France Telecom has announced that as of today, Monday 1 July 2013, the company name and stock symbol will change from France Telecom to Orange.
The change of name signals the Group’s intention to simplify and modernise its profile and image for the benefit of its stakeholders. It completes a process started in 2006 aimed at responding to both the changing conditions in the telecommunications market, in particular the convergence of fixed and mobile networks, and the Group’s expansion internationally.
As of today, all of the Group’s products and services in France and in over 30 countries will be sold under the Orange brand name, and all of the Group’s commercial, internal and corporate communication is grouped under this single brand identity.
“Most of the Group’s employees expected the company name to be aligned with its identity, which is now more than ever based on a collective culture of public service, expansion and a social partnership. Our group has shown that it is able to adapt to today’s competitive and global environment”, points out Stéphane Richard, Chief Executive of Orange.
“Studies show that Orange is in a position to achieve the fresh start and sense of community that the Group thrives on. We want the Orange brand to convey a sense of modernity, energy, innovation, trust and focus on the future and on customers.”
Once the new name comes into force, the Group’s national and international employees will gain a greater sense of belonging to a single entity. The change symbolises the values of a French Group – one that is proud of its roots, its achievements and its history, and which has grown to become one of the world’s largest communications providers.
Orange, a global brand with a strong digital presence
Supported by 170,000 people who implement the brand for the company’s 230 million customers, the Orange brand is ranked 60th in the world brand rankings and is in 6th place in the Millward Brown telecoms sector rankings. Orange is also a brand with a strong online presence, boasting 7 million fans on its Facebook pages and 600,000 followers on its Twitter accounts, including @orange, the CAC 40 Index’s number one Twitter account.
Name change to be underpinned by launch of a corporate communications campaign focused on the importance of digital technology
Orange is launching a corporate communications campaign to support the Group’s name change, by highlighting connections between the present and the future, and between France Telecom and Orange. It will also emphasise broader connections: between generations, between people and the society they live in, and between technology and its uses.
This new campaign, which seeks to show that Orange is focused on the future, conveys a key message at a crucial time for the Group when momentum is building. It highlights the influence of digital technology and the important role it plays and will increasingly play in everyone’s lives, allowing them do what they want, where they want, when they want.
Orange’s new challenge of providing personalised service by listening to all of its customers, giving them the best possible service and connecting them only to what is most useful to them in their lives is demonstrated by its new strapline: “The digital revolution is here. Let us connect you to what’s essential for you.”
Béatrice Mandine, Executive Vice President of Communication and Brand, commented: “The name change is an opportunity for us to step back into the limelight and reaffirm our role and our mission. This new corporate communications campaign aims to show that now more than ever, Orange is listening to its customers to better understand their needs and how their lives are changing and to help them, thanks to its intelligent networks and the passion and talent of its staff, to make the best use of what has become essential to them. We must continue to be relevant, useful and responsive.”
The campaign seeks to reiterate that Orange is a brand aimed at everyone, thanks to the relationships it has created and the trust it inspires.
To mark the name change, a wide-ranging initiative dubbed “the Orange storyline” (“Le fil Orange”) was implemented across the company in May and June, giving employees the opportunity to contribute a testimonial and detail their best memory of the Group in the form of a written account, video or photo.
Events have also been organised at most premises in France and internationally to celebrate this important day for Orange.
Watch the “Employee testimonials” film
Watch the corporate advertising campaign film.
Watch the animation on the milestones of the telecoms sector and the Group.
