O processo de mudança de marca: o rebranding da Algar Telecom

Abstract

In the last five decades, with globalization and the consequent increase in market competition, marketing has a key role in identifying needs and carrying out customer s wishes. This may be related to the need for organizational managers to create effective strategies that bring more value to the organization and make processes more efficient. Accordingly the brand presents itself as an important asset (QUINTEIRO, 2008). Precisely because they are affected by changes in consumer behavior and lead organizations to success, changing an organization brand may impact both (ALSHEBIL, 2007). These brand changes have a specific term, widely practiced by both market and academia: rebranding. This refers to the process of creating a new name, symbol, design, or combination of these elements, aiming at developing an image or a new position to be perceived by customers (MUZELLEC, LAMBKIN, 2006; MERRILEES, MILLER, 2008). Some international studies have studied rebranding (DOWLING, 2001; DELATTRE, 2002; MUZELLEC, DOOGAN, LAMBKIN, 2003; KAIKATI, KAIKATI, 2003; DALY, MOLONEY, 2004; STUART, MUZELLEC, 2004; SPAETH, 2005; MUZELLEC, LAMBKIN, 2006; ALSHEBIL, 2007; MERRILEES, MILLER, 2008; QUINTEIRO, 2008; LOPES, 2011; SOARES, 2012), but few studies have addressed it deeply (MUZELLEC, LAMBKIN, 2006). Fewer Brazilian studies about rebranding were found (ZABALETA, 2005; SUZUKI ET AL., 2006; MEADOW, OLIVEIRA JR, TOLEDO, 2006; DUARTE, VILAÇA, 2008; CHIABI, GONCALVES, 2010; CARDOSO, 2011). It was not found studies focusing the impacts of brand changes. In this scenario, it is observed that the CTBC brand belonging to Algar group, is undergoing the process of rebranding to Algar Telecom, Brazilian telecommunications company created and based in Uberlândia/MG. Using this company, a reference in the telecommunications sector in the region, the objective of this study was to describe and analyze the organization impacts of changing CTBC to Algar Telecom. These impacts were studied according to the model presented by Muzellec and Lambkin (2006), which identified four factors related to the need of rebranding, namely the change in board structure, change in company strategy, changes in the external environment and change in competitive position. Their study also included the goals of rebranding and the rebranding process. Through a case study, according to Yin (2001), and data triangulation (interviews, document review and analysis of file records) data were analyzed according to content analysis (Bardin, 1977). Therefore it was possible to identify the rebranding factor \"change in corporate strategy\", aimed at rebranding the \"reflection of a new brand\" and \"revolution\" of this brand, and how the process of rebranding focused on employees. Other impacting factors were also found. The main contribution of this study is to present the impacts of changing the brand CTBC to Algar Telecom, from the point of view of the organization\'s marketing experts. Further studies are recommended in new companies and with other subjects.