enhance our community capabilities,” mentioned Forbes. “We now have strategic partnerships in place that give us entry to the very best community infrastructure within the nation,” mentioned Forbes.
A sequence of recapitalisations, led by Blue Label Telecoms — which is within the throes of buying management of Cell C — has saved the corporate alive. Now the appointment final 12 months of Mendes as CEO has infused a brand new vitality into the corporate. In fact, the proof might be within the pudding, and Blue Label’s annual monetary outcomes to 31 Might 2024, which might be revealed on 29 August, ought to present perception into whether or not the turnaround plan is gaining traction. — (c) 2024 NewsCentral Media
