China Telecom in rebranding push

<p>BEIJING: China Telecom has rolled out a nationwide campaign aimed at </p><p>shaking off memories of it being an inefficient monopoly. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The telecoms giant has been updating the country's antiquated telephone </p><p>system by installing new fixed lines, as well as introducting broadband </p><p>and more friendly customer service. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But despite these advances, memories of inefficiency and bureaucracy </p><p>linger. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Just five years ago, there weren't enough phones, and applications for </p><p>phones took a very long time," said Viveca Chan, chief executive officer </p><p>and chairman of Grey China, which has been tasked with revitalising the </p><p>China Telecom brand. "Phones would go dead in the middle of a </p><p>conversation, or callers couldn't get through to the people they were </p><p>dialing." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>She said the reality today is different, and China Telecom is now a far </p><p>more progressive organisation. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"China Telecom feels that despite the advances, it still lacks intimacy </p><p>with consumers, and it wants to bridge the gap now rather than later," </p><p>Chan added. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The result is a campaign, based on three television commercials - </p><p>'Society', 'Worker' and 'Boss' - whose objective is to make people </p><p>realise what the company has accomplished in the recent past, and that </p><p>it is working for the benefit of the community. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>'Society' associates China Telecom with the economic development of the </p><p>country from the time when the country embarked on a liberalisation </p><p>policy to embrace free market reforms. The ad also talks about how the </p><p>company helps to look after the well-being of Chinese citizens, for </p><p>example when it played a major role in collecting donations for victims </p><p>of one of the biggest Yellow River flooding disasters. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>'Worker' shows that people can make telephone calls from their own homes </p><p>because telephone installation is now quick and easy, whereas in the </p><p>past they had to queue up at public booths. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>'Boss' features a company head sending his first email to a business </p><p>associate. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Chan acknowledged that it will be difficult to change perceptions, but </p><p>said that the campaign would start the process of change. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>