(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The Sultanate of Oman is now privy to one of the biggest telecommunication rebrands that the Middle East and North African (MENA) region has ever seen with formerly celebrated Nawras transforming into regionally dominant service provider Ooredoo.
The newly rebranded company has undergone an extraordinary amount of change and set its sails for deeper waters within the international market from the outset. Whilst people continue to absorb the positive sentiment currently echoing throughout the Omani marketplace the global telecommunications industry has also set its sights on the sultanate with new levels of admiration.
A new brand has glided in and strategically transformed the existing brand image. There was no change in ownership with this rebrand but simply a change in the brand name to align with the group – in essence the existing persona of Nawras and in particular the company's values best practices and services and operations still remain.
Over the last decade Nawras grew to be a popular icon and as a result on rebranding Ooredoo was presented with a framework of familiarity that could help to maintain the existing customer base and high level of consumer confidence throughout the transition. Following the rebrand fresh channels of opportunity are unfolding. There is also a confident market reaction to a familiar face operating with the same team toward the same goals.
To ensure ease of transition on the ground across the Ooredoo markets careful consideration was given to the new company logo the linguistics and presentation of the name even the brand colours. As an Arabic verb Ooredoo literally means 'I want' and symbolises the sentiments of the customer the excellence of the brand and the very essence of the company; which seeks to enhance human growth and engage customers on a human level as a community focussed brand.
Ooredoo also wanted to produce a distinctive identity that reflects its focus on customers for a smooth continuum and transitioning of the brand identity. The group decided on red as their brand colour because it shows energy warmth and strength not to mention it is impactful. Red is a dominant and dynamic colour which stands out while demonstrating strong linkage to the national flags within their key markets including Oman. Upholding the familiarity factor from the beginning was a critical component in maintaining engagement and continuing this underlying theme of letting the customer know that we are not a foreign brand with different values and interests but in fact are the same communications provider that has been operating in the country for ten years.
The original vision and the new brand values align very much with those of Nawras: 'Caring' where the company always looks to be supportive trusted responsible and respectful; 'Connecting' with the aim of engaging collaborating and being involved in the community; and 'Challenging' a progressive approach whereby the company always looks for new ways of doing things and seeking to enhance peoples' lives. With this solid foundation the group has begun to share global resources and assets to better meet customers' needs and advance the company by implementing robust and proven best practices with a focus on prioritising the customer experience.
The rebranding strategically therefore required very little change as they were aligned with the core elements of the existing values best practices and services that were previously delivered by Nawras. Over ten years the company grew to become a popular icon and brand so presenting the rebranding with an underlying familiarity was important in maintaining the company's customer base and confidence.
Keeping the Nawras identity meant that rebranding itself was not a challenging task - they are the same team operating the same way to achieve the same goals. However the company was a hive of activity from the first quarter of 2014 to implement the changes needed. Everything from stores to cars billboards to recharge cards had to be rebranded and redesigned. In addition all of the internal and external processes and needed to be changed over. It covers a lot more than immediately comes to mind including changing the brand name with the MSM changing over all of the SMS messages that are sent out to customers the contact centre messages and menu the website company intranet forms IT systems billing systems and all of the internal policy and procedure documents.
Immediately following the launch of the new brand it was important for the company to really bring the brand to life. Given the size of Oman to reach customers in remote areas branding in prominent locations across Oman was important to communicate the rebrand. Media in major outdoor locations in Muscat and across different governorates in Oman helped secure high visibility and awareness for the brand launch and for the weeks immediately post-launch. In addition brand impact for travellers was achieved by prominent branding at Muscat and Salalah airports and the Ooredoo Shop at the arrival terminal.
Social media also played a key role. As one of the country's social media leaders the company wanted a strong presence through channels such as Facebook Twitter Instagram and YouTube. Real time coverage on social media of internal and VIP events along with a media press conference received positive feedback from fans through different social media platforms. This digital activation continued after the launch with the now popular platform #OurOman.
This hive of activity involved efforts from most of the Ooredoo family in one way or another. But the major projects were led by a core team within Ooredoo in Oman. The effort was undertaken entirely in Oman drawing on some of the rebranding projects in other Ooredoo group companies that had already been through the process. However Oman set the benchmark with their management and implementation of the rebranding and market research has unequivocally highlighted that customer sentiment towards the new brand is very positive; indicating having continuity of the established brand with a number of enhancements was an effective strategy.
Ooredoo has now set its sights on not only a fresh new image but a whole host of exciting new products and services for customers and businesses throughout the country. With the vibrance and individuality that is part of the essence of the new brand the company hopes to inspire people throughout the sultanate to achieve their dreams.
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