Altice, N.V., the European telecom company, pulled the curtain back on a new unified global branding strategy that will bring together its diverse brands under a single name and logo tied to the concept of "One Brand, One Group."
The telecom company, founded by entrepreneur Patrick Drahi in 1993, includes hundreds of diverse brands in the telecom, wireless and cable field in Europe, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Beginning Wednesday the company plans to embark on a year-long process that will culminate in its telecommunications brands to share the same Altice brand.
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The process also will include a new logo for the company, developed by a unit of advertising and branding giant Publicis Group. Called “the path,” the logo is in the shape of a lower-case “a,” without borders or background, which the company said represents “Altice’s timeless aspirations to continuously innovate and reinvent the future to meet customers’ evolving needs. It reinforces the strength of the Altice brand, and the path which Altice and its customers take together to experience the future.”
The new brand and logo will also get a new tagline, "Together Has No Limits," which the company said proclaims its vision.
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Altice CEO Michel Combes told reporters the rebranding will be complete by the end of the second quarter of 2018 and is expected to affect its commercial telecom operations worldwide. Most brands will initially share the Altice brand to give consumers a chance to get used to the name, including its U.S. properties.
While the Altice USA name will remain for its U.S. cable properties, Optimum, its operations in the New York Metropolitan area, and Suddenlink, its cable operations in the Midwest, would share the new brand as “Optimum: by Altice” or “Suddenlink: by Altice,” or something like it until the transition is complete.
“One group with one brand, Altice,” Combes said in a statement. “Altice is today entering a new era, following its transformation into a global leader in telecoms, content and advertising. Operating as one unified organization, Altice will reinvent the future of the customer experience through an enduring commitment to deliver innovative, best-in-class products and services that unlock the limitless potential of our customers and our people. This is our path, this is the Altice path.”
Some brands won’t see a change. Altice said its telecom sub-brands in certain areas -- including Red in France; Moche, Uzo and Sapo in Portugal; Next TV in Israel; the media news brands (News 12 Networks, i24NEWS, BFM, RMC); press brands of SFR Presse (Libération, L’Express, etc.), and Teads -- will not change.
“Altice has a global vision, a clear strategy and a track record of success, and Altice USA is pleased to stand together with its colleagues around the world under one common brand,” Altice USA chairman and CEO Dexter Goei said in a statement. “Today represents a new beginning on our path as we continue to deliver innovative, high- quality, customer-centric products and solutions that connect our customers to the world around them. As one global Altice brand, we believe anything is possible.”
