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Text and photos by Jojie Alcantara, published in SunStar Davao (June 22, 2016)
Flying to Manila with my fellow media colleagues, I was wondering what the fuss and secrecy was all about as the cryptic invitation’s only clue were the words “A New Day Unfolds”.
Turns out that the country’s leading telecom and digital services provider, PLDT, and its mobile subsidiary, Smart Communications, are about to welcome a new day with a fresh brand identity that aims to “reflect their desire to empower their customers who are increasingly embracing digital services in their daily lives.”
In an utmost confidentiality for a big announcement that was to go simultaneous nationwide, top guns planned in hush arrangements that sent employees in a frenzy on whether this was good or bad change for them. Overall, the result turned out beneficial to all.
The program was short and sweet. Hosted by Bianca Valerio and Steven Silva, they called PLDT and SMART Chairman and President Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) onstage for the welcome remarks, before the unveiling of two new and upgraded corporate logos in red and green. MVP was joined by the heads of Smart and PLDT for a toast to this major rebranding.
The new logos were said to symbolize the powerful convergence of PLDT and Smart, combining fixed and wireless technologies to serve individual and enterprise customers.
With the new logo comes the change in name of the company from “Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company” into “PLDT Inc.”, to better represent the company’s current thrust and business shift to data-driven services.
PLDT-Smart is pursuing a three-year digital pivot that aims to transform its networks into “the country’s most data capable infrastructure delivering a growing array of compelling digital services.” The said logo changes are just the tip of an iceberg, one of the many steps towards digital transformation.
“We have embarked on a digital pivot to enable us to serve the increasing needs of our people’s digital lifestyle and the country’s growing digital economy,” said MVP.
“We shall lead the digital revolution by embracing the smart life within the organization, pursuing digital innovations and enabling our customers to go digital in their own ways. The biggest winners will be our customers who will have a growing range of choices at their fingertips.” The word ‘digital’ couldn’t be emphasized any better than this for the search engine optimization.
Shaped like a triangle, the new identical logos represent “three sides of the Company’s business pillars – for exceptional people, meaningful innovations, and valuable customers.” The said figure is also the symbol for Delta, the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet, which means “Change”.
The three pillars when taken together, according to MVP, “create tremendous energy that will enable our customers to achieve their limitless potential. The triangle’s three sides support each other. Thus, there is an inherent strength flows harmoniously among the sides to sustain the structure.”
The historic change was met with celebration nationwide in every office. We were lucky to have been given an icing on the cake up close – that of a surprise reunion with the members of the legendary band, Eraserheads. Ely Buendia and colleagues sang several songs that made them famous, while the crowd was revved up from beginning to end, singing along with the popular tunes. What a treat!
While we moved about for celebrity-spotting and a little “selfie ambush” with program director Rowell Santiago, we weren’t able to get close to the MVP for a quick snap.
We managed to rub elbows with pretty faces, though, like the Bb. Pilipinas Queens, PLDT FVP and Head of Home Business Operations Renren Reyes, and the VP and Head of Marketing for PLDT Home and Smart Bro Gary Dujali, who recently headed the successful Smart Bro tours in Mindanao.
The night was young, and though we bonded with our Cebu media colleagues, we went back to emjoy our cozy lair in Discovery Primea Suites, thanks to our gracious host, PLDT Home. A new day begins again, and we look forward to a faster and more efficient technology that will help change lives for the better.
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