Spark aims to draw in younger customers

  • Breaking
  • 08/08/2014

Twenty-seven years of telecommunications history ended today as Telecom finished transforming itself into the new brand name - Spark.

The communications giant said it wants to become more relevant and began by giving things away, such as $5000 cash.

It was the free stuff, not the name change which made customers queue at what Telecom - now known as Spark -called ATMs, or Automatic Thank-You Machines.

"What an exciting way to kick off Spark day," says Spark chief executive Simon Moutter.

It will cost the company $20 million to change all the signs, but Spark says it's essential.

"Particularly the younger half of the population, to them the word Telecom means landlines," says Mr Moutter.

And that's what it was all about when Labour privatised the company in 1990 - but sparks flew even back then.

"For a lot of us Telecom was the brand we loved to hate," says marketing commentator Dave Walden. "It was the reason why Vodafone got a free run, [it was] anyone but Telecom. Then there was 2 Degrees, Telecom needed to turn the page."

And that included the stock market ticker.

While today is about replacing old with new, there is one way Spark wants to copy what Telecom achieved - that is become the biggest listed company on the stock exchange.

"We are actually back to number two and I have got number one in my sights," says Mr Moutter.

To get there, Spark needs younger customers - but will a name change bring them in?

The prizes did work - although the concept appears similar to a recent Canadian bank campaign.

But Spark may need more than presents to justify throwing out the past.

3 News

source: newshub archive