The Orange brand’s days are numbered in Switzerland.
Switzerland’s third-largest mobile operator plans to change its name next month to reflect its new ownership, it announced on Tuesday.
The company announced the rebrand in its 2014 results statement. It has not shared what it’s new name will be, but pledged to provide further details on 23 April. On its Website it promises "a new name and a new look".
The move comes after the telco’s 2.8 billion-franc (€2.3 billion) acquisition by Xavier Niel in late 2014. The deal was approved in February.
"The rebranding is a logical step in the company’s development under its new ownership," Orange said. "It is a great and unique opportunity for the company to create its own identity, with the ambition to bring more innovation and simplicity to Swiss consumers."
Given that Orange is now part of Niel’s footprint, it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest that the company might adopt the Free brand used by the businessman’s French ISP and mobile operations. Free Mobile has captured 15% of the French mobile market since it launched as a low-cost player three years ago. Niel could certainly look to replicate that model in Switzerland.
Orange Switzerland’s revenue crept up by 1.9% to CHF1.32 billion (€1.26 billion) in 2014, while adjusted EBITDA grew by 11% on 2013 to CHF433.8 million. The company did not provide any additional financials in its announcement.
"2014 was a year with many challenges," said Johan Andsjö, CEO of Orange Switzerland. "After the switch to our new IT systems in Q1 we have worked hard to regain ground versus our competitors and I am glad to see early trends of 2014."
Orange added 26,000 new postpaid customers last year, raising its contract customer base to 1.16 million. Its total mobile subscriber base at the end of 2014 stood at 2.17 million, up by 20,000 over the 12 months.
