BT is to make EE the flagship brand for new products and services.
The BT name was created in 1980 when British Telecom was still a part of the Post Office, before its privatisation four years later.
Marc Allera, CEO, BT Consumer said the move was a big change and wouldn’t happen overnight.
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.
The decision to focus on EE was taken in part by the popularity of the brand and its association with good mobile connectivity. Recent marketing efforts have emphasised that EE Broadband is powered by the BT network.
The BT brand will remain, but will take on a more focused role for Consumer customers on standalone broadband and landline services.
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.
High Street EE shops will continue to be co-located with BT, while for Enterprise and Global units BT will be the flagship brand.
The BT Tower will retain its present name.
“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,” said Allera.
