T-Mobile and Tele2 are suddenly called Odido since Tuesday. With the emphasis on the i. Reactions from brand experts to the new name have been mixed. Odido sounds cheerful, but according to critics also a bit too childish.
Article continued after ad
The fact that T-Mobile and Tele2 are given a different name is less strange than the invented word itself. T-Mobile Netherlands was acquired from Deutsche Telekom in September 2021 by private investors Apax and Warburg Pincus. The Dutch provider has since had to pay for the use of the T-Mobile brand name. Moreover, Deutsche Telekom still had influence on business operations through the name license. T-Mobile also offers not only mobile subscriptions, but also internet and TV via fiber optics. In short: a new name makes sense.
“It has to do with the merger between T-Mobile and Tele2 a few years ago. A completely new name is daring and appeals to the imagination. It is in any case better than sticking two names together, such as VodafoneZiggo”, says brand psychologist Thijs van Dijk The Telegraph. Brand name expert Erwin Wijman thinks it looks a lot like names like Ziggo, Oxxio and Oppo. “Such a typical fantasy name from the typical Dutch company name factory,” said Wijman in Ad formation.
‘Not a nursery, after all?’
“It’s a separate name in the telecom world and therefore a strong brand from a legal point of view. At the same time, it’s a bit childish for a real A-brand. It’s not a nursery, is it?” says Bas Kist, co-founder of trademark agency Chiever, in Adformation.
Article continued after ad
Naam expert Floris Hülsmann van Namarama is enthusiastic and thinks the name is trendy. According to him, it is a good example of an onomatopoeia (sound imitation), which is increasingly reflected in brand names and which can stick well. “Think of Twitter and perhaps the most famous example of the moment, TikTok. Names that contain sound,” says Hülsmann to The entrepreneur. “In any case, it is a lot less serious than T-Mobile or Tele2, and if that fits with the new brand strategy and the target group they have in mind, they are good.”
read more
T-Mobile is now called Odido: this will change even more
Associations make jokes
Odido is often joked about on social media with references to dildo and okidoki. Brand experts think those associations will only be temporary. “Every new brand is immediately compared with all kinds of existing words, brands and concepts, but once the brand is loaded, they are quickly gone,” says Michael Dijkstra Taurel, brand strategist at Globrands in Adformatie.
Logo
Taurel also thinks that Odido has ‘no A-brand image’. “There is a lot of work to be done to properly attack KPN and VodafoneZiggo with more than just low prices. I think the logo is less and does not match the name.” According to Van Dijk, the logo with rainbow colors and a name that reads the same on both sides fits well with this time. “Inclusivity is increasingly being centralized by brands. It should convey a feeling that everyone is welcome.”
In a poll van Bright only 10 percent say they ‘like’ Odido, 37 percent think the name is ‘stupid’ and 53 percent think it’s ‘weird’.
Also read: T-Mobile is now called Odido: this will change even more
Video player
Check out the latest videos
More videos
2023-09-05 19:48:50
#Odido #Experts #divided #TMobile #Sounds #childish
