Kathy Gibson reports – Orange and black is the new … Cell C corporate livery.
The mobile operator today unveiled a new branding and strategic direction, under the theme “We are unstoppable”.
Jorge Mendes, CEO of Cell C, told a packed auditorium that the past year has been one of reinvention for the company.
After several years of network and business decline, the telco last year appointed a refreshed board and management team, which has gone a long way to bringing Cell C from the bottom of the mobile network pack to being a serious contender.
“So we have officially begun the turnaround plan,” Mendes says. “And we have the best people to do it, to take the brand not only to its glory days but beyond that. And to partner with integrity.”
Cell C’s troubled past is part of its history, Medes says. “We want to own the history; it is not someone else’s fault.”
To change the narrative, the telco has resized the organisation, changed the funding structures, and pivoted its strategy.
“We have given the brand some credibility and structure, and it’s something we believe in,” says Mendes. “This organisation will do something special for South Africa.”
The new logo carries Cell C’s recognisable orange motif forward, but giving it a modern and dynamic interpretation that pays tribute to the new company direction.
It is accompanied by a jingle that incorporates sounds from the building and staff, spelling out Cell C in music to create a recognisable music mnemonic.
Rachael Ayo-Oladejo, chief of strategy at Cell C, explains that people are at the core of the business strategy, including customers, stakeholders and staff.
“The first thing we needed was a clear vision – what we wanted the brand to be. Then we had to shift the minds of the people.”
Communication was key, she adds, and bringing all the stakeholders along on the journey.
“We have to be authentic: we are not pretending to be what we are not,” Ayo-Oladejo adds.