By Marc Allera, CEO, BT Consumer
Today is an important day as we begin a new chapter in our transformation.
I’ve long been reflecting on the need for us to find a deeper relationship with the customers we serve.
We take great pride in our history and unique role in connecting people. From the very first phone calls with BT, to EE launching the UK’s first 4G and 5G networks in the UK – we have been at the heart of the UK’s communication and technology industry as well as creating some of the country’s most iconic brands.
Our strong foundations are built upon the best networks, brands and customer service, in fact BT and EE now have some of the best service scores in the industry on every measure.
It’s an exciting place to be but the world is changing fast.
In the near future we see an explosion in the number of devices needing a connection to the internet. Our customer’s digital lives are becoming more complex with multiple networks, services, platforms, and hardware needing to be joined together in easier ways for them.
EVOLVING OUR BUSINESS
So, like any business, we need to keep evolving to be successful.
That’s why today, I have shared with our teams the next chapter in our transformation journey.
We are focusing on two areas.
First – Introducing new products and services – including ones that go beyond the connectivity we provide today – in order to evolve the relationship with our customers. This will be a big change for us and won’t happen overnight, but we will begin to expand our brand and relevance with consumers beyond networks.
Second – A change in the way we take our brands to market. We have to be more focused and more efficient. We are evolving from today’s approach in the consumer market where BT and EE both take centre stage, to one where a flagship brand will lead our approach to future innovation, convergence, and services beyond connectivity. Having both BT and EE in an already crowded consumer market means we must have two of everything, and that makes life harder for our customers and our people – two accounts, two apps, two product roadmaps, and multiple systems. You get the picture. We need to simplify things, for everyone.
A NEW CHAPTER BEGINS
This is where our new chapter begins. From today, we’re starting the preparations to make the EE brand our flagship brand for Consumer customers focusing on convergence and future services.
While retaining much of the identity that is instantly recognisable to millions today, the new EE will evolve and stretch into new areas and be focused on convergence of networks, devices and new services beyond connectivity.
Why EE? Well – our customers tell us that EE is synonymous with the best mobile connectivity and its popularity in the broadband market is growing steadily as we’ve driven awareness that EE’s fibre network is powered by BT.
While EE’s rural mobile coverage spreads further than any other operator, EE is also favoured by customers in our towns and cities – which is where there is an overwhelming demand for multiple services beyond fixed lines.
Since EE launched in 2012, it has captured the hearts of customers across all demographics – topping the service charts, with a strong brand that can stretch into new areas beyond connectivity as well as offering the best network and service.
We will share more about our launch plans later this year.
The BT brand will still play an important but more focused role for Consumer customers on standalone broadband and landline services. BT Sport will continue to broadcast the best in sport, as it prepares for its own new journey, in a joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery. And Plusnet, our value brand, will continue to serve customers with basic no-frills broadband and landline.
Nothing will change for our BT customers. We will continue to serve and support them through our unrivalled nationwide sales and service with local presence all over the UK, just as we do today.
For our Enterprise and Global units BT will be the flagship brand, continuing its pivotal role in helping businesses of all sizes, public sector organisations and wholesale customers unlock their potential through embracing digital technologies. The BT brand is the clear market leader in the B2B segment on brand consideration, reliability, and trust across a wide range of fixed and digital connectivity services. You can find out more about what this means for BT’s business customers here.
This exciting transformation won’t happen overnight. I’ll be sharing more with you over the coming months, but the journey starts today to create a new EE, one that will start to play a more meaningful role in our customers’ lives and create the most personal, customer-focused technology brand in the UK.
Source: EE Newsroom
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