BPL Mobile is history; presenting Loop Mobile

More than just the name of the telecom brand has been changed. Loop Mobile hopes to build a contemporary, youthful imagery

In an effort to keep the youth ‘looped’ in its fold, BPL Mobile – which has been operating in Mumbai for a bit over 13 years – has undergone a rebranding. And for this, the brand looked no further than its own tagline, ‘Get in the Loop’, for inspiration. BPL Mobile, which claims to cater to over two million subscribers in Mumbai, will now be called Loop Mobile.

According to company officials, this rebranding is the logical next step, after having arrived at ‘Get in the Loop’ as a brand thought, back in July 2007.

“‘Get in the Loop’ was our way of refreshing the brand to make it contemporary for the youth,” says Arif Ali, head, brand and communications, Loop Mobile. “As we wanted to transform BPL further to appeal to this segment, we chose a word from our own tagline, as it generated high recall and popularity, according to our research.”

What does ‘Loop’ do for the brand that ‘BPL’ didn’t? And is the company prepared to face the risks associated with an identity change? Ali is firm: “If people still associate our network with the old brand name for some time, and don’t straightaway adapt to the new name, it is fine with us. That only goes to speak of the strong relationships we have built with consumers, and it will naturally take some time to take it to the next level with Loop.”

McCann Erickson, the agency on the account, has designed the new logo for Loop Mobile. The logo is said to represent youthful vitality, excitement and freshness, which the company touts as its brand values.

The new logo has a three-dimensional look. The colours -- green, purple, pink and blue -- have been used to symbolise freshness, vibrancy, energy, excitement and a cool quotient.

The campaign unveiling this change will make use of local vehicles, as it is restricted to Mumbai. Therefore, television is being given a miss this time. The campaign will comprise outdoor, print, radio, digital, activation and will also leverage the consumer touch points, including SMS and call centre prompts about the new imagery.

The message in these campaigns, apart from announcing the name change, will also revolve around how one of Mumbai’s oldest network is also its newest one, commanding a healthy number of subscribers. Furthermore, Loop Mobile Stores will be beefed up to meet this new brand proposition.

On the rationale behind the rebranding, Sanjeev Chachondia, director and CEO, Loop Mobile (India), says in an official communiqué, “With this change, we are all set to add momentum towards rapid growth and expansion; and want to reiterate our commitment towards our customers and ensure they experience the newest and one of the best networks in town.”

A new campaign on the network proposition will follow next month after this rebranding one, Ali informs afaqs!.

For the record, BPL Mobile started its services in 1995.