Aktel, one of the country’s top mobile phone brands, took its new name—Robi—meaning the sun, with effect from the dawn of Sunday when it also unveiled a new logo for the company at a colourful ceremony at the capital’s Suhrawardi Uddyan. Aktel will henceforth be known as Robi, underlining the rich, vibrant culture and heritage of Bangladesh, executives of the popular cellphone company said. ‘Robi brings the first gleam of light that shows us the day… a symbol of harvest that brings smile on the faces of farmers,’ said Michael Kuehner, the Managing Director and CEO of Axiata (Bangladesh) Ltd. the Malaysia-based mobile operator. He went on to point out that the word Robi is also very familiar to Bangla speaking people as it is the name of their pride poet, Rabindranath Tagore. ‘We aim to develop an emotional link with the culture and roots of this nation… Therefore, we chose the Bangla word Robi to be our identity,’ he said. The mobile phone operator has also taken the logo of the Axiata Group Berhad, the parent company. Axiata (Bangladesh) Limited, formerly known as TM International (BD) Limited, is a joint venture between Axiata Group Berhad (70 per cent) and Japanese NTT DoCoMo (30 percent).
One of the six mobile companies in Bangladesh, Robi is the third largest mobile phone operator in terms of revenue, having some 10. 31 million subscribers across the country. Earlier, the largest mobile phone operator in the country, Grameen Phone Ltd. , had also changed its logo assuming that of Telenor Group, the major shareholders of the GP. ‘By changing the name to a Bengali word, the company aims at aligning its services to local culture and tradition. The word has been chosen as it carries a range of dominant meanings of emotional and cultural bondage of the people of this land,’ Kuehner told a press briefing at Suhrawardi Uddyan.
Robi’s head of corporate affairs Segufta Yesmin Samad and chief commercial officer Bidyut Kumar Basu, among others, were present at the function. Aktel, which has now become Robi, launched its operations in Bangladesh on the November 15, 1997. The challenges of Robi The Robi has not faced any major problem for the changes of the brand name. They go through advertising for the changes of their name from Aktel into Rabi. They change their name and logo. The name Aktel has no a clear meaning to the people of Bangladesh.
Rabi has a colorful meaning and it is well known name of the rural level people of Bangladesh. By changing the name to a Bengali word, the company aims at aligning its services with local culture and tradition. The new name makes a change in the market. Some of the young generation who’s are not familiar with the name, they fined modern name that they like most. Some of the people change their Aktel sim card without any cause for changing the name Aktel into Rabi. When they realize the reason of change they come back.
They plan to plans to launch new products, services and offers including rates from BDT 0. 40-1. 48 per minute, multiple bill plans, and flat rates. It will continue to invest this year and will focus on rural penetration and bring products like m-commerce, m-marketing and m-remittance. After the changes of their name they launch some new feature and product for the new market. They go for CSR work. Like, they will continue the ongoing CSR engagements like English in Schools, which is being held in partnership with The Daily Star, to help English learning in one thousand schools across the country.
In its pursuit to support the government for Digital Bangladesh initiative, Robi will continue to collaborate in establishing internet connectivity in the primary schools across the country. This will give due opportunities to the children of this land to develop themselves as able leaders of tomorrow at all fronts. At the last of all Rabi can capture the demand of AKTEL. Rabi can get the brand image like the Aktel. For the changes of the name they has to spend more and more money and also have to maintain Bangladesh Government difference roles and regulation against the telecommunication.
