China Telecom in rebranding push

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

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