MTN has solidified its move from being a telco to a digital-first company in a brand refresh that was officially announced last month. The rebrand reflects MTN Group’s commitment to its Ambition 2025 strategy to build leading digital platforms that enable Africa’s progress across the telecom, fintech, infrastructure, API and content and messaging ecosystem.
MTN Nigeria officially celebrated the Group-wide brand refresh with a press briefing on February 27, 2022, at the Eko Hotels & Suites Grand Ballroom, Lagos. The company announced its brand repositioning using a contemplative slogan — “What Are We Doing Today?” It also articulated the context behind the new logo many had seen since 16 February 2022.
Present at the event were key members of the MTN leadership team, celebrities and well-established opinion leaders across relevant industries, media stakeholders and high-value customers.
This is the second brand overhaul since the MTN Group was founded in 1994. Back in 2004, the changes made to the brand resulted in MTN taking ownership of the colour yellow that is now synonymous with MTN. Importantly, it also helped to elevate the brand to where it is today, recognised as the most valuable in Africa.
The Company’s new logo forgoes the italics, the red underscore and the solid coloured oval present in the previous logo for a minimalist look that retains the oval (now represented as a solid outline) with the letters M-T-N nestled in it. These can be used against a sunshine yellow or plain white background in either black or yellow font colours.
The rebranding is an extension and visual representation of MTN Group’s refreshed strategy, dubbed Ambition 2025 and premised on Leading digital solutions for Africa’s progress. Through the delivery of this strategy, MTN aims to accelerate growth by building the largest and most valuable platform businesses and driving its industry-leading connectivity operations.
The Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, explained that the rebranding exemplifies MTN’s commitment to continuously create value for all its stakeholders, with the new logo contextualising the company’s identity as a digital citizen, open to change, young at heart, inviting, digitally dynamic and progressive.
“We want to play our part in harnessing the potential and supporting the progress of our people by driving digital and financial inclusion. It is a well-known fact that the youth are central to achieving this potential. Whilst we remain focused on all our customers and stakeholders, our brand evolution demonstrates an enhanced focus on the youth,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Adia Sowho, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Marketing Officer, expressed her excitement with regards to the brand refresh, emphasising the company’s predilection for building digital platforms that enable Africa’s progress.
“The new brand identity is modern, simple, bold and digitally dynamic. It kicks off with a provocative and simple question, “What are we doing today?” With a clear and concise brand strategy that Opportunity + Energy = Progress, MTN understands that to truly unlock the full benefits and potential of the digital world people require a combination of drive, progressive thinking and the right tools,” she said.
“This rebrand highlights MTN’s commitment to continuously evolve and explore innovative initiatives that provide value to all our stakeholders. A pioneer of progress from the beginning, MTN looks to drive this progress further through action and doing. In delivering its vision, MTN aims to drive a positive shift in Africa and harness the continent’s boundless opportunity,” she continued.
Ambition 2025 is MTN’s strategy to accelerate long term business growth in Nigeria while leveraging emerging opportunities. Built on four key strategic priorities, Ambition 2025 informs MTN’s current and future projects as the company moves to create leading digital platforms for Africa’s progress while providing the tools to ensure the connectivity to access them.
About MTN Nigeria
MTN Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest providers of communications services, connecting 71.6 million people in communities across the country with each other and the world. Guided by a vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world, MTN Nigeria’s leadership position in coverage, capacity, and innovation has remained constant, since its launch in 2001. MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group – a leading emerging market operator, connecting more than 250 million subscribers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
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