In 2001, Brazil’s telecom giant, Telemar, commissioned
Wolff Olins to create a brand for its new mobile telephony
network provision, breaking into a market divided between
20 other companies. This was a crowded, confusing and over-complex
marketplace, dominated by confusing price plans and an excess
of bureaucracy. From the outset, Telemar aimed to improve
consumer confidence by simplifying the experience of buying,
owning and using a phone.
Wolff Olins' solution was to brand the business Oi, Brazilian
for 'Hi'. This short, simple and universal word epitomises
simplicity and informality,
speaking directly to the consumer and making
Oi stand out against its numerous generically-named competitors
- companies like TIM Maxitel, Telecom Americas, Telemig, Embratel
and Americel.
The results
Oi's customer uptake was faster than any other new telecoms
company in the world. More than 2.2m people signed up in the
first year, four times more than the target.
Some 75% of Oi's clients left competitor companies to join the new brand. "
Oi has achieved every marketing manager's dream - the brand
has become synonymous with the service, just as Hoover once
did for vacuum cleaners. 'Call me on my Oi' has become a common
expression amongst Brazilians.
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